Chapter VII: VIII IX

Lead 1 2 3 Tin 1 2 3 Bismuth 1 1 1 Melting Point 258° F. 283° 311°

«Fusible Alloys for Electric Installations.»—These alloys are employed in electric installations as current interrupters. Serving as conductors on a short length of circuit, they melt as soon as the current becomes too strong. Following is the composition of some of these alloys.

────+───────────+──────+─────+─────────+────────
│ Fusing │ │ │ │
│temperature│ Lead │ Tin │ Bismuth │Cadmium
────+───────────+──────+─────+─────────+────────
I │ 203° F. │ 250 │ 500 │ 500 │ —
II │ 193° F. │ 397 │ — │ 532 │ 71
III │ 168° F. │ 344 │ 94 │ 500 │ 62
IV │ 153° F. │ 260 │ 148 │ 522 │ 70
V │ 150° F. │ 249 │ 142 │ 501 │ 108
VI │ 145° F. │ 267 │ 136 │ 500 │ 100
────+───────────+──────+─────+─────────+────────

{65}

These alloys are prepared by melting the lead in a stearine bath and adding successively, and during the cooling, first, the cadmium; second, the bismuth; third, the tin. It is absolutely necessary to proceed in this manner, since these metals fuse at temperatures ranging from 850° F. (for lead), to 551° F. (for tin).

«Fusible Safety Alloys for Steam Boilers.»—

───────+───────+────+────+────────+────────
│ │ │ │ Melting│ Atmos.
│Bismuth│Lead│Zinc│ point │pressure
───────+───────+────+────+────────+────────
I. │ 8 │ 5 │ 3 │ 212° F.│ 1
II. │ 8 │ 8 │ 4 │ 235° F.│ 1.5
III. │ 8 │ 8 │ 3 │ 253° F.│ 2
IV. │ 8 │ 10 │ 8 │ 266° F.│ 2.5
V. │ 8 │ 12 │ 8 │ 270° F.│ 3
VI. │ 8 │ 16 │ 14 │ 280° F.│ 3.5
VII. │ 8 │ 16 │ 12 │ 285° F.│ 4
VIII. │ 8 │ 22 │ 24 │ 309° F.│ 5
IX. │ 8 │ 32 │ 36 │ 320° F.│ 6
X. │ 8 │ 32 │ 28 │ 330° F.│ 7
XI. │ 8 │ 30 │ 24 │ 340° F.│ 8
───────+───────+────+────+────────+────────

«Lipowitz Metal.»—This amalgam is prepared as follows: Melt in a dish, cadmium, 3 parts, by weight; tin, 4 parts; bismuth, 15 parts; and lead, 8 parts, adding to the alloy, while still in fusion, 2 parts of quicksilver previously heated to about 212° F. The amalgamation proceeds easily and smoothly. The liquid mass in the dish, which should be taken from the fire immediately upon the introduction of the mercury, is stirred until the contents solidify. While Lipowitz alloy softens already at 140° F. and fuses perfectly at 158°, the amalgam has a still lower fusing point, which lies around 143 3/5° F.

This amalgam is excellently adapted for the production of impressions of various objects of nature, direct impressions of leaves, and other delicate parts of plants having been made with its aid which, in point of sharpness, are equal to the best plaster casts and have a very pleasing appearance. The amalgam has a silver-white color and a fine gloss. It is perfectly constant to atmospheric influences. This amalgam has also been used with good success for the making of small statuettes and busts, which are hollow and can be readily gilt or bronzed by electro-deposition. The production of small statues is successfully carried out by making a hollow gypsum mold of the articles to be cast and heating the mold evenly to about 140° F. A corresponding quantity of the molten amalgam is then poured in and the mold moved rapidly to and fro, so that the alloy is thrown against the sides all over. The shaking should be continued until it is certain that the amalgam has solidified. When the mold has cooled off it is taken apart and the seams removed by means of a sharp knife. If the operation is carried on correctly, a chasing of the cast mass becomes unnecessary, since the alloy fills out the finest depressions of the mold with the greatest sharpness.

«Amalgam for Plaster.»—Tin, 1 part; bismuth, 1 part; mercury, 1 part. Melt the bismuth and the tin together, and when the two metals are in fusion add the mercury while stirring. For use, rub up the amalgam with a little white of egg and brush like a varnish on the plaster articles.

