Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, May, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900Various
Science
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, May, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
=How Aluminum is made.=--In a paper read before the Manchester Junior
Electrical Engineers, J. H. Henderson describes the two commercial
methods of making aluminum: The agent which has made aluminum a
commercial product is electricity. This is how electrolysis produces it
(by one successful method): In a metal, carbon-lined crucible having
two carbon electrodes, one of which acts as anode and the other as
cathode, are put the following ingredients: Fluoride of calcium, 234
parts by weight; double fluoride of cryolite, 421 parts by weight;
fluoride of aluminum, 845 parts by weight. To these add three to
four per cent of a suitable chloride--for example, calcium chloride.
To this add alumina sufficient to form a very stiff mixture. Before
electrolysis can begin the above are fused by means of heat, which
should not exceed 1,210° F. The heat is obtained from a furnace heated
by gas, coke, or charcoal, care being taken that no gases from the
furnace enter the crucible. The bath fused, the electrodes are dipped
into it, the current switched on, and the metal is deposited (in the
best and largest of these crucibles) at the rate of one pound per
five electrical horse-power hours. The current pressure required is
six to eight volts, at a density of one and a half ampères per square
inch. The metal from time to time is removed from the crucible by
means of a siphon or a ladle, care being taken to remove as little of
the haloid salts as possible. There is another method of extraction
equally successful with this, but also more economical. In this other
method a set of similar ingredients are placed in a crucible having
one or more vertically movable carbon electrodes, which are used as
one, or a collective anode, respectively. The crucible, though lined
principally with carbon, has some metal exposed to act as a cathode at
the beginning of the process, this to generate heat enough to fuse the
bath, after which the anode is placed so that the extracted aluminum
acts as a cathode. The molten metal is from time to time run out of a
tap-hole into a mold, and thence cast into ingots, or granulated by
being poured into cold water. The same particulars as to results apply
to this crucible furnace process also, only that not nearly so much
of the bath is wasted in it, and the metal needs less purifying when
molten. There are, also, no loss of time and money from the use of gas,
coke, or charcoal, and of an extra furnace in this method.
* * * * *
[Illustration]
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