[Sca-cooks] Aluminum

[Terry Decker]

Cryolite, Greenland spar, is extremely rare outside of Greenland.  It was
discovered in 1794.  Bauxite, corundum, feldspar and mica are all easier to
come by and were known in Antiquity.  FWIW, bauxite is the primary source
for aluminum while cryolite is used as flux in the smelting process.  If the
reference in Pliny is to aluminum, then its source would probably be bauxite
(as the metal was produced from clay).

Bear




> > I had remembered (alas, a false memory) that Aluminum had
> > been refined and made into a gift (baby rattle) for a
> > French prince ... 1700's, 1600's ... one of those.
> >
> Truth to tell I thought that it has been purified from cryolite a bit
> earlier and was rather surprised that it was "discovered" so late.
>
> Daniel