«Plastic Metal Composition.»—I. Copper oxide is reduced by means of hydrogen or copper sulphate by boiling a solution of the same in water with some zinc filings in order to obtain entirely pure copper. Of the copper powder obtained in this manner, 20, 30, or 36 parts, by weight, according to the degree of hardness desired for the composition (the greater the quantity of copper used the harder will the composition become), are thoroughly moistened in a cast-iron or porcelain mortar with sulphuric acid of 1.85 specific gravity; 70 parts, by weight, of mercury are then added to this paste, the whole being constantly stirred. When all the copper has been thoroughly amalgamated with the mercury, the sulphuric acid is washed out again with boiling water, and in 12 hours after it has become cold the composition will be so hard that it can be polished. It is impervious to the action of dilute acids, alcohol, ether, and boiling water. It contains the same specific gravity, alike in the soft or the hard condition. When used as a cement, it can at any time be rendered soft and plastic in the following manner: If applied while hot and plastic to the deoxidized surfaces of two pieces of metal, these latter will unite so firmly that in about 10 or 12 hours the metal may be subjected to any mechanical process. The properties of this composition render it very useful for various purposes, and it forms a most effective cement for fine metal articles which cannot be soldered in fire.

II.—Bismuth, 5.5 parts; lead, 3; tin, 1.5.

III. Alloy d’Homburg.—Bismuth, {66} 3 parts; lead, 3; tin, 3. This alloy is fusible at 251° F., and is of a silvery white. It is employed for reproductions of medals.

IV. Alloy Valentine Rose.—Bismuth, 4 to 6 parts; lead, 2 parts; tin, 2 to 3 parts. This alloy fuses at 212° to 250° F.

V. Alloy Rose père.—Bismuth, 2 parts; lead, 2; tin, 2. This alloy fuses at 199° F.

The remainder are plastic alloys for reproducing cuts, medals, coins, etc.:

VI.—Bismuth, 4 parts; lead, 2 parts; tin, 1 part.

VII.—Bismuth, 3 parts; lead, 3 parts; tin, 2 parts.

VIII.—Bismuth, 4 parts; lead, 2 parts; tin, 2 parts.

IX.—Bismuth, 5 parts; lead, 2 parts; tin, 3 parts.

X.—Bismuth, 2 parts; lead, 2 parts; tin, 2 parts.

«Quick-Water.»—That the amalgam may easily take hold of bronze objects and remain there, it is customary to cover the perfectly cleansed and shining article with a thin coat of mercury, which is usually accomplished by dipping it into a so-called quick-water bath.

In the form of minute globules the mercury immediately separates itself from the solution and clings to the bronze object, which thereupon presents the appearance of being plated with silver. After it has been well rinsed in clean water, the amalgam may be evenly and without difficulty applied with the scratch brush.

This quick-water (in reality a solution of mercurous nitrate), is made in the simplest manner by taking 10 parts of mercury and pouring over it 11 parts of nitric acid of a specific gravity equal to 1.33; now let it stand until every part of the mercury is dissolved; then, while stirring vigorously, add 540 parts of water. This solution must be kept in closed flasks or bottles to prevent impurities, such as dust, etc., from falling into it.

The preparatory work on the object to be gilded consists mainly in cleansing it from every trace of oxidation. First, it must be well annealed by placing it in a bed of glowing coal, care being exercised that the heating be uniform. When cooled, this piece is plunged into a highly diluted sulphuric-acid bath in order to dissolve in a measure the oxide. Next it is dipped in a 36° nitric-acid bath, of a specific gravity equal to 1.33, and brushed off with a long brush; it is now dipped into nitric acid into which a little lampblack and table salt have been thrown. It is now ready for washing in clean water and drying in unsoiled sawdust. It is of the greatest importance that the surface to be gilded should appear of a pale yellow tint all over. If it be too smooth the gold will not take hold easily, and if it be too dull it will require too much gold to cover it.

«GOLD ALLOYS:»

«Colored Gold Alloys.»—The alloys of gold with copper have a reddish tinge; those of gold with silver are whiter, and an alloy of gold, silver, and copper together is distinguished by a greenish tone. Manufacturers of gold ware make use of these different colors, one piece being frequently composed of several pieces of varying color. Below are given some of these alloys, with their colors:

──────+──────+──────+──────+─────+───────
│ Gold │Silver│Copper│Steel│Cadmium
──────+──────+──────+──────+─────+───────
I. │ 2.6 │ 1.0 │ — │ — │ —
II. │ 75.0 │ 16.6 │ — │ — │ 8.4
III. │ 74.6 │ 11.4 │ 9.7 │ — │ 4.3
IV. │ 75.0 │ 12.6 │ — │ — │ 12.5
V. │ 1.0 │ 2.0 │ — │ — │ —
VI. │ 4.0 │ 3.0 │ 1.0 │ — │ —
VII. │ 14.7 │ 7.0 │ 6.0 │ — │ —
VIII. │ 14.7 │ 9.0 │ 4.0 │ — │ —
IX. │ 3.0 │ 1.0 │ 1.0 │ — │ —
X. │ 10.0 │ 1.0 │ 4.0 │ — │ —
XI. │ 1.0 │ — │ 1.0 │ — │ —
XII. │ 1.0 │ — │ 2.0 │ — │ —
XIII. │ 30.0 │ 3.0 │ — │ 2.0 │ —
XIV. │ 4.0 │ — │ — │ 1.0 │ —
XV. │ 29.0 │ 11.0 │ — │ — │ —
XVI. │ 1.3 │ — │ — │ 1.0 │ —
──────+──────+──────+──────+─────+───────

