Ancient Roman technology of aluminum production: Process reconstruction

Ancient sources indicate that aluminum was known at Ancient Rome. The article attempts to reconstruct the ancient technological process of production of metallic aluminum based on the currently available information about the properties of aluminum and modern production methods.

1. Duboin A. Les Romains ont-ils connu l’aluminium? La Revue scientifique. 1902;18(24):751-753. (in French).

2. Pliny the Elder. Naturalis Historia. 77 AD.

3. Gerhard Eggert. Ancient aluminum? Flexible glass? Looking for the real heart of a legend. Skeptical Inquirer. 1995;19:37-40.

4. Remy H. Treatise on Inorganic Chemistry. 1st Edition. V1. Elsevier, 1956. 996 р.

5. Giua M. Istoriya khimii (History of Chemistry). Moscow: Mir; 1975. 478 p. (in Russ.).

6. Mittova I.Ya., Samoilov A.M. Istoriya khimii s drevneishikh vremen do kontsa 20 veka (History of chemistry from ancient times to the end of the 20th century). V. 1. Dolgoprudnyi: Dom Intellekt; 2009. 411 p. (in Russ.).

7. Kohlmeyer E.J., Lundquist S. On the Thermal Reduction of Alumina. Z. Anorg. Chem. 1949;260:208-230 (in German). https://doi.org/10.1002/zaac.19492600403

8. Ivanova R.V. Khimiya i tekhnologiya galliya (Chemistry and technology of gallium). Moscow: Metallurgiya; 1973. 392 p. (in Russ.).

9. Korovin S.S., Bukin V.I., Fedorov P.I., Reznik A.M. Redkie i rasseyannye elementi. Khimiya i tekhnologii (Rare and scattered elements. Chemistry and technology). V. III. Moscow: MISIS; 2003. 440 p. (in Russ.).

10. Godovikov A.A. Mineralogiya (Mineralogy). Moscow: Nedra; 1975. 520 p. (in Russ.).