Aluminium : its history, occurrence, properties, metallurgy and applications, including its alloys

II •1

II

il

II

ii

Ij!

t ll'

ii

ll

;l

jl

Ii

1,

:l

Med t

V k*

ITS HISTORY, OCCURRENCE, PROPERTIES, METALLURGY AND APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING ITS ALLOYS.

BY

JOSEPH W. RICHARDS, A.C.,

CITEMIBT AND PRACTICAL METALLURGIST ; MEMBER OF THE DEUTSCHE CHEMISCHE GESELLSCHAFT.

ILLUSTRATED BY SIXTEEN ENGRAVINGS.

PHILADELPHIA:

HENRY CAREY BAIRD & CO.,

INDUSTRIAL PUDLISIIERS, BOOKSELLERS AND IMPORTERS, 810 WALNUT STREET.

LONDON:

COPYRIOHT BY

JOSEPH W. RICHARDS, 18S6.

Coll.

welMOmec

Call

No.

Preface

Xo apology is necessaiy in presenting a work on aluminium in English. In 1858 Tissier Bros, published in France a small book on the subject. H. St. Claire Deville, the originator of the aluminium industry, published a treatise, also in French, in 1859. Deville’s book is still the standard on the subject. Until December, 1885, we have an intermission, and then a work by Dr. Mierzinski, forming one of Ilartleben’s Chemisch-Teehnische Bibliothek, which is a fair presentation of the industry up to about 1883, this being a German contribution. Probably because the Englishspeaking people have taken comparatively little hand in this subject we find no systematic treatise on aluminium in our language. The present work aims to present the subject in its entirety to the English reader.

Tissier, Deville, Mierzinski, and the German, French, and English scientific periodicals have

IV Preface

been freely consulted and extracted from, full credit being given in each case to the author or journal. As this art has of late advanced so rapidly it has been a special aim to give everything that has been printed up to the time of publication.

The ditferent parts of the work are arranged in what seemed their logical order, corresponding closely to that followed by Deville. The Appendix contains an account of laboratory experiments, etc., several of which, it is trusted, maj' be of value.

In conclusion, the author wishes to thank the faculty of his “ Alma Mater,” Lehigh University, for their permission to use his Thesis on Aluminium as the basis of this treatise; also, to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. Wm. II. Greene, of Philadelphia, for assistance rendered in the preparation of the work for the press.

J. W. R.

PniLADELPniA, November 25, 1886.

LIST OF REFERENCES

Tissier

Seville ....

Watts ....

Mierzinski . .

Compt. Rend. . .

AVagner’s Jahresb.

Phil. Mag. . .

Mon. Scientif. .

Fremy ....

Dingl. Joul. . .

Pogg. Ann. . . .

.Jrnl. der Pharm. .

Bull, de la Soc. Cliein

Sci. Am. (Suppl.) .

Eng. and Mng. Jrnl.

Cliem. News Jahresb. der Chem.

Recherche de 1’ Aluminium. C. & H.

Tissier. Paris, 1858.

De 1’ Aluminium. H. St. Claire Deville. Paris, 1859.

AVatts’s Dictionary of Chemistry, vol. i.

Dr. Mierzinski. Vienna, 1885.

Comptes Rendus de les Sciences de l’Acad6mie. Paris.

The London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine.

Le Moniteur Scientifique. Dr.

Quesnesville.

Encyclopedic Chemique. Fremy.

Paris, 1883.

Dingler’s Polytechnisches Journal.

Poggendorff’s Annalen.

Journal der Pharmacie.

Bulletin de la Soci6t6 Chemiquc de Paris.

Scientific American (Supplement).

The Engineering and Mining Journal.

The Chemical News.

1*

F 0 R M U L .E

Aluminium.

AlW . . .

Alumina.

Aluminium chloride.

Potassium.

KOH . . .

Caustic Potash.

KCl . . .

Potassium chloride.

Sodium.

Al«C16.2NaCl.

