THE INDUSTRIES OF NIAGARA FALLS 



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lay in graphite mines such as those in the United States, England 

 and Cevlon. 



Artificial graphite is now made from any amorphous carbon which 

 contains an admixture of some carbide forming substance and though 

 other carbonaceous substances are used anthracite coal has been found 

 to be the most satisfactory and economical carbonaceous material from 

 which to make graphite. 



Graphite is made by heating anthracite coal to a very high tempera- 

 ture, approximating 7,500° Fahrenheit. Into a long fire brick furnace 

 is placed anthracite coal and through it a carbon rod passes. The 

 heat generated by the resisted passage of the electric current through 

 the charge is so great that practically all the impurities of the coal are 

 volatilized, leaving its carbon content in the graphitic form. 



Mr. Acheson has lately perfected a process whereby artificial 

 graphite can be treated with gallotannic acid in such a way as to pro- 

 duce graphite so fine that it is well nigh molecular. 



In the year 1892 it was accidentally discovered that if ordinary 

 quicklime and coke were fused together, the resulting chemical com- 

 bination would, by the addition of water, produce an illuminating gas 

 of great brilliancy. The gas formed in this peculiar way is acetylene 

 gas and the material from which it is generated is calcium carbide. 



Calcium carbide is made at Niagara Falls by placing an intimate 

 mixture of about three parts of powdered quicklime to two parts of 

 powdered coke into an electric furnace of the so-called arc type. The 

 current of electricity generates an intense heat which chemically 

 combines the calcium of the quicklime with the carbon of the coke, the 

 oxygen of the quicklime uniting with some of the carbon to form 

 carbon monoxide gas which escapes. 



It is interesting to know that the discovery of calcium carbide was 

 almost simultaneously announced by two independent workers in elec- 

 trochemistry, Moissan, the great French chemist, and Thomas L. 



Eighteen-foot Conduit, Ontario Power Company. Niagara Falls. Ontario. 



