s prepared in the
early experiments. It unites very readily with oxygen and with carbon at
high temperatures.

The first tungsten lamps appeared on the market in 1906, but these
contained fragile filaments made by the squirting process. When the
squirted filament of tungsten powder and organic matter was heated in an
atmosphere of steam and hydrogen to remove the binding material, a
brittle filament of tungsten was obtained. The first lamps were costly
and fragile. After years of organized research tungsten is now drawn
into the finest wires, possessing a tensile strength perhaps greater
than any other material. Filaments are now made into many shapes and the
greatest strides in artificial lighting have been due to scientific
research on a huge scale.

The achievements which combined to perfect the tungsten lamp to the
point where it has become the mainstay of electric lighting are not
attached to names in the Hall of Fame. Organization of scientific
research in the industrial laboratories is such that often many persons
contribute to the development of an improvement. Furthermore, time is
usually required for a full perspective of applications of scientific
knowledge. In the early days organized research was not practised and
the great developments of those days were the works of individuals.
To-day, even in pure science, some of the greatest contributions are
made by industrial laboratories; but sometimes these do not become known
to the public for many years. The whole scheme of scientific development
has changed materially. For example, the story of the development of
ductile tungsten, which has revolutionized lighting, is complex and more
or less shrouded in secrecy at the present time. Many men have
contributed toward this accomplishment and the public at the present
time knows little more than the fact that tungsten filaments, which were
brittle yesterday, are now made of ductile tungsten wire drawn into the
finest filaments.

The earlier tungsten filaments were made by three rival processes. By
the first, a deposit of tungsten was "flashed" on a fine carbon
filament, the latter being eliminated finally by heating in an
atmosphere of hydrogen and water-vapor. By the second, colloidal
tungsten was produced by operating an arc between tungsten electrodes
under water. The finely divided tungsten was gathered, partially dried,
and squirted through dies to form filaments. These were then sintered.
The third was th