Aluminium-sodium double chloride.

Silicon.

Iron.

Copper.

TEMPERATURES.

Unless stated otherwise, all temperatures given are In Centigrade degrees.

*

PART I. History of Aluminium

Lavoisier’s su^Kestion of the existence of metallic bases of the earths and alkalies ; Researches in preparation of aluminium, by Davy, Oerstedt, and AVohler . Isolation of aluminium, by H. St. Claire Ueville, in 1854 Patronage of Emperor- Napoleon HI. ; Aluminium at the Paris Exhibition, 1855; Its manufacture on a large scale at Glacihre, Nanterrc, and Salindres ; Tissier Bros.’ book on aluminium in 1858 ....

Deville’s book, 1859 ; History of the works near Rouen Deville’s explanation of the uses of the new metal Alfred Monnier’s production of aluminium at Camden,

W. J. Taylor claiming the possible cost of aluminium at §1 per pound; Kerl and Stohman’s r6sum6 of the manufacture of aluminium up to 1874 Hr. Clemens AVinckler’s retrospect of the development of aluminium, 1879 .......

Manufacture of aluminium in England, France, and Germany ; Aluminium beams for balances, made by Sartorius of Gottingen; Hilliculties in using aluminium for mathematical instruments; Action of molten aluminium upon earthen crucibles ......

PAGE vm

CONTRNTS.

PAGE

Prices of aluminium and of aluminium bronze in France ;

AVebster’s aluminium works in England ... 36

Col. AVilliam Frisbmuth’s invention for produeing aluminium at reduced cost; Opinion of his invention by Major llicarde-Seaver, F.ll.S.E. .... 37

Col. Frishmuth’s works in Philadelphia; Aluminium easting for the Washington Monument, made by Col. Frishmuth ; Census report of his annual production ; His price in bars . . . . . . . . 39

Imports and consumption of aluminium in the United States from 1870 to 1884 ; Its production in Philadelphia by Col. Frishmuth in 1883, 1884 ... 40

Cowle’s process for making aluminium bronze at Cleveland, Ohio ; Present state of aluminium industry as described by Prof. Charles F. Mabery, of Cleveland,

Ohio, and Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, of Montreal . . 41

PART II. OccuiuuixcK OF Aluminium in Natuke

Combinations of aluminium with oxygen, alkalies, and acids, etc. ; Formulas of aluminium silicates . . 43

Appearance of most of the aluminium compounds; Formula of some of the precious stones .... 44

Minerals most used for producing aluminium; Beauxite . 45

Analyses of beauxite ....... 46

Cryolite ; AA'herc found, description, and general uses ;

Its importation by the Pennsylvania Salt Co., of Philadeliihia; Native cryolite in the United States . . 48

Imports of cryolite into the United States; Corundum;

Its great source of supply . . . • . .49

Probable sources of supplies of materials for production of aluminium in the United States and Great Britain . 50

CONTENTS.

IX

PART III. Physical Properties of Aluminium

PAGE

Table of analyses of commercial iiluminium ... 51

Free ami combined silicon in aluminium ; Gases in aluminium ......... 52

Composition of the aluminium apex of the AVashinjiton Monument at Washington, D. C., cast by Col. Frishmuth ; Color of aluminium ; As described by Deville, Fremy, Mallet, and Mierzinski ..... 53

Mat ; As described by Deville, Mierzinski, and Bell Bros. 54 Polish and lustre ; Processes for producing as given by Deville, Bell Bros, and Kerl and Stohman . . 55

Odor ; As given by Deville and AVatts .... 56

Taste — Deville; Malleability— Deville and Mallet on this subject ......... 57

M. Degousse’s success in beating aluminium into leaves ; Substitution of aluminium for silver leaf ; Kerl & Stohman on rolling and annealing aluminium . . 58

Bell Bros, on beating aluminium ; Mierzinski on extensibility of aluminium ....... 59

