Copper in Ancient India c10.s3.10

c10.s3.10

The Indian process of distillation of zinc described above is thus an anticipation by several centuries of the old English process termed ‘distillation of zinc per descensum’, in which “the mixture of ore and coal was heated in curcibles closed at the top, but having a pipe leading from the bottom stopped by a wooden plug. The latter was quickly carbonised, thus becoming porous and allowing the vapour of the reduced zinc to pass down the tube where it was condensed.”¹ In the Indian process the molten zinc is poured out.