Manufacture and Reduction of Platinum
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
W. S. Newton has recently obtained a patent in England for improvements in the manufacture and reduction of platinum. The platinum ore to be operated upon is rinsed in a state of division with lime, baryta or strontia, magnesia, or other carbonates. This mixture, on being roasted in the open air, will be deprived of the greater part of the osmium which it contains. The ore is afterwards melted in vessels, the inside of which are lined with lime, baryta, strontia, magnesia, or the carbonates of these bases, and this fusion is effected by means of a combustible gas in combination with oxygen.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
