Abstract
A LITTLE more than twenty years ago Auer von Welsbach, who was engaged on researches on the rare earths invented the modern incandescent mantle. His first mantles were made of zirconia and yttrite earth in the proportion to make a normal zirconate. Shortly afterwards he found that the part material has a basis of thoria. Pure thoria, which requires care in its preparation, gives very little light, but if a small percentage of a coloured and permanent oxide, such as ceria, is added, it gives good illumination.
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Incandescent Illuminants 1 . Nature 76, 92–93 (1907). https://doi.org/10.1038/076092a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/076092a0