Aluminium leaf first made by C. Falk & Co., Vienna; Ductility; Drawing aluminium wire ; Results obtained by Deville, A^angeois, and Bell Bros. ... 60

Elasticity, Tenacity, Hardness — Deville, AA^erthcim, Mallet, Fremy; Kerl & Stohman on engraving aluminium 61

Mierzinski and AV^ II. Barlow on tensile strength; Tables ; Comparative mechanical value of aluminium,

steel, etc 62

Table of strength of aluminium wire ; Sonorousness; Results obtained by Deville and M. Lissajous in making bells and tuning-forks ...... 63

Rcfudts obtained by Faraday and Watts ; Density ; Devillc’s table of comparison with other metals

X

CONTENTS.

PAOE

Comparative value of equal volumes of aluminium and silver; Specific gravity of absolutely pure aluminium, Mallet; Fusibility ; As given by Deville, Mallet, and Mierzinski ...... . . 65

Fixity ; As given by Deville, Watts, and Fremy ; Electric conductivity ; Results obtained by Deville and M.

Buff 66

Comparison with copper and magnesium, Fremy; Thermal conductivity; Deville, Faraday, and Watts, etc., on this subject . . . . . . . ' . 67

Mierzinski, Calvert, and Johnson on this subject; Specific heat; Deville, Regnault, Paul Morin, Mallet, and Fremy on this subject ...... 68

Magnetism ; Deville, MM. Poggendorff and Reiss ; Crystalline Form; Deville on this subject ... 69

PART IV. Chemical Properties of Aluminium

Remark; Action of air; Deville’ s observations . . 70

Cupellation of aluminium; Observations of Wohler, Peligot. Watts, etc. . . . . ■ • .71

Action of water ; Deville on this subject ... 72

Mierzinski and the Chemical News ; Action of hydrogen sulphide and sulphur ; Deville and Fremy . . 73

Sulphuric acid ; Deville, M. de la Rive, and Fremy . 74

Nitric acid ; Deville and M. Hulot ; Hydrochloric acid ;

Deville, M. Favre, and others 75

Potash, soda, and lime ; Deville, Mallet, Mierzinski . 77

Aqua ammonia; Deville and Wohler; Organic acids, vinegar, etc. ; Deville, M. Paul Morin ; Use of Aluminium for eulinary articles ..... 78

Solutions of metallic salts ; Precipitation of other metals by aluminium ; Deville, Tissier, Paul Morin, Mourey, Christolle, Hulot

CONTENTS.

XI

PAUB

Mierzinski, Freray and Watts . . . . •

Nitre ; Purification by nitre ; Deville, Fremy, and Mierzinski on this subject ...••••

Silicates and borates ; Action on glass and crucible clay ; Deville and Tissier ; Fluorspar ; Tissier on its use as a flux

Phosphate of lime, Tissier on this subject ; Sodium chloride and chlorides, Deville; Tissier on their use as fluxes . . . •

Metallic oxides ; Tissier’ s experiments . . . .

Mierzinski ; Beketoff’s experiments ; Animal matters ; Deville and M. Charrihre on the use of aluminium in surgery

Miscellaneous agents; Tissier and Mierzinski on this subject

General observations on the properties of aluminium, Deville . . . . .

88 88

PART V. Metallurgy of Aluminium

Oerstedt’s original paper on isolation of aluminium, 1824 90

Wohler, the true discoverer of the metal; Wohler’s first paper . . ' . . . . . . .91

Wohler’s second paper . 93

Dcville’s remarks on the metal obtained by Wohler . 95

Deville’s improvement, 1854-55 96

Deville’s apparatus at Javel and Glacihre described and

illustrated . 98

Deville’s experiments with sodium vapor . . .100

Reduction from cryolite ; II. Rose’s entire paper . . 103

Dr. Percy’s investigations as laid before the Royal Institution . . . .• . . . . .115

Allan Dick’s paper, November, 1855 . . . .116

Xll

CONTENTS.

