Conversation

Notices

1. Embed this notice
   ksircombe (ksircombe@aus.social)'s status on Friday, 27-Sep-2024 07:46:11 JST ksircombe

   Vote #Stibnite (Sb2S3) for #Mincup24 ⚒️🧪 because it was the likely source of antimony that literally wrote history.

   (The chemical symbol for antimony is ‘Sb’ from ‘stibium’ the Latin for, you guessed it, #stibnite) /1

   https://www.mineralcup.org/2024/vote/r3m1

   • Embed this notice
     ksircombe (ksircombe@aus.social)'s status on Friday, 27-Sep-2024 07:46:09 JST ksircombe

     in reply to

     It is not clear where Gutenberg sourced his stibnite, but it is clear that his invention created mass-produced books that revolutionised information transfer and set the stage for the Renaissance, Reformation, and humanist movements that underpin our modern world.

     Thanks #Stibnite! /4

   • Embed this notice
     ksircombe (ksircombe@aus.social)'s status on Friday, 27-Sep-2024 07:46:10 JST ksircombe

     in reply to

     The antimony hardens the lead and prevents shrinkage and deformation when the alloy cools from a melt in a mold to make the moveable type.

     It meant that high quality clear text could be repeatably printed on mass (unlike previous printing that used carved wood blocks that deteriorated quickly) /3

     Minoru Saba repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     ksircombe (ksircombe@aus.social)'s status on Friday, 27-Sep-2024 07:46:11 JST ksircombe

     in reply to

     You may recognise this fine fellow as Johann Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg, renowned inventor of the movable type printing press.

     One of his key innovations was adding antimony (and tin) to the lead to make type metal. /2