Books.—The following books with the exception of the last one are good elementary treatises on chemistry:
- 1.—Elementary Chemistry. Smith.
- 2.—First Principles of Chemistry. Brownlee.
- 3.—Chemistry. Remsen.
- 4.—Complete Chemistry. Avery.
How to Experiment with Electro-Chemistry.—In working out electro-chemical inventions you require a knowledge of both electricity and chemistry for it is the electric current that produces the chemical change either directly or indirectly.
Fig. 63a. AN ELECTRIC FURNACE, SHOWING THE DIFFERENT PARTS
An electric battery of any kind is electro-chemical in action and so is electroplating and electrotyping but these are old inventions. The production of ozone and nitric acid from the air by the action of an electric spark; of coal tar colors by electrolysis; the electrolytic refining of copper and the electrolytic production of aluminum are electro-chemical inventions in which the action of the electric current is direct. And they are inventions of great importance and of recent date.
Fig. 63b. AN ELECTRIC FURNACE IN OPERATION
Then there are a large number of indirect electro-chemical processes in which the electric current is used to produce heat as in the electric furnace. Genuine diamonds, though too small and too costly to have any commercial value, have been made in the electric furnace, shown in Fig. 63. Calcium carbide for making acetylene gas; carborundum, an abrasive that is better than emery; electric smelting and the reduction of iron ore with carbon are all new electric furnace inventions of great value, and there are many others.
BOOK.