Birth of metals

The first who managed to obtain metallic aluminium was the Danish scientist H. Oersted known in history as a physicist rather than as a chemist. He discovered the induction of magnetic field of an electric current, but preparation of pure aluminium showed him to be also a skillful chemist. Having red-heated a mixture of alumina with charcoal. Oersted passed chlorine through it as a result anhydrous aluminium chloride was obtained. Then the scientist heated the new compound with potassium amalgam and obtained amalgam of aluminium for the first time. As soon as Oersted distilled off the mercury, he discovered pieces of metal that looked like tin. The product contained impurities but, nevertheless, this was the birth of metallic aluminium. Oersted published an article in a little known Danish journal which passed practically unnoticed in the scientific circles. And news of Oersted s achievement did not reach many chemists. Therefore, some historians believe that aluminium was discovered not by Oer.sted but F. Wohler. 

Copper clusters containing two to four atoms have been formed (94) in argon and methane, whereas large, colloidal-copper particles resulted in dodecane matrices (94). The authors suggested that the "birth of the band structure of copper is clearly visible on passing from the dimer to the tetramer, with CU4 already possessing many of the features of the bulk metal (94). 

Note that this method enables one to observe variation of electric conductivity of a sample due to adsorption of hydrogen atoms appearing as a result of the spillover effect, no more. In a S3rstem based on this effect it is rather difficult to estimate the flux intensity of active particles between the two phases (an activator and a carrier). The intensity value obtained from such an experiment is always somewhat lower due to the interference of two opposite processes in such a sample, namely, birth of active particles on an activator and their recombination. When using such a complicated system as a semiconductor sensor of molecular hydrogen (in the case under consideration), one should properly choose both the carrier and the activator, and take care of optimal coverage of the carrier surface with metal globules and effect of their size [36]. 

Glauber, Johann Rudolf. The complete works of Rudolph Glauber trans Chris. Packe. Birth and nativity of metals. Richardson (TX) R.A.M.S., 1983. 490-533... 

Oct. 2, 1746 Marggraf prepares metallic zinc by reduction of calamine. Birth of Peter Jacob Hjelm, the discoverer of molybdenum, at Sunnerbo Harad, Sweden. 

Birth of Claude-August Lamy at Nery, France. He prepared thallium in the metallic state. 

Birth of Sir Henry E. Roscoe, the first to liberate metallic vanadium. 

Birth of P.-L.-T. Heroult and of Charles Martin Hall, independent discoverers of the electrolytic process for preparing metallic aluminum. 

Zinc compounds have found practical uses since prehistoric times. As a metal, zinc was recognized in the 14 century. The publication of the pioneering works of Edward Frankland in the mid-19 century marked the beginnings of organozinc chemistry, as well as the birth of a larger research field—organometallic chemistiy. ... 

In 1952, Walsh in Australia realized the inherent advantages of atomic absorption spectroscopy over methods based on flame emission for quantitative analysis, and he has given a personal account of the development of the technique.197 Walsh s death in 1998 resulted in a memorial issue of the journal Spectrochimica Acta (B). As well as a brief biography of Walsh and a list of his publications, this contained 22 papers on all aspects of the history of atomic absorption spectroscopy. Together they constitute a valuable record of the birth of this important technique, the difficulties of bringing satisfactory instruments to market, and the history of the application of the method to quantify metals in a wide variety of materials and environments.198... 

This makes 4°K a rare nucleus, being comparable to the abundance of the heavy metals rhodium or gold. But at the birth of the solar system the abundance was... 

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