Canton's phosphorus
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Named after John Canton, British physicist.
Noun
[edit]Canton's phosphorus (uncountable)
- (obsolete, inorganic chemistry) A poorly-characterized phosphorescent substance obtained by calcining oyster-shells and sulfur.
- 1861, John Henry Pepper, The Playbook of Metals: Including Personal Narratives of Visits to Coal, Lead, Copper, and Tin:
- Canton's phosphorus is made by calcining oyster-shells in the open fire for half an hour; after which, the whitest and largest pieces are selected, mixed with about one-third their weight of flowers of sulphur, pressed into a crucible with a closely-luted cover, and heated red hot for an hour.