Nos. I, II, III, and IV are green gold; No. V is pale yellow; Nos. VI, VII, and VIII bright yellow; Nos. IX and X pale red; Nos. XI and XII bright red; Nos. XIII, XIV, and XV gray; while No. XVI exhibits a bluish tint. The finished gold ware, before being put upon the market, is subjected to a special treatment, consisting either in the simple pickling or in the so-called coloring, which operation is conducted especially with alloys of low degree of fineness, the object being to give the layers a superficial layer of pure gold.

The presence of silver considerably modifies the color of gold, and the jeweler makes use of this property to obtain alloys of various shades. The following proportions are to be observed, viz.: {67}

Gold Silver Copper
Color of Gold per per per
1,000 1,000 1,000
I. Green 750 250 —
II. Dead leaves 700 300 —
III. Sea green 600 400 —
IV. Pink 750 200 50
V. English yellow 750 125 125
VI. English white 750 150 100
VII. Whiter 750 170 80
VIII. Less white 750 190 60
IX. Red 750 — 250

Other colored gold alloys are the following:

X. Blue.—Fine gold, 75; iron, 25.

XI. Dark Gray.—Fine gold, 94; iron, 6.

XII. Pale Gray.—Fine gold, 191; iron, 9.

XIII. Cassel Yellow.—Fine gold, 75; fine silver, 12 1/2; rose copper, 12 1/2.

The above figures are understood to be by weight.

The gold solders, known in France under the names of _soudures au quart_ (13 1/2 carat), _au tiers_ (12 carat), and _au deux_ (9 carat), are composed of 3, 2, or 1 part of gold respectively, with 1 part of an alloy consisting of two-thirds silver and one-third copper. Gold also forms with aluminum a series of alloys of greatly varying coloration, the most curious of them, composed of 22 parts of aluminum for 88 parts of gold, possessing a pretty purple shade. But all these alloys, of a highly crystalline base, are very brittle and cannot be worked, for which reason their handsome colorings have not yet been capable of being utilized.

«Enameling Alloys.»—I. Transparent.—This alloy should possess the property of transmitting rays of light so as to give the highest possible effect to the enamel. The alloy of gold for transparent green should be pale; a red or copper alloy does not do for green enamel, the copper has a tendency to darken the color and thus take away a part of its brilliancy. The following alloy for transparent green possesses about the nearest print, in color, to the enamel—which should represent, as near as possible, the color and brilliancy of the emerald—that can be arrived at:

ozs. dwts. grs. Fine gold 0 18 8 Fine silver 0 1 6 Fine copper 0 0 10

No borax must be used in the melting of this alloy, it being of a more fusible nature than the ordinary alloy, and will not take so high a heat in enameling.

II. Red Enamel.—The enamel which forms this color being of a higher fusing point, if proper care be not taken, the gold will melt first, and the work become ruined. In the preparation of red enamel, the coloring matter is usually an oxide of gold, and this so raises the temperature at which it melts that, in order to prevent any mishap, the gold to be enameled on should be what is called a 22-carat red, that is, it should contain a preponderance of copper in the alloying mixture so as to raise the fusing point of the gold. The formula is:

ozs. dwts. grs. Fine gold 0 18 8 Fine silver 0 0 10 Fine copper 0 1 6

«Gold-leaf Alloys.»—All gold made into leaf is more or less alloyed. The gold used by the goldbeater is alloyed according to the variety of color required. Fine gold is commonly supposed to be incapable of being reduced to thin leaves. This, however, is not the case, although its use for ordinary purposes is undesirable on account of its greater cost. It also adheres by contact of one leaf with another, thus causing spoiled material and wasted labor; but for work exposed to the weather it is much preferable, as it is more durable and does not tarnish or change color.