PAOE

Deville’s account of his researches . . . .118

Wohler’s improvement on Deville’s ]>rocess; AVatts on the reduction of cryolite ; Gerhard’s furnace . . 12fi

AVatts’s summary of the use of cryolite . . .127

General remarks . . . . . . . .128

PART VI. The Manufacture of Sodium

Preliminary observations ...... 130

Summary, taken principally from Mierzinski ; Elforts of Davy, Gay Lussac, Thenard, Curaudau, Brunner, Donny, and Mareska . . . . . .131

Donny and Mareska’s condenser, illustrated ; Deville’s account of its operation ...... 132

Object of and disadvantage in use of chalk ; Preliminary calcination of the mixture ; Illustration of the 'furnace. 1 33 Decomposition retorts, illustrated . . . . .134

Operation in the retorts . . . . . .135

Deville, Ilivot, and Tissier on the temperature . . 137

AV'agner’s improvement; Attempts to reduce potassium and sodium together ....... 138

AATldon’s calculation of the cost of sodium ; Making of sodium in New York City, N. Y. ; Castner’s American patent process . . . . • . .139

Claims made in Castner’s patent . . . . .141

Reduction of sodium by electricity, !Micrzinski, Davy; Jablochoff’s apparatus described and illustrated . .142

PART AO I.

AIanufactuke of Alumina.

Present state of the industry ; Tilghman’s process . Manufacture from cryolite ; Dry way

CONTENTS.

xin

PAGE

Thomson’s furnace described and illustrated .

Preference for mechanical furnaces as used in manufacture of soda, potash, etc

Precipitation of solution of sodium alurainate, according to Lowig ....•••••

Wet way

Manufacture from alum-stone or shales . . . .

Part VIII

Manufacture of the Double Chloride of Aluminium AND Sodium.

Preliminary remarks ....... 154

IMierzinski, Deville, and M. Dullo on this subject . . 155

^lanufacture by using hydrochloric acid and carbon disulphide . . . . . . . . . 157

PART IX. Manufacture of Aluminium at Salindres (Card)

Aluminium as made by A. R. Pechiney & Co., successors to Henry Merle & Co. . . . . . .158

Reactions involved in and outline of the process . .158

Preparation of the aluminate of soda ; Material used ; Composition of mixture ; Calcination, washing, filtering, with illustration of filtering apparatus . . .159

Preparation of the alumina ; Description of precipitating tank and method of precipitation, washing, and drying, illustrated 163

Preparation of aluminium — sodium double chloride . 1C6

Illustration of furnace ; Mixing and shaping the charge ;

Condenser . . .• 1G7

XIV

CONTENTS.

PAQB

Reduction of the double chloride by sodium ; Illustration of furnace ; Difiiculties met ; Method of charging, reducing, and running out . . . . . .168

Average cost of manufacture at Salindres in 1872 . . 172

Later improvements in Deville’s process ; AVebster’s process; History and description of the plant ; Where its advantages lie ; Utilization of bye products . .173

Frishmuth’s process ; Patent claims . . . .178

Other processes; Niewerth’s method of reduction by nascent sodium; Grousillier’s reduction under pressure . 179

Part X

Rkdoction of Aluminium by other reducing agents THAN Sodium.

Reduction by Cyanogen ; Knowles’s patent ; Gorbelli’s patent . . . ._ . . . . .180

Deville’s and AVatts’s comments ; Reduction by hydrogen ;

Process of F. AA^. Gerhard; Comment by AVatts . 181

Reduction by carburetted hydrogen ; Process of A. L.

Fleury, of Boston . . . . . . .182

Petitjean’s process ....... 183

Reduction by double reaction; Processes of M. Comenge

and Johnson . . 184

Process of Niewerth . . . . . . .185

Reduction by carbon and carbon dioxide ; Process of J.

