THE ROMANCE OF ALUMINIUM.
A FASCINATING METAL. The story* of aluminium is one of the romances of industry. Since the days of Pliny it has been known to exist as a part of the earth's crust —the basic metal of all clays. Iron is probably the most common, but aluminium the most abundant metal the earth at present yields üb. It enters into the composition of rocks and the ruby, the sapphire, the topaz, , and the emerald all disclose aluminium to the analyst. To obtain it in a sufficiently pure form for commerc'ial use wae the problem from the time of Paracelsus until the day when a student of science discovered an electrical process for reducing aluminium from the ores of which it formed a part. When the first aluminium article was manufactured—a rattle made for the Prince Imperial, son of Napoleon IN.—the, cost of the metal was great, but the discovery before alluded to revolutionised the industry and brought down the price. Cooking utensils are but one of the products of aluminium, and there has been a comparatively small output of these as compared! with its many other forms. It is a fascinating metal, its physical properties beingj so marked, and ha lightness it is in a class by itself. Its heat conductivity is the peculiar property— l covered with its lightness—which has so adapted it to the manufacture of cooking utensils. Aluminium cannot be kept looking like silver or nickel, but it can easily be kept clean and properly bright for use. Aluminium utensils generally discolour when alkaline substances are cooked in them, and, as the water in various places differs in degrees of hardness, the action varies. The very fact that alkalinity has caused the discolouration makes the use of soda for cleansing worse than useless. The inside stains may be easily removed by sand and soap or pure silver sand, and the polished outside can be kept bright with any good smooth metal polish. With ordinary care these cooking utensils may be handed down to coming generations as the careful German hausfrau hands down the burnished copper pans which adorn her kitchen. Who ever heard of a German housekeeper complaining that her utensils were difficult to clean ! And! think of the polishing required lor copper !—''Pall Mall Gaaette." _____
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King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 649, 7 March 1914, Page 7
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382THE ROMANCE OF ALUMINIUM. King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 649, 7 March 1914, Page 7
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