W. 0. BROOKS A. T . BURTSELL
ir
R. K. CARLETON F. B. DNNS
L.DAWS
ABSTRACTS R. A. BAKER,
HOWARD GUHAM CLIFFORD HENDRICKS
Abdract
Editor
J. W. HOWARD D. C. LICHTENWALNER
GRETA OPPE C. M. PRUIIT LWWLDSCHEPLAN
A. A. VERNON E. D. WALTER
SIDNEY WEINHOUSE G. H. WOOLLETT
KEEPING UP WITH CHEMISTRY Potato starch a c c" possibility. C. A. BIUUTLECET. C h m . Industries, ;i,hq&yMay, 1936).-Potato-starch production was started about a century ago in the United States. Then "starch" meant potato starch. I n time, corn starch began to be produced, not in many small plants, but in relatively large units'with modem equipment and good control. This closed up most potato-starch plants in the country until what is left of the industry is in Aroostook County, Maine. Here too, it may eventually disappear unless the industry is modernized. Only nature, which has favored Aroostook as a potato rountry, his nllawrd its starch industry to continue whc" other #,nits in hltnnrsota, \Usconsin, and Michigan ceased to exist. It is of interrst here to not? that durinz thr vazt decade them has been a marked increase in ~ o t s & t a k h production in Canada. In 1909, United States potato-starch production was about 25,000,000 pounds, while imports were about 12,500,000 paunds; in 1931, domestic production was about 16,000,000 pounds, while imports were about 18,000,000 pounds, largely from Germany and the Netherlands. German annual production is quite constant a t about 220,000,000 pounds. Other European camtries and Japan are large producers of potato starch. United States imports averaged about 16,000,000 pounds annually during the past ten-year period. The old tariff on potato stsrch was 2.5 cents per pound. This was reduced in December. 1935. to 1.75 cents per pound, which would probably not have much influence on domestic production, especially if both production efficiency and quality are improved. The Armstook potato-starch plant is one of relatively low efficiencv in comnarison with d a n t s in Eurooe and elsewhere. where production costs are aiso Less per ton. Low cost of corn and calrava stawh is 1:wgrly due toifficient extraction with modern rquipmmt. In Aroostook, rulativcly Little machinery 1s " a d . larrelv of the rvne develoncd alroad durinc the early history' of t h g industrb: ~ r o o s t d o k plants can meet some romperition largely on &count of potato *upply and locatiou nrnr streams whh.1, supply water :and remove w:astc. This nutato-starch industrv is of imnortance in Maine hut is little known or appreciated-in generai. When examined from several viewpoints, it can be concluded that: (a) the United States is so situated from the agricultural, industrial, and scientific viewpoint, a "chemurgic" viewpoint, that it can economically sustsin a potato-starch industry, and that (6) the Maine potatostarch industry can and should be further developed. T. R .A .. . -.
British researches for a new alcohol motor-fuel blend. C. 11. S. T ~ P I I O L M EChmt . Industrirs. 38, 4G9-70 (hlay. 1936). -At the Bdlinghnrn coal hydrogenation plant, according to published figures. f& one ton of gasoline prodt~ced.1.1; tons of coal (ashfree dry hzqis) must he hydrogenated, and a further 1.5.; tons in reauircd for steam and =a- ~roduction.a total of 3.15 tons or. allowing for ash and moi&&, 3.65 actual tons. This is equivai lent t o e 2 gallons of gasolinc from one ton of coal used. According tn published estinlatcs, the cost of productiun, invluding canirnl charees. is 7'1, d. oer eallon. which is dout,lc the C. I. F c&t of imported gasdine.. ~ L i n l y , ' t h eprocess must necessarily remait) fur n very iong time unerorimic. llowtwer, n new line is being actively pursued by an important coal-minine u o u n in Britain with thr o b w t of nroducine methvl alcohol f;r coil. Research and exp&meniation h a k been carricd on for four years and a plant; dvtails of which cannot yet he puhlizhcd. is being erected to operate on commercial lines Last war. 47.ISi.108 . ~~, eallons of cthvl and rncthvl alcohol was produceb id Britain. ?he r& mat;rials consisted chiefly of malt, unmalted grain, rice, and molasses. I t is claimed that by the process now being operated methyl alcohol can be produced from coal a t a fraction of present costs. Laboratory tests indi~~
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cate that the recoverable methyl alcohol from one ton of coal is 246 gallons. Reactions required heat t o convert the water and carbon into a gas, and for every ton of coal processed an additional three-quarters of a ton is used for producing the necessary heat, so that the actual liquid alcohol produced from every ton of coal used is 140 gallons. Methanol used by itself as motor fuel requires higher compression in an engine to obtain those super-results which make it attractive for racing. The thermal efficiency of methyl alcohol with high compression ratios is greater than gasoline, but with standard compression gives fewer miles to the gallon. Best results in ordinary motor use are obtained when methyl alcohol is mixed with benzene in a 40:60 ratio, or with gasoline in a 20:80 ratlo. The research referred t o seeks to retain the advantages of mcthyl alcohol without haring to resort to mixing with bcnrol or other qp~rits. I n other words, the highest accomplishment would he n h r i t commandina ~ o u u l a ruse hv a sclf-cuntainrd
