1856.] Rev, J. Barlow, on Aluminium. 215 



WEEKLY EVENING MEETING, 



Friday, March 14. 



Sib B. C. Brodie, Bart. D.C.L. F.R.S. Vice-President, 

 in the Chair. 



The Rev. J. Barlow, M.A. F.R.S. V.P. Sec. R.L 

 On Aluminium. 



Mr. Barlow commenced his discourse by presenting M. Sainte- 

 Claire Deville to the Members of the Institution. M. Deville had 

 travelled from Paris for the purpose of exhibiting specimens of 

 aluminium, both unwrought and manufactured ; and also of assisting 

 in experiments devised by him for illustrating the processes by 

 which this remarkable metal is obtained. 



Aluminium was discovered by Wohler, in 1 827.* But the 

 means of producing this metal, to which that eminent philosopher 

 was obliged to have recourse, were too costly to admit of its being 

 employed in any practical use. Having succeeded in greatly 

 diminishing this cost of production, and being supplied with funds 

 by the liberality of the P^mperor of the French, M. Deville has 

 obtained this metal in an amount sufficient for scientific investiga- 

 tion and for some important applications. f 



It was the object of the speaker, 1st, to cause that the diflSiculties 

 attendant on the production of aluminium should be understood and 

 appreciated : 2ndly, to describe its physical and chemical properties, 

 and to mention uses which have been or can be made of it. 



1st. For the purpose of illustrating the obstacles presented by 

 nature to this last conquest of science, a comparison was made 

 between the modes of producing — {a) the metals oj the early age; 

 (b) of the middle age; (c) of the scientific age, from their respec- 

 tive ores ; and the means had recourse to for separating aluminium 

 from its ore. 



(«) Gold was taken as the type of the ancient metals. The com- 

 mon ore of gold is a mass of silica, to which this metal is found 

 attached. Silica is a strong acid ; but it cannot combine with 

 gold. The two substances, therefore, being merely attracted toge- 



♦ Ueber das Alumininm. Von F. Wohler. Pogg. Ann. xi. 146. 

 t Recherches sur les M^taux. Par M. II. Sainte-Claire Deville. Anoales 

 de Chemie. Ser. 3. torn. xl. p. 21. 



