LOHASASTRAM = Metullargy The Scientific Studyof Metals

 

Metallurgy, art and science of extracting metals from their ores and modifying the metals for use. Metallurgy customarily refers to commercial as opposed to laboratory methods. It also concerns the chemical, physical, and atomic properties and structures of metals and the principles whereby metals are combined to form alloys.

The present-day use of metals is the culmination of a long path of development extending over approximately 6,500 years. It is generally agreed that the first known metals were gold, silver, and copper, which occurred in the native or metallic state, of which the earliest were in all probability nuggets of gold found in the sands and gravels of riverbeds.

Metals and Alloys

The Sanskrit book Rasarnavam says that

सुवर्णं रजतं ताम्रं त्रपु सीसकमायसम्। षडेतानि च लोहानि कृत्रिमौ कांस्यपित्तलौ॥

न विस्फुलिङ्गा न च बुद्बुदाश्च यथा न रेखापटलं न शब्दः।

मूषागतं रत्नसमं स्थिरं च तथा विशुद्धं प्रवदन्ति लोहम्॥

Pure metals are Gold, Silver, Copper, Tin, Lead and Iron. Alloys are Bronze and Brass.  When heated in a furnace, pure metal emerges strong without sparks, bubbles, crystallization and cracking sound.

LOSS DURING HEAT

Vyavahaara Adhyaaya of YajnavalkyaSmrithi explains that

अग्नौ सुवर्णमक्षीणं रजते ग्वफलं शते। अष्टौ त्रपुषि सीसे च ताम्रे पञ्च दशायसि॥

When strongly heated in fire the loss of weight for gold is nil, for Gold in nil,

For Silver - 2%; for Tin - 8%; for Lead - 8 %; for Copper - 5%; and for Iron - 10 %.

(This blog post is a part of Blogchatter's #BlogchatterA2Z)