Iron and Aluminum. [Volume: 8, Issue: 2, 1888, pp. 116-122]

116

UNITED STATES ASSOCIATION OF

[VOr. 8,

Iron and Aluminium.
One of the most inviting fields for invention appears to be a
cheap method of producing aluminium, and periodically the press
announces that success has attended the efforts of some enthusiastic inventor. But although the price per pound has been lessened, aluminium is by no means a cheap metal, and as we learn
more of its Inerits the number of speculative experimentors is not
decreased. The oxide alumina (the base from which the metal
aluminium is extracted) being so abundant in our clays, and the
characteristics of the metal so desirable, we need not be surprised
at the incentive which prompts efforts to discover a cheap method
of obtaining a product of light weight, good strength, ductility and
electrical conductivity. While processes of manufacture have
have been experimented upon, Mr. W. J. Keep, of Detroit, who
contributed a valuable article to the JOURNAL,* has, in connection
wvith others, instituted a series of investigations as to the influence
of aluminium when alloyed with cast iron.
We believe that the credit of first calling attention to the influence of aluminium in iron castings belongs to a Swedish inventor
who introduced into this country what are recognized as "Mitis"
castings, the manufacture of which is now being carried on in
several localities. Some of the specimens exhibited before technical societies were remarkable, such as a curry comb cast in sand,
and yet strong enough for stable use, casting which had been
drawn out in the smith's fire, etc. Mr. Keep and his associates
have investigated the use of aluminium as an alloy of iron in
a systematic manner for foundry purposes, employing Cowles
"ferro-aluminium" containing 11.42 per cent. of aluminium.
After carefully reading the paper which was presented to the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, we have
excerpted the following for presentation to our readers:
' "Cast iron, ordinarily used, is iron which contains all the carbon
that it could absorb during its reduction in the blast furnace. This
carbon, when found in chemical union with the iron, is called 'cornbined carbon." In this state it cannot be seen. It is also found
*Vide, JOURNAL, Vol. VII, pages 242 to 251.