The following is a list of the principal classes of leaf recognized and ordinarily prepared by beaters with the proportion of alloy they contain:

Gold Silver Copper
grs. grs. grs.
I. Red gold 456–460 — 20–24
II. Pale red 464 — 16
III. Extra deep 456 12 12
IV. Deep 444 24 12
V. Citron 440 30 10
VI. Yellow 408 72 —
VII. Pale yellow 384 96 —
VIII. Lemon 360 120 —
IX. Green or pale 312 168 —
X. White 240 240 —

«Gold-Plate Alloys.»—Gold, 92 parts; copper, 8 parts.

II.—Gold, 84 parts; copper, 16 parts.

III.—Gold, 75 parts; copper, 25 parts.

«IMITATION GOLD.»

I.—One hundred parts, by weight, of copper of the purest quality; 14 of zinc or tin; 6 of magnesia; 3/6 of sal ammoniac, limestone, and cream of tartar. The copper is first melted, then the magnesia, sal ammoniac, limestone, and cream of tartar in powder are added separately and gradually. The whole mass is kept stirred for a half hour, the zinc or tin being dropped in piece by piece, the {68} stirring being kept up till they melt. Finally the crucible is covered and the mass is kept in fusion 35 minutes and, the same being removed, the metal is poured into molds, and is then ready for use. The alloy thus made is said to be fine-grained, malleable, takes a high polish, and does not easily oxidize.

II.—An invention, patented in Germany, covers a metallic alloy, to take the place of gold, which, even if exposed for some time to the action of ammoniacal and acid vapors, does not oxidize or lose its gold color. It can be rolled and worked like gold and has the appearance of genuine gold without containing the slightest admixture of that metal. The alloy consists of copper and antimony in the approximate ratio of 100 to 6, and is produced by adding to molten copper, as soon as it has reached a certain degree of heat, the said percentage of antimony. When the antimony has likewise melted and entered into intimate union with the copper, some charcoal ashes, magnesium, and lime spar are added to the mass when the latter is still in the crucible.

III. Aluminum Gold.—This alloy, called Nuremberg gold, is used for making cheap gold ware, and is excellent for this purpose, as its color is exactly that of pure gold, and does not change in the air. Articles made of Nuremberg gold need no gilding, and retain their color under the hardest usage; even the fracture of this alloy shows the pure gold color. The composition is usually 90 parts of copper, 2.5 of gold, and 7.5 of aluminum.

IV.—Imitation gold, capable of being worked and drawn into wire, consists of 950 parts copper, 45 aluminum, and 2 to 5 of silver.

V.—Chrysochalk is similar in composition to Mannheim gold:

I II Copper 90.5 58.68 Zinc 7.9 40.22 Lead 1.6 1.90

In color it resembles gold, but quickly loses its beauty if exposed to the air, on account of the oxidation of the copper. It can, however, be kept bright for a long time by a coating of colorless varnish, which excludes the air and prevents oxidation. Chrysochalk is used for most of the ordinary imitations of gold. Cheap watch chains and jewelry are manufactured from it, and it is widely used by the manufacturers of imitation bronze ornaments.

«Mannheim Gold or Similor.»—Mannheim gold is composed of copper, zinc, and tin, in proportions about as follows:

I II Copper 83.7 89.8 Zinc 9.3 9.9 Tin 7.0 0.6

It has a fine yellow color, and was formerly much used in making buttons and pressed articles resembling gold. Later alloys, however, surpass it in color, and it has fallen somewhat into disuse. One variety of Mannheim gold, so called, contains 1.40 parts of brass (composition 3 Cu_〈2〉 1 Zn) to 10 of copper and 0.1 of zinc.

«Mosaic Gold.»—This is an alloy composed—with slight deviations—of 100 parts of copper and 50 to 55 of zinc. It has a beautiful color, closely resembling that of gold, and is distinguished by a very fine grain, which makes it especially suitable for the manufacture of castings which are afterwards to be gilded. The best method of obtaining a thoroughly homogeneous mixture of the two metals is first to put into the crucible one-half of the zinc to be used, place the cover upon it, and fuse the mixture under a cover of borax at as low a temperature as possible. Have ready the other half of the zinc, cut into small pieces and heated almost to melting, and when the contents of the crucible are liquid throw it in, a small portion at a time, stirring constantly to effect as intimate a mixture of the metals as possible.

«Oreïde or Oroïde (French Gold).»—The so-called French gold, when polished, so closely resembles genuine gold in color that it can scarcely be distinguished from it. Besides its beautiful color, it has the valuable properties of being very ductile and tenacious, so that it can easily be stamped into any desired shape; it also takes a high polish. It is frequently used for the manufacture of spoons, forks, etc., but is unsuitable for this purpose on account of the large amount of copper contained in it, rendering it injurious to health. The directions for preparing this alloy vary greatly. The products of some Paris factories show the following composition: