JUNE 10, 1937
NEWS EDITION
Chemical Engineers at Toronto ANADIAN industries, particularly those of radium and insulin recovery, and papers dealing with chemical engineering aspects of distillation, evaporation, and drying formed the nucleus of the program of the 29th semi-annual meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, which drew 305 members and guests to the Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, May 26 to 28. Visits to chemical operations and the presentation of the William H. Walker Award and of the prizes in the sixth annual Student Chapter Problem Contest completed the formal program which was supplemented by a delightful series of entertainments. The second annual William H. Walker Award went to Thomas B. Drew, of the engineering department of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., for his studies on dropwise condensation, subject of three papers which have appeared [Trans, Am. Inst. Chem. Engr., 30, 217 (1934); 31, 593, 605 (1935) J. The award, symbolized by a bronze plaque, is given for "outstanding contribution to chemical engineering literature published in the Transactions by a member" during the three years preceding the award. The first award was made to Allan P. Colburn in 1936 for his "Method of Correlating Forced Convection Heat Transfer Data and a Comparison with Fluid Friction" [Trans. Am. Inst. Chem. Engrs., 29, 174 (1933) J. Winners of the sixth annual Student Chapter Problem Contest were: Walter L. Bass, Cooper Union, New York, first prize of $100; Earl F. Jennings, Jr., University of Illinois, second prize of $50; Fred Planansky, Oregon State Agricultural College, third prize of $25; and Verne Lloyd Simril, University of Illinois, Donald M. Wroughton, University of Illinois, and T. R. Young, Princeton University, fourth, fifth, and sixth prizes of $10 each, respectively. The problem consisted of the calculation and specific recommendation of plant to supply electric power and steam to a chemical operation. Fifty-five solutions submitted by 25 student chapters were judged by a committee consisting of L. B. Hitchcock (chairman), R. L. Murray, and C. J. Herrly. A member of the Cooper Union Student Chapter (Henry G. Staaterman) also won first prize in 1936. Extraction of radium from the ore mined within the Arctic Circle in the Great Bear Lake District of Canada was inspected by the group at the Port Hope plant of the Eldorado Gold Mines, Ltd. This ore, concentrated at the mine to one ton of concentrate for each 46 tons mined, is brought out of the Great Bear Lake Region by airplane, water, and rail and is treated at the Port Hope plant to yield 25 to 30 grams of radium per annum. Seven to 10 tons of ore are treated per day to obtain this yield. By-products of the operation are uranium oxide and salts, and silver sulfide. The difficulties in transportation to and from the mine may be judged from the fact that water routes to the district are open only 6 weeks of the year, during which time all supplies and equipment must be gotten in to the mine and the major share of its output taken out. M. Ponchon, one time associate of the Curies, is in charge of the refining operation. The extraction of insulin was inspected at the Connaught Laboratories of the University of Toronto, where insulin was discovered in 1922 by Banting and Best. Here, approximately 1000 pounds of ox pancreas are treated per day for the preparation of insulin. Other operations at the laboratories consist of the preparation
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of liver extract, vaccines, antitoxins, and other biological medicinal materials. Other plants visited included: Ontario Research Foundation, a semi-public institution for industrial research; Consumers' Gas Co., where modern equipment for the manufacture of gas was seen; ColgatePalmolive-Peet Co., soap manufacture; R. N. Boxer Wallpaper Co.; Hinde & Dauch Paper Co., manufacture of corrugated and box board; and O'Keefe Brewing Co., manufacture of beer and ale. Post-convention trips were arranged to Ottawa to visit the Gatineau Mill of the International Paper Co. and other points of interest; to Copper Cliff and Sudbury to the plants of the International Nickel Co.; and to the Howard Smith Paper Mills, Ltd., at Cornwall, en route to Montreal. Papers dealing with Canadian industries included: heavy leather manufacture by E. H. Smith, of Beardmore &. Co.; a general survey of Canadian developments by DeBlois, Whitby, and Green; the extraction of radium by M. Ponchon, Eldorado Gold Mines, Ltd.; use of pyrites concentrates in sulfite pulp manufacture by H. Freeman, Consolidated Paper Co.; and the preparation of insulin by D. A. Scott of Connaught Laboratories. Chemical engineering problems were subjects of 14 papers falling into the following general classifications: drying as applied to granular solids by Hougen and Cegalske; fractional distillation, three apers by D. F. Stead man, by Baker and Peavy, and by Marcel J. P. Bogert; heat transfer, five papers by Badger. Boarts, and Meisenburg, by Badger and Brooks, by Cryder and Finalborgo, by Badger, and by Badger and Ullock: condensation, three papers by Baker and Mueller, by Patterson, Weiland, Reeburgh, King, and Huntington, and by Colburn and Drew: boiling phenomena, by Drew and Mueller; and laboratory equipment for chemical engineering, by Charles G. Winding. Entertainment features included a visit on Wednesday evening to Hart House of the University of Toronto and a banquet at the Royal York Hotel on Thursday evening. At Hart House, a play was presented by the Playwrights' Studio Group, entitled "They Meet Again," by Rica McLean Farquharson. The play was followed by a unique display of fancy swimming and diving by the members of the Dolphinets, a group of talented girl swimmers of Toronto, including many champions. Later the visitors were entertained at a buffet supper and dancing. J. Watson Bain, of the University of Toronto and honorary chairman of the local committee, presided as toastmaster at Thursday evening's banquet. The speakers were Honorable Paul LeDuc, Attorney General and Minister of Mines of Ontario, who discussed the industrial importance to Ontario of its mines, producing gold, copper, nickel, silver, and other metals, and Louis Blake Duff, who emphasized that Americans feel at home in Canada by pointing out that during 1936 more than 150,000 pieces of mail posted in Canada carried United States postage stamps. The program was completed with the snowing of a motion picture, partly in colors, of a trip by air to the radium mines in the Great Bear Lake District. Local arrangements were in charge of a committee consisting of A. E. R. Westman, chairman, E. G. R. Ardagh, R. T. Elworthy, N. C. Hobson, J. W. Rawlins, L. E. Westman, and W. E. Patterson. Mrs. J. Watson Bain was chairman of the Ladies' Entertainment Committee.
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Akron Rubber Group's S u m m e r Outing HE Akron Rubber Group committee on arrangements has completed plans for a summer outing. It will be held Friday, June 18, at Silver Lake Country Club. A committee has been appointed on golf, and prizes will be given for several events. The golf course is to be open to the group all day and dinner will be served in the evening. Several special features have been arranged. An even better outing is anticipated than was enjoyed last year.
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Third Dearborn Conference T ITS third conference, held in Detroit and Dearborn, Mich., May 25 to 27, 1937, and attended by nearly 1000, the Farm Chemurgic Council voted to incorporate as the National Farm Chemurgic Council and to extend its activities to every state. Officers of the council are: Francis P. Garvan, president; W. W. Buffum, treasurer; W. J. Hale, secretary; Carl B. Frits.che, managing director; H. E. Barnard, technical director; directors, Karl T. Compton, Robert A. Millikan, E. R. Weidlein, Charles H. Herty, Roger Adams, Perrin H. Long, Willard H. Dow, Robert E. Wood, Howard E. Coffin, Wheeler McMillen, Louis J. Taber, and J. C. Holton. For research projects during the coining year the council plans to spend approximately $500,000, and a research committee has been appointed to investigate projects. The conference was opened with a nationwide broadcast, followed by a lunch tendered by Henry and Edsel Ford to 250 delegates. Among the speakers at the conference were Alexander G. Ruthven, president of the University of Michigan; Louis J. Taber, master of the National Grange: Karl T. Compton, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Robert E. Wood, president of Sears, Roebuck &. Co.; Henry A. Barton, American Institute of Physics; George Washington Carver, Tuskegee Institute; John Shannon, winner of the Mid-South Farm Forum prize for the most efficient tenant farmer; W. J. Hale, Dow Chemical Co.; Harry H. Straus of the Champagne Paper Co - and Heber J. Grant, president of the Church of Latter Day saints. At the annual dinner the Pioneer's Cup for achievement in chemurgy was presented to Wirt Davis, representing a group of Texans who are sponsoring the first newsprint mill in the South. The morning program of thefinalday was on motor fuel from farm crops, Roger Adams presiding.
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Philadelphia Chemical Club Has Outing HE Chemical Club of Philadelphia held its first golf outing of the season at the Llanerch Country Club in suburban Philadelphia, on May 25. All members of the local industry, together with many out-of-town members and guests were invited and the affair proved unusually successful with 65 golfers improving their practice over this tricky and picturesque course. The weather was ideal. A banquet was served at the Clubhouse in the evening, at which there was a record attendance of 78 members and guests. Lyman S. Lloyd, of Alex C. Fergusson Co., club president, was master of ceremonies. Many worthwhile prizes for winners in the various low net and gross classes, blind handicap, as well as souvenirs and drawing prizes, were distributed.
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