A Versatile Brazilian Prepares the Lithium Discovery

Chemistry and metallurgy were very international at the turn of the century 1800. The discovery of lithium, however, involves international features beyond the ordinary. 

Strangely enough, he also has a place in the history of Kthium. It was Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva, who found and described the mineral petahte in a Swedish iron ore mine on the island Uto in the Stockholm archipelago, a mineral in which the element lithium was discovered. How was that possible  

Andrada s description did not seem to create much interest in the new mineral. In 1817, the enthusiastic Swedish mineralogist E. Th. Svedenstiema visited Uto, recognized the petahte and coUected a big sample. He sent mineral pieces to experienced scientists including Berzelius, WoUaston, Haiiy, K. C. v. Leonhard and others. On 9  

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