iandol on mon 17 apr 00
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Dearm Gavin,
Sorry to have offended you. Was I so violent. Certainly there was no =
intention
to be abusive. I am sure other's would like to know more.
Yes, I know Aluminum is standard usage in the United States Of America and =
the
RP is Aa-loo-min-um.The etymology of the terms we use for that light =
malleable
silver metal is interesting.
It is derived from Alum, the double salt of Potassium Aluminium Sulphate. =
Alum
means Bitter. Alum was used as an astringent in ancient Greece and Rome. I =
think
it was also used in embalming. Humphry Davy could not isolate the metal but
proposed that it should be called Alumium and then changed his mind an =
proposed
Aluminum. So the American usage had its origins in the Old Country. The name=
Sir
Humphry proposed was modified to Aluminium after the metal was isolated and
adopted by the rest of the World. Sometime after the Boston Tea Party, I =
think
in 1925, the ACS made a decision to adopt Aluminum in it=92s publications.
Contentedly I accept their will.
So when it is the raw metal which is being discussed use either term. When =
it is
the oxide it has to be Alumina. When it is something which may have been
dissolved from a glaze it will be neither. It might be Alum.Sulphate,
Alum.Chloride, Alum.Acetate, Alum.Tartrate or some other salt in solution if
they are soluble in aqua.
Hope you are appeased
Best wishes,
Ivor.
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