"Pooh Bear" wrote in message
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Robert Morein wrote:

"Pooh Bear" wrote in message
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Robert Morein wrote:

I have added to the "aluminum" thread.

You mean aluminium of course ?

Graham

"Aluminum" is actually the American spelling.
http://hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=aluminum

I know. I'm pulling your leg.

Rumour has it that shortly after its practical refinement, a sample of
aluminium was sent to the USA but the packaging was improperly stencilled
with a missing 'i'. Hence the difference.

Interesting rumor, given that the first practical process for refining
aluminum was the Hall process, which was developed in the US by George Hall
who founded Alcoa.

Given all that, perhaps shortly after its practical refinement a sample of
aluminum was sent from the US to the UK. The folks in UK promptly added
something trivial and meaningless to make it look like they did on their
own, in this case being a gratuitous letter i. ;-)