Platinum.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 24 October 1891, Page 3

Platinum.

From Sydney comes the news of a find of platinum, and naturally, as our cables say, there is great excitement over pegging out the platinum claims. The Government refused the syndicate's application, and threw the ground open. Owing to strong sympathy with the syndicate, willing workers secured the major portion of the land in the pegging out. It appears only a very rtecent discovery and unfortunately the locality is not mentioned. Platinum is the heaviest of all the metals, except iridium. The name originated "with the Spaniards on account of its silvery colour, Plata signifying silver. It is one of the 41 noble metals/ Platinum is usually combined with more or less of the rare metals, Iridium, Rhodium, and Osmium, besides copper and iron, which give it a darker colour than .belongs fco\ the pure metal, and iuprease ifjsVfyft'dness. Platinum is soluble in heated aqua regia. It is one oMhe most infusible substances know" being wholly unaltered before tiie blow pipe. It is distinguished by its malleability and extreme infusibilifcy. The infusibily of platinum and its resistance to the action of the air, and moisture and most chemical agents, renders it of great value for the construction of chemical and I philosophical apparatus. The large ! vessels employed in the concentration '

of sulphi? 'ic acid are now made oi platinun- as it is unaffected by this corrosive acid. It is also used for cruiciblefc and capsules in chemical analysis, for galvanic batteries, as foil or Worked into cups or forceps for supporting o"hjec"ts belong the HloW-pipe. It alloys readily when heated with iron, lead, and several of the metals. It is employed for coating aopiidr and brass, also for paihtihg fJOrcelaih, and givitig it a Steel luster, formerly highly prized. It admits of being drawn into wire of extreme tenuity. Dr Wollaston obtained a wire not exceeding a two thousandth of an inch in diameter. A process now in use, which consists in dissolving the metal in muriatic of ammonia, enables this metal to fuse before the " compound blowpipe." and thus has widened its Uses considerably-. Platinum was first found in South America, and has since been found in the Urals, on I'oMeoi in the sands of the Bhiiiej and iil those oi the river Jbcky, St. Domingo, and recently traces have been observed in North Carolina. We are not able to give the market value of the metal at this date, but a few years ago it ranged ftbottt £14 ft pouHd Weight. In 1857 the whole take from Russia was only 80 cwt., and Brazil, Columbia, St Domingo, and Borneo together only obtained about $ CWt. Where found it is usually in small quantities, and we shall be interested in the developement of the N.S. Wales " diggings."