Λ η American
Contemporary
·,
absorbents, which w a s later adopted b y the Allies. T h e work a t Washington also yielded improvements in masks which are now s t a n d a r d equipment for mines, around ammonia refrigeration machinery, for firemen, and in numerous t y p e s of indus trial work.
tin η Carl Fieldner AUBBEY D . M C F A D Y E N
A R X O
C A R L F I E L D X E R won
his s p u r s in
chemistry in connection w i t h one of t h e lowliest commodities—coal. I n fact, his entire career has been centered on coal. I t began in 1905, during his college days a t Ohio State University, under the inspira tion of N. W. Lord, head of t h e school of m i n e s ; flourished as h e advanced u p from t h e ranks as a specialist on c o a l for Uncle S a m ; and reached full fruition under his t e n u r e as chief of t h e Fuels and Explo sives Division of the Bureau of Mines. T o d a y Fieldner is internationally known for his research work in solid fuels and as t h e i n v e n t o r and developer of m a n y techniques of testing a n d analyzing coal, coke, a n d gas, techniques which have been adopted internationally for t h e standardization of such analyses. Fieldner studied w i t h Lord during what· m a y b e called t h e Golden Age of coal. Oil a n d hydroelectric power were then virtu ally u n t a p p e d sources of energy. Lord dramatized t h e future of coal in the devel o p m e n t of American industry and imbued Fieldner with his enthusiasm—an enthu s i a s m not diminished after 40 years. Upon graduating, Fieldner joined the Denver G a s a n d Electric C o . as apprentice engi neer. Shortly after, the U. S. Geological S u r v e y assigned to* Lord—a recognized a u t h o r i t y on coals and mining—certain research on t h e composition of American coals and their utilization. Lord immedi a t e l y recalled Fieldner to t h e campus to assist in this work. After a short period at Columbus, Fieldner was transferred to the Government's laboratories a t Pittsburgh, ^,nd in 1910, when t h e Bureau of Mines was created, Fieldner was first assistant in the coal analysis laboratory. T h i s laboratory w a s 'an i m p o r t a n t p a r t of t h e newly established bureau which con t i n u e d the pioneering work on American coals t h a t w a s started on a national scale b y t h e coal testing p l a n t of t h e U. S. Geo logical Survey at t h e Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Mo., in 1904. This experimental study of American coals in cluded the careful sampling and analysis of m i n e and car samples and t h e shipping of carloads of these coals to t h e government fuel testing plant for combustion tests in boiler furnaces, gasification tests in gas producers, a n d carbonization tests in coke ovens. I n t h e early stages of this national coal investigation i t became evident to L o r d t h a t the s t a n d a r d methods of the
A M E R I C A N CHEMICAL S O C I E T Y for
the
proximate analysis of coal needed drastic revision a n d further standardization to 384
Tunnel
give reliable results that could be dupli cated in different laboratories. Standardisation of Testing Aiethods Professor Lord a n d E. E. Soniermeier started these improvements i n the St. Louis laboratory, a n d Fieldner continued them a n d the development of entirely new methods of testing at Pittsburgh. His first paper on t h e better standardization of the method for determining t h e volatile m a t t e r in coal was a n important factor in t h e organization of a joint committee on coal analysis of ACS and ASTM. Fieldner represented t h e Bureau o f Mines on this new committee which was made u p of lead ers of coal a n d analytical chemistry. T h e committee reported 'greatly improved methods in 1913. Fieldner contributed a new electric furnace method for determin ing the volatile matter i n coal, and he wrote t h e standards for t h e ultimate analy sis of coal a n d the laboratory sampling of coal. Subsequently he a n d his associates in the Bureau of Mines developed a fur nace a n d method for the determination of t h e fusibility of coal a s h that has been adopted as s t a n d a r d by t h e testing socie ties a n d t h e Government. Fieldner places much stress on t h e inspiration and guidance he received from the m e m b e r s of this committee, especially from P a r r , Noyes, and Hillebrand. "When h e became chairman of the committee o n coal a n d coke of the American Society of Testing Materials in 1921, h e broadened the m e m bership to include representatives of indus trial, educational, a n d governmental agen cies w h o working t o g e t h e r improved exist ing methods from year t o year a n d devel oped new tests to meet t h e needs of new industrial developments i n the preparation and utilization of coal. Fieldner is still chairman of this committee a n d is deeply interested in maintaining its leadership in t h e materials testing field. At t h e time the United States entered World War I , Fieldner w a s in t h e midst of researches on gases which occur in mines. Within a week after w a r was declared, Fieldner h a d set in operation in P i t t s burgh three laboratories for research on masks for poisonous gases used or likely to be used in warfare. T h e work begun a t Pittsburgh was soon transferred to Wash ington, where it constituted t h e Gas M a s k Testing Division of Chemical Warfare Service. Fieldner was placed in charge with t h e r a n k of major. He personally devised a method of testing gas masks a n d CHEMICAL
Ventilation
On the termination of the war, Field ner returned to P i t t s b u r g h (1921) as superintendent of the Experiment Sta tion. He was immediately challenged with a problem analogous to t h e ventilatingprobIems encountered i n coal mines. For about this time, h e was approached in con nection with ventilating problems posed in t h e proposed design of the H o l l a n d Tun nel, the first vehicular tunnel to be built which would require strong ventilation t o protect people from poisonous automobile exhaust gases. Fieldner first determined the amount and composition of exhaust gases of automobiles a n d trucks likely t o occur in t h e tunnel. In collaboration with Sidney H. K a t z , a schoolmate back a t Ohio S t a t e , a p p a r a t u s w a s developed for analyzing and recording the percent age of carbon monoxide in t h e tunnel a t mosphere. This a p p a r a t u s , which is cap a b l e of detecting a s little as five p a r t s of carbon monoxide in one million p a r t s of air, is now used in tunnels t h r o u g h o u t t h e world. In recognition of t h i s work his a l m a mater conferred upon Fieldner t h e degree of chemical engineer i n 1923. Fieldner's success in connection with t h e problem of ventilating the Holland. T u n n e l left him vulnerable to a n o t h e r nonmining p r o b l e m — t h a t of verifying t h e t h e n prevailing fear of t h e toxicity o f exhaust gases from burning E t h y l gasoline. At one time the use of E t h y l gasoline w a s banned by certain of t h e states. Fieldner, with R. R . Sayers and W . P . Y a n t , studied this problem for several years, a n d the result w a s published in 1927. On the basis of this work the use o f tetraethyllead w a s approved by health* authorities t h r o u g h o u t the l a n d . Treatment
of Odorless
Gases
T h e ink was h a r d l y dry o n the results of the E t h y l gasoline s t u d y when t h e American Gas Association came t o t h e Bureau of Mines for help in finding a. substance which m i g h t be a d d e d t o odor less flammable gases t o give a detectable odor t h a t would give warning of t h e escape of gas. I t will b e recalled t h a t as r e c e n t l y as 1937 a Texas school was destroyed, w i t h appalling loss of life, simply because t h e escaping natural gas used i n heating t h e building w a s odorless and therefore n o t detected. . The s a m e triumvirate, Field ner, Sayers, a n d Y a n t , devoted t h r e e years to t h i s p r o b l e m a n d developed a number of substances capable of i m p a r t i n g strong warning odors. Further, t h e y l a i d t h e foundation for a new t y p e of w a r n i n g substance capable of awakening sleeping persons before t h e y become asphyxiated AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
b y t h e gas. Since the use of natural g a s h a s been extended a s far a s t h e E a s t Coast states, this work h a s assumed major importance. I t applies also to bottled liquefied gases. In 1927 Fieldner w a s elevated to t h e position of chief engineer in charge of t h e Experimental Stations of t h e Bureau of Mines, with offices in Washington. H o w ever, this did not s t o p Fieldner from carrying o u t the new* task which h a d been assigned t o him i n the previous y e a r b y his appointment a s cfc^irman of t h e American Standards Association C o m m i t tee on t h e Classification of American Coals. Under t h e sponsorhip of A S T M , Fieldner organized a committee representing scientific a n d engineering organizations, including producers a n d consumers of coal, which in the course of t h e n e x t five years developed t h e present American specifications for t h e classification of coals on t h e basis of their composition and.properties. These are n o w in general use b y Government a n d industry. In 1936 h e became the chief of t h e Technologic Branch, a n d chief engineer of t h e Coal Division, and in 1942 h e assumed his present position a s chief, Fuels a n d Explosives Division. Under his direction studies are being carried o n continually concerning t h e properties of American coals including assessing their suitability for various uses, such a s combustion, carbonization, gasification, liquefaction, a n d t h e yield of chemical products. T h e study of mining m e t h o d s with t h e view of improving" t h e safety of t h e workers, b o t h as t o health and against explosion, as well as for increasing t h e recovery of coal, i t s preparation a n d storage, a n d reduction of stream pollution from t h e washeries constitute major objectives of Fieldner's plan. Smokeless Coal Probably t h e most momentous objective of t h e Fieldner plan is t h e work being conducted with the object of obtaining smokeless combustion of bituminous coal, processes for producing smokeless fuel from bituminous coal, and work o n processes for producing gasoline from coal. T h e known oil reserves of t h e United States are only 12 times the annual consumption of oil. While more reserves are found each year, t h e r a t e of finding is getting very close t o the rate of u s e a n d m a y be exceeded b}' it i n a few years. W h e n this occurs, supplementary sources of liquid fuel must be found. Coal, Fieldner maintains, will be t h e principal source of synthetic liquid fuel, a n d plans should be laid now for its usage. As far back as 1925, in a t a l k before t h e N e w Y o r k Section of the A M E R I C A N CHEMICAL
SOCIETY, Fieldner proposed t h e liquefaction of coal in t h i s country a n d e x plained t h e technique. Through t h e foresight of Fieldner a n d t h e program h e has outlined for his bureau, t h e transition t o substitute liquid fuels, when t h a t V O L U M E
2 6,
NO.
6
»
»
day comes, should n o t be t o o turbulent. In 1931 Fieldner was called back to Ohio State t o receive its L a m m e Medal, for "meritorious achievement in engineering,' ' and nine years later he was called to Columbus again t o receive the Joseph Sullivant M e d a l . I n 1944 he wTas awarded an honorary membership in t h e American Society of H e a t i n g a n d \ 7 'entilating Engineers, and i n 1947 he was similarly honored by t h e American Society for Testing Materials. I n 1946 t h e Coal Division of the American I n s t i t u t e of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers a n d t h e Fuel Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers jointly bestowed upon him the Percy Nicholls Award. In t h e m i d s t of t h e recent war he was awarded t h e Melchett Medal by the I n s t i t u t e of Fuel of Great Britain, and was t h e second American so honored. He h a s been draped twic with t h e robes for t h e honorary doctorate degree—by the University of Alabama a n d b y Ohio State. D r . Fieldner joined ACS in 1906 and has served it in various capacities. He is a member of t h e American Society for Testing Materials a n d has been b o t h its president a n d vice president. Also he is a member of American Gas Association,
Coal Mining I n s t i t u t e of America, American I n s t i t u t e of Mining a n d Metallurgical Engineers, a n d t h e American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Personality T h e r e is a plainness of manner* and voice about Arno Fieldner which bespeaks w a r m t h toward fellow men and lo>ve of n a t u r e . I n t r u t h , next to his Avork, Fieldner likes t h e great outdoors a n d to h u n t and fish. H i s vacation customarily consists of a tw r o- or three-week canoe t r i p through t h e wilds of n o r t h e r n Ont a r i o . H i s friends consider h i n a an a u t h o r i t y on t h e region in and a b o u t the T e m a g a m i Forest Reserve. On o-ne of these vacations Fieldner and three of his b u r e a u assaciates made a catch of what appeared t o be a new subspecies of brook t r o u t . T h e y reported their discovery to t h e Carnegie M u s e u m a t Pittsburgh, with sp'eeimens of t h e catch. The following summer t h e m u s e u m sent an expedition for more specimens. These t r o u t , now called Aurora t r o u t , are on exhibition at P i t t s b u r g h . J u d g i n g from the numerous photographs u n d e r t h e glass t o p on Fieldner's desk depicting his catcfaes of t r o u t , one would suspect that Fieldner is b e n t on finding more new species.
Auto Makers Seek Plastics Uses A STAFF R E P O B T A. BULLISH a t t i t u d e on t h e prospects for plastics in the automotive industry was shown by W . M. Phillips, General Motors Corp., when he spoke before the fourth national conference of t h e Society of Plastics Engineers, held in Detroit, J a n . 21, 22, a n d 23. Mr. Phillips said t h a t b y 1942 the use of plastics in this industry had increased s o that a b o u t 100 parts, totaling about 5 lb., were used in t h e average a u t o mobile. I n 1947 t h e use was much the same, he said, a n d in 1948 it will be similar. Speaking specifically, he noted t h a t vinyls and polystyrene a r e getting into a better position, certain laminates are coming along and m a y replace some steel parts, nylons a n d other plastics have improved their chances for use in upholstery, a n d the use of plastic envelopes in stamping is commencing t o look promising. Degradation Studies A new a t t a c k o n t h e degradation of plastics was described b y F . W. R e i n h a r t , N a tional Bureau of Standards. T h e object of t h i s approach is t o determine t h e specific chemical reactions involved in t h e degradation of the plastic a n d how these reactions are affected b y t h e intensity of t h e conditions encountered. T h e plastics are exposed t o controlled conditions of heat, humidity, ultraviolet radiation, a n d ambient atmospheres, a n d t h e gaseous degradation products are collected a n d analyzed
FEBRUARY
9,
1948
w i t h the mass spectrometer. C h a a g e s i a t h e structure of t h e plastic are determined b y ultraviolet a n d infrared absorption, xr a y a n d electron diffraction, and dielectric absorption characteristics. ' From t i n s information a t t e m p t s are made to determine t h e specific mechanism of the degradation. Practical experience with steam preheating h a s served t o prove t h e practicability of t h i s m e t h o d for general transfer molding, according t o S. K . Moxness a n d J. Formo, Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Co. Improvements in t h e method o f met e r i n g t h e moisture into the preheating atmosphere m a k e it possible to maintain precise control over t h e moisture content of t h e p r e h e a t e d forms, it was stated, wThich h a s made it possible to c o n t r o l the shrinkage of p a r t s over a wider r a n g e than is possible with other methods of preheating. T h e surface appearance of s t e a m preheated parts was reported to compa-re satisfactorily with p a r t s molded with, other methods of preheat while strength, characteristics are often enhanced although electrical characteristics are slightly reduced. Recent developments of importa.nce in t h e field of plasticizers reported by- L. E. Cheyney, Battelle Memorial Institute, included new flame-resistant materia.ls, applications of polymeric materials a s plasticizers, a n d perfection of the p a s t e techn i q u e of fabricating vinyl plastics. 385
