Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume III

 THE JETTY AT THE HEAD OF LOCH LEVEN, AND ELECTRIC RAILWAY TO THE ALUMINIUM WORKS. THE KINLOCHLEVEN WORKS OF THE BRITISH ALUMINIUM COMPANY. An account of the greatest Water=Power Installation in the United Kingdom. THOUGH aluminium is the most widely distributed of metals, being a con- stituent of all clays, it was, until about twenty years ago, very expensive, owing to the great difficulty experi- Aluminium. encej jn separating it from the other substances with which it is combined. Wöhler first isolated it in 1827 by a chemical method, which was gradually improved upon during thø following sixty years. In 1885 electrical processes of separation were first tried, and shortly afterwards the production of the metal on a large scale, causing a drop in the price from about 20s. to 5s. a pound, commenced. At the present time aluminium may be bought at prices ranging from seven- pence to a shilling per pound, according to the state of the metal market and the form in which it is required. The most noticeable property of aluminium, its low specific gravity—only 2’65 times that of water—makes it very valuable for many purposes where the saving of uses weight is important ; for in- stance, in the crank-cases of motor-car engines. The same quality, combined with the ease with which the surface may be kept clean, makes the metal very suitable for cooking utensils. Another point in its favour is its softness, which renders it easily worked on the lathe, rolled, and drawn. In combination with certain other elements it forms alloys which are very tough as well as light, and will find an extended sphere of usefulness as their advantages are more fully recognized. For electrical purposes aluminium is be- coming a formidable rival to copper. Its smaller conductivity and tensile strength are more than offset by its much smaller weight, so that aluminium is now employed exten-