Morris, of Uddington . . . . . .187

Reduction by carbon ; Article by M. Chapelle . . 188

Statement of G. AV. Reinar; Cowles Bros.’ process . 189

Patent claim of Messrs. Cowles . . . . .190

Prof. Charles F. Alabery’s ollicial account of Cowles Bros.’ process . . . . . . . • .191

Dr. T. Sterry Hunt’s paper read before the American Institute of MininjT Eniiiiieers ..... 194

O O

CONTENTS.

XV

PAGE

Dr. Hunt’s address before the National Academy of Science . . . . • • • • . 19G

W. P. Thompson’s complete description of the process . 197

Illustrative description of the furnace ; Mode of operating furnace, and improvements thereon ; Amount reduced ; Ores used .199

Reduction by iron ; Lauterborn’s process not new ; Patents of F. Lauterborn and of H. Niewerth . . 206

Preparation of aluminium and sodium in the Bessemer converter; W. P. Thompson’s experiments . . 207

Calvert and Johnson’s experiments .... 209

Reports of Fremy, Watts, Benzon, Ewird . . . 211

Silicon bronze, by Evrard ; Ostberg’s statement of the iron-aluminium alloy used in the mitis process ; Reduction with copper ; Calvert and Johnson’s process . 212

Kerl and Stohman's account of Benzon’ s process . . 213

Laboratory tests of this imocess ; Reduction by zinc ; Dullo’s observations ....... 214

Patent of M. N. Basset ...... 215

Wedding’s remarks on Basset’s process . . .217

Kagensbusch’s singular proposition; Fred’k J. Seymour’s patent . . . . . . . . .218

Extraordinary claim in Seymour’s second patent . , 220

American Aluminium Co., Detroit; Reduction by lead; Wilde’s invention ....... 221

Reduction by manganese; Claims of W. Weldon, Burstow, England ; Reduction by electricity . . .222

Dcvillc’s account of the process ..... 223

Sectional illustration of the crucibles . ' . . . 224

Bunsen and Devillo on the subject ..... 225

Mierzinski’s practical remarks ..... 226

Patented improvement by Richard Griitzcl, Germanv,

illustrated . 228

Duvivier’s experiment with electric current . . . 229

XVI

CONTENTS.

Kagensbuseli’s proposition ; Gaudin’s “ economic” reduction of aluminium .......

Metals coated -with aluminium by Thomas and Tilly ; Depositing of aluminium by Corbelli and J. B. Thompson ........

Patented process by J. A. Jeancon ; Experiments by M.

A. Bertrand, C. Winkler, and Sprague Electrolyses of M. L. Senet, Gerhard, and Smith ; Decomposition of a solution of alum by J. Braun ; Moses G. Farmer’s patent for obtaining aluminium Mierzinski’s denial of the successful deposition of aluminium from an aqueous solution of Its salt ; Aluminium and nickel plating at Frishmuth’s works

PART XI. WoiiKiNG IN Aluminium

Melting aluminium ; Deville’s instructions Kerl and Stohman’s instructions . . . . .

Mierzinski’s instructions ; Casting aluminium ; Dcville’s instructions ........

Purification of aluminium ; Freeing from slag, Deville . Process of Paul Morin .......

Watts’s suggestion ; Freeing from impurities, Deville Mierzinski’s recommendation . . . . .

Buchner’s treatment of commercial aluminium to eliminate silicon ; Mallet’s process of obtaining pure from commercial aluminium ; Uses of aluminium Aluminium plating and aluminium leaf ....

Aluminium coins ; Soldering aluminium ; Dcville’s

views on . .

Ilulot’s process ; Mourey’s solder ..... Mierzinski’s statements as to Mourey’s solder; Improvements of Schwarz ; Formula! for these solders

PADS

240 242

CONTENTS.

XVll

Frishmuth’s solders; Iverl and Stoliman on Mourey’s solders, with formula ......

Process of Bell Bros. .......

Vcneerinw with aluminiiini ; Deville’s account of the success ofM. Sevrard in 1854 . . . . .

Dr. Clemens Winckler on this subject . . . .

