Chapter 02 of 5
More Precious Than Gold
When aluminium was the world's most expensive luxury material.
- Economic Paradox
The Cost of Isolation
In the mid-1800s, aluminium was harder to refine than gold. This scarcity made it the most coveted substance in the world.
- Chemical Triumph
The Deville Breakthrough
Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville produced the first commercial ingots in 1854. He used expensive sodium to coax the metal from its ore.
- Royal Status
Napoleon III’s Table
The Emperor of France reserved aluminium cutlery for his most honored guests. Ordinary dukes and counts had to settle for gold forks.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
Which world leader famously used aluminium cutlery for his most prestigious guests?
🥈 Aluminium: The Clay That Became Silver
- 01The Elusive Earth of AlumUnderstanding the stubborn chemical bond of 'the silver from clay.'
- 02More Precious Than GoldWhen aluminium was the world's most expensive luxury material.
- 03The Hall-Héroult RevolutionHow 'frozen electricity' finally liberated the metal from its ore.
- 04Duralumin and the Age of FlightThe accidental discovery of age-hardening and high-strength alloys.
- 05The Infinite LoopThe physics of recycling and the metal's modern ubiquitous life.