MODERN USES OF THE METAL ALUMINIUM 617 



which we can see going on to-day in the development of 

 aeroplanes. By the time then that the cumbrous water wheels, 

 which had been installed all over Europe and America, had 

 been made to revolve, the motor-car had swept on its course 

 and the aluminium maker was left with his enormously increased 

 output but robbed of the outlet for which the output had been 

 called into being. 



Thus the supply was created. By 1910-11 the world's 

 output had been raised to 34,000 tons and as the power 

 available is now very great and many hydraulic installations 

 which serve other processes would be available, in case of need, 

 for the production of aluminium, the price is half what it was 

 at the opening of the period under review. 



Now as to the demand. Faced by a surplus of metal for 

 which there was no outlet, the manufacturers set themselves to 

 ascertain the fields in which aluminium might best find an 

 application. As a consequence of systematic efforts to educate 

 potential consumers, results have been attained which a few 

 years ago seemed beyond the dreams of avarice. In different 

 countries different lines of action have been pursued. Thus in 

 America the chief new applications found have been in 

 culinary ware and the electrical industry ; in Germany also 

 the cooking utensil trade has reached enormous proportions, 

 whilst a most promising outlet has been opened up in chemical 

 apparatus; in France the motor trade still takes a very large 

 amount of aluminium but a great deal of the metal produced 

 in France finds its way into Germany to feed the industry there, 

 no aluminium being made in Germany, which has to import all 

 its raw metal from other countries. England, characteristically, 

 was long content to send the metal made here abroad rather than 

 go to the trouble either of creating new industries at home or of 

 devoting energy to the studies necessary to enable her to do so. 

 During the last two years, however, a great deal of spade work has 

 been done and foundations have been laid upon which promising 

 businesses in electrical and chemical apparatus are being built. 

 Moreover, the motor trade, encouraged by low prices, is once 

 more using the metal in large quantities. 



In this article it is proposed to discuss the advantages and 

 disadvantages which aluminium has for these purposes and to 

 explain, as far as possible, the causes which have favoured its 

 introduction into each branch of industry. 



