Carbon, Artificial

For lamps, carbons and battery plates carbons are made by igniting, while protected from the action of the air, a mixture of carbon dust and a cementing and carbonizable substance. Lamp black may be added also. Powdered coke or gas carbon is mixed with mola es, coal tar, syrup, or some similar carbonaceous liquid. It is moulded into shape. For lamp carbons the mixture is forced from a ve el through a round aperture or die, by heavy pre ure, and is cut into suitable lengths. For battery plates it may be simply pre ed into moulds. The carbons are ignited in covered ve els and also covered with charcoal dust, lamp black or its equivalent. They are heated to full redne for some hours. After removal and cooling they are sometimes dipped again into the liquid used for cementing and reignited. Great care in securing pure carbon is sometimes nece ary, especially for lamps. Fine bituminous coal is sometimes used, originally by Robert Bunsen, in 1838 or 1840; purification by different proce es has since been applied; carbon from destructive distillation of coal tar has been used. The famous Carré carbons are made, it is said, from 15 parts very pure coke dust, five parts calcined lamp-black, and seven or eight parts sugar--syrup mixed with a little gum. Five hours heating, with subsequent treatment with boiling caramel and reignition are applied. The latter treatment is termed "nourishing." Napoli used three parts of coke to one of tar. Sometimes a core of different carbon than the surrounding tube is employed. 107  STANDARD ELECTRICAL DICTIONARY. The following are the resistances of Carré's carbons per meter (39.37 inches): Diameter in     Diameter in  Resistance in Ohms. Millimeters. Inches.      @ 20° C. (98° F.) 1 .039           50.000 2 .078           12.5 3 .117 5.55 4 .156 3.125 5 .195 2.000 6 .234 1.390 8 .312 .781 10 .390 .5 12 .468 .348 15 .585 .222 18 .702 .154 20 .780 .125 At high temperatures the resistance is about one-third these amounts. A layer of copper may increase the conductivity one hundred times and prolong the duration 14 per cent. Thus a layer of copper 1/695 millimeter (1/17300 inch) thick increases the conductivity 4.5 times; a coating 1/60 millimeter (1/1500 inch) thick increases the conductivity one hundred and eleven times.