Aluminum, the elemental form of the metal known from antiquity through alum
Alum was used to dye wool, and initially came into Europe primarily from the Middle East (and in the middle ages, this meant trading with the Ottomans)
It was an important resource and commanded a hefty sum. Eventually deposits were found in Europe, and the purchase of this element from the ME was banned by the pope (and prices fell)
It was suspected for a long time that the compound might be amenable to extraction - and the production of metal
Although despite many attempts this eluded scientists
Eventually a method of extraction was discovered, but it was costly and inefficient. Early in the history of Aluminum production the metal was worth more than its weight in gold
Napoleon III emperor of France was an early advocate of the metal and held dinner parties with fancy aluminum cutlery
The Washington monument in Washington DC is capped with Aluminum and at the time top dollar was paid for this capstone (which is now essentially worthless, thanks mass produced soda cans)
Eventually increased production, refinement of extraction and economy of scale brought the price of aluminum down to its current state of essentially free
Aluminum is used widely now in construction, aeronautics, and food packaging. The first artificial satellite, Sputnik, was made almost entirely of Aluminum
And you?
Alum was used to dye wool, and initially came into Europe primarily from the Middle East (and in the middle ages, this meant trading with the Ottomans)
It was an important resource and commanded a hefty sum. Eventually deposits were found in Europe, and the purchase of this element from the ME was banned by the pope (and prices fell)
It was suspected for a long time that the compound might be amenable to extraction - and the production of metal
Although despite many attempts this eluded scientists
Eventually a method of extraction was discovered, but it was costly and inefficient. Early in the history of Aluminum production the metal was worth more than its weight in gold
Napoleon III emperor of France was an early advocate of the metal and held dinner parties with fancy aluminum cutlery
The Washington monument in Washington DC is capped with Aluminum and at the time top dollar was paid for this capstone (which is now essentially worthless, thanks mass produced soda cans)
Eventually increased production, refinement of extraction and economy of scale brought the price of aluminum down to its current state of essentially free
Aluminum is used widely now in construction, aeronautics, and food packaging. The first artificial satellite, Sputnik, was made almost entirely of Aluminum
And you?