Gilding and silvering aluminium ; Failures of Deville and Morin ; Success of Mourey and Christofle

Watts, and Kerl and Stohman, on this subject

PACK

PAKT XII.

Alloys of Aluminium.

General remarks, Mierzinski ..... 258

Aluminium and silicon ; Tissier and Deville . . . 259

Aluminium and mercury ; Statements of Deville and Watts ; Aluminium amalgam made by Caillet with the battery . . . . . . . . .261

Joules’s method of electrolyzing ..... 262

Properties of aluminium amalgam; Freray, Tissier, Gmelin on this subject ...... 263

Aluminium and copper ; Tissier Bros., 1858 . . . 264

Deville, 1859 ; Use of the alloy by Christofle ; Alloy described by Debray ; Composition of aluminium bronze 265 Properties of aluminium bronze ; M. Lcchatelier’s table of its strength ; Experiments by A. Gordon . . 266

M. Boudaret on its malleability ; Mierzinski on points to be attended to in making the aluminium bronze . .267

Directions to bo observed in casting; Comparative strength of the bronze ...... 268

llulot’s solder ; Fremy’s instructions ; Kerl and Stohman’s

directions 269

Bronze for philosophical instruments ; Specific gravity and strength ; Comparative strength of the alloys ;

Their specific gravities

XVI 11

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Molting point of 10 per cent, bronze ; B. S. Procter's ex-

Thurston on the properties of aluminium bronze . . 272

Strange and Knight on the properties of aluminium bronze ......... 27.3

Alloys made by Cowles Bros. . . . . . 274

Strength of these alloys by the testing machine . . 276

Alloys of aluminium and copper with other metals; Neogen made by F. II. Sauvage .... 277

Minargent ; P. Baudrin’s alloy ; James Webster’s patent bronze ........ 278

Phosphor aluminium bronze made by Thomas Shaw, Newark, N. J.; Cowles Bros.’ reports of the strength of aluminium silver castings; Solders for aluminium bronze for jeweller’s use ...... 279

Silicon and aluminium bronze, Cowles Bros.; Aluminium and iron; Tissier Bros.’ alloy; Deville, Rogers . 280

Fremy and Mierzinski on aluminium alloys . . . 282

Ostberg’s mitis castings, with description of the process . 283

Alloy used by Ostberg, Worcester, Mass. . . . 285

Ostberg’s note to the Engineering and Mining Journal ;

Watts’s note ; Mr. Sellers’s series of experiments . 286

Aluminium and zinc; Tissier Bros., Deville, Kerl and Stohman, and Fremy on these alloys .... 287

Aluminium and tin ; Tissier Bros., Deville, and Kerl and Stohman on this subject ..... 289

Fremy, Mierzinski, and M. Bourbouze . . . 290

Aluminium and lead ; Tissier, Deville, Kerl and Stohman, and Mierzinski . . . . . . . .291

Aluminium and antimony ; Tissier, and Kerl and Stohman; Aluminium and bismutli ; Tissier and \V atts . 292

Aluminium and nickel ; Tissier and Mierzinski . . 293

Minargent . 295

Aluminium and silver ; Tissier on this subject . . 295

CONTENTS.

XIX

Deville ; Kerl and Stohman ; Freiny . . . .

Mierzinski; “Tiers Argent;” Cowles Bros, on “Aluminium silver” ........

Aluminium and gold ; Tissier, Fremy, and Mierzinski on these alloys ........

Aluminium and platinum ; Tissier ; Aluminium and Cadmium, Deville; Aluminium and boron, Deville on this subject .........

Aluminium and earbon, Deville and Cowles ; Aluminium and gallium, Watts, Lecoq de Boisbaudran

Aluminium and titanium, Wohler .....

Aluminium and tungsten, by Michel, in Wohler’s laboratory ; Aluminium and molybdenum ; Experiments by Michel ; Aluminium and manganese ; E.\periments by Michel .........

Aluminium and sodium ; Deville and Fi’emy on these alloys ; Aluminium and nitrogen. Dr. Hunt