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Methanol is an active solvent of heavy hydrocarbon gases; for instance, one volume of alcohol will dissolve from 12 to 15 volumes of butvlene a t ordinarv Pressures. Ethvlene. and also the saturated gases propane, butane, and ethane; are ialuble in alruhol. A sdutmn of these heavy gases in nlrohol consritutrs an excellent motor fuel which permits starting a n mgint. with ease even in cold weather. he,ides vivine ~lnsticitvnnd rxrellent acceleration in running. ~ h e s egases &ld in al&hohol show but little tendency to escape. The solution has a much Lower flash point and initial boiling point than is possessed by alcohol alone. and a greater thermal value. The product also bas larger fractions volatile a t low temperatures. If, before processing t h c m w coal fur mcthyl slcohol production, this coal, as w:ll a- the coal uscd for hesting. is submitted to nreheatinz wherthv 80 oer cent of the rulntilcn- are -rrlemrd (wl'th the m k m u m 6f mGhane a n d ethane and the maximum of the heavy hydrocarbons), this yields a supply of hydrocarbons for solution in the alcohol, affording the particular requirements of a self-contained motor spirit. A. T. B. Modem explosives-11. S. I. LEVY. Sch. Sci. Rev., 17, 488-500 (June, 1936).-Before the war the 'high explosive most commonly used for shell-filling was pieric acid. During thc war trinitrotoluene came into cntenzivc u w for this purpose. Other aromatic nitro-bodies. used either alone or mixed with T. N. T.. lead nitrate, and ammonium nitrate, were dinitrobenzene, dinitra: naphthalene, and trinitrophenylmethylnitramine. The aromatic nitro-compounds do not contain sufficient oxygen for their comhustion, thus giving rise to dense clouds of black smoke on detonation. They are therefore mixed with substances such as ammonium nitrate, which contain enough oxygen to afford complete comhustion. Such mixtures are known as "smokeless" powders. Methods for the technical manufacture of picric acid, S. W. T.N.T., and ammonium nitrate are described in detail. Manufacture of glass. M. PARKIN.Sch. Sci. Rev., 17, Sill-!2 (June, 1936).-A discussion of the history and technology of glass manufacture. S. W. Bromine from sea water. F. A. PHILBRICK. Sch. Sci. Rev.. 17, 521-5 (June. 1936).-A digest of a n srticle in Industrial and Engineering C h i s t r y , 26, 361 (1934). S. W , Sword oil. ANON. Ind. Bdl. Arthur D. Little, Inc., 114. 1 (July, 1936).-The whole field of fish oils is under investigation t d a y as vitamin sources, the "big three" being cod, halibut, and swordfish. The swordfish, t h a t ferocious, warm-water food fish, provides the most concentrated natural source of vitamins A and D. A fisheries company of Gloucester now produces this relatively scarce and valuable oil. Halibut-liver oil has been available commercially far about seven years. I t is also produced in Gloucester and is inferior only to swordfish oil as a vitamin source.
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The father of all vitamin-bearing fish oils is cad-liver oil, and still by far the most important oil of its class. The hake, cusk, haddock, pollack, related t o the cod, are also sources of liver oil, but not equal to the cod. Sardine oil is known to have some value, and salmon oil and tuna-fish oil are achieving some recognition. Sardines and salmon yield oil from the entire body, while tuna-fish oil comes only from the liver. The production of fish-liver oils for vitamins is still an infant industry in the U. S. Incidentally, we must think more of our chickens than we do of ourselves, for they consume the greater part of the cod-liver oil sold in this country. G. 0 . From submarine f m s . ANON. Ind. B d l . Arthur D . Little, Inc., 114, 1-2 (July, 1936).-Seaweed is likely to assume an increasing importan& in industry due to the production of alginates from a species of brown algae or kelp. Alginates were first commercially introduced in this country during the World War. During the past few years. research and develo~menthave produced substantially pur; and uniform alginates as protective colloids or stabilizers in several industries. Sodium alginate is used today as an anti-settling agent for chocolate milk drinks; as an alternative for gelatin in ice-cream manufacture: and as a protective colloid and-thickening agent in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, can-sealing compounds. and boiler compounds. Sodium alginate is now being introduced to the textile industry as a tragacanth substitute in textile printing and padding, and as a gelatin substitute in slasher sizing. Tragacanth is a gummy exudation fram trees and shrubs. Ammonium alginate is used principally to stabilize rubber latex. For most of the uses cited prices tend G. 0 . to be competitive. A diamagnetic personality. ANON. Ind. Bull. Arthur D . Little, Inc., 114, 2-3 (July, 1936).-Bismuth, withitsodd properties, is the "personality" of this article. Of late i t has been playing a useful part in the scientific investigation of the properties of metals, or the riddles of their behavior and structure. Long neglected, bismuth is only now finding uses for itself and its alloys; and despite its limited supply, it has for many decades been able to exceed the demand. In its magnetic properties, it is indeed a queer actor, for it is the most diamagnetic metal of all; that is, most repelled by magnets; but alloys of bismuth with copper, another non-magnetic metal, are distinctly magnetic. Molten bismuth is found to be more than twice as good a conductor of electricity as the solid form, the opposite of most metals. In thermoelectric properties, bismuth is remarkable. But by far the chief use of bismuth is in the form of its compounds because of their medicinal nature. Its alloys are well known. Bismuth may be electroplated, and the films are capable of high polish, or may be heat-treated to produce colors. G. 0 . Alcohol as motor fuel. ANON. Ind. Eng. Chem., N e w Ed.. 14, 4277-8 (1936).-The subject of the use of power alcohol is much discussed a t the present time, and both opponents and proponents use the same data to prove their points. A summary of the state of affairs in various foreign countries is presented in condensed form. A table of alcohol consumed in motor fuel for 17 countries is given. None was used in 1934 in Argentina, Australia, China, or the Philippines. The other consumptions range from 433,500 gallons in the United Kingdom to 54,400,000 gallons in France for 1934. Those countries whose petroleum s u ~ ~ l i are e s low or non-existent have turned toward domestic sources of motor fuel, and alcohol produced from agricultural crops loums large i n the fucl cup1,Is of fmning counrri
