840
T H E J O U R N A L OF I A T D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y .
man's1 method was used for the determination of tannin. Moisture was estimated by drying i n vacuo over sulfuric acid a t room temperature. The determination of wax was made incident to securing the solutions necessary for the determination of the total resins The extract obtained by extracting the hops with ether was, after the evaporation of the ether, taken up with alcohol and the wax, which is insoluble in this solvent, was collected on a tared filter, COMPOSITION O F
HOPS, AIR-DRIED
AT
ing table. I n order t o afford a n accurate means of comparison, the amounts of wax, tannin and the different resins have been calculated t o the dry matter. The results indicate that there was little if any change in the composition of the hops during the kilndrying process. It will be noted t h a t excepting samples za and z b , the amount of hard resin is slightly greater in the air-dried samples, a result which may be due t o the variation in different samples. There was
ROOMTEMPERATURE AND KILN-DRIED AT 145' FAHR,
Composition of dry matter.
No. la
Ib 2a
2b 3a 3b 4a 4b Sa 56 6a 66 7a 7b
DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE. 1910 crop. Kiln-dried from yard of T. A. Livesly, Salem, Ore.. ..... Air-dried, corresponding to la................................ Kiln-dried from yard of H. Hirschberg, Independence, Ore.. ..... Air-dried, corresponding to 2a ................ Kiln-dried, from yard of E. C1 ependence, Ore.., . Air-dried, corresponding to 3a.. .............................. Kiln-dried from yard of F. S. Air-dried, corresponding to 4a Kiln-dried, from yard of Krebs Bros., Independence, Ore.. ....... Air-dried, corresponding to Sa................................ 1911 crop. Kiln-dried, from yard of H. Hirschberg, Independence, Ore., Air-dried, corresponding to 6a................................ Kiln-dried, from yard of E. Clemens Horst, Independence. Ore. , Air-dried, corresponding to 7a................................
...
.... .
thoroughly washed with alcohol, dried a t room temperature and weighed. Owing to the small amount of volatile oil present and the consequent difficulty of making a quantitative estimation, the determination of this constituent was omitted and simply the physical examination made for aroma. Only whole, unbroken hop cones were used in making the analyses. Theresults of the analyses are givenin the accompany-
I
Moisture. 5.14 6.42 4.33 4.65 4.41 5.72 5.44 4.75 5.60 4.80
Total resins. 20.11 21.09 20.92 20.27 19.33 19.82 17.37 16.51 19.40 19.36
Total soft bitter resins. 18.22 19.02 19.32 18.72 18.56 18.84 16.35 15.16 17.62 17.27
5.60 4.85 5.85 7.00
10.08 19.45 20.59 20.62
17.57 17.49 19.17 19.00
COMBINATION OF THE CONTACT PROCESS WITH THE ORDINARY LEAD CHAMBER OR TOWER SYSTEMS; AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID.2 B y WILLIAMWILKE.
Since the introduction of the Contact System as a practical method for making sulphuric acid, it has been usually regarded a s simply a competitor of the older chamber or tower systems. It may be of interest t o bring before you a system in which the Contact function is combined with the chamber system, giving a successful working method that shows economies and advantages not generally appreciated but very worthy of attention. Sometime ago I was called upon t o construct a chemical works which should be thoroughly equipped for the manufacture of mineral acids-the main problem involved being the construction of a plant wherein sulphuric acid of the various commercial grades and concentrations could be manufactured in the most economical way. My clients had already a n installation of the Contact Process licensed under U. S. Patents Jmr. of Inst. of B r a i n @ ,13, 646 (1907). Paper presented at the Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry, New York, September, 1912. 1
Percentages.
Soft resins. Hard (gamma) resin. 1.89 2.07 1.60 1.55 0.77 0.98 1.02 1.35 1 .78 2.09 1.51 1.96 1.42 1.62
Beta resin. 11.18 11.53 12.02 12.84 12.98 12.50 11.73 10.51 12.12 11.11
Alpha resin. 7.04 7.49 7.30 5.88 5.58 6.34 5.64 6.00 5.50 6.16
Tannin. 2.50 2.55 2.31 1.98 1.83 2.42 2.13 1.97 2.36 2.60
Wax. 0.31 0.26 0.44 0.49 0.48 0.43 0.40 0.39 0.47 0.47
11.73 11.06 13.59 13.53
5.84 6.43 5.58 5.47
3.60 3.64 2.76 3.14
0.45 0.45 0.44 0.44
evidently little if any change in the amounts of tannin and wax, considering the possible variation in separate samples. A physical examination showed t h a t the difference in the aroma of the air-dried and the kilndried samples was hardly perceptible, different judges varying somewhat in their opinions. CHEMICALLABORATORY, AGRICULTVRAL EXPERIMENT STATION, CORVALLIS,OREGON.
LABORATORY AND PLANT
2
Nov., 1912
I
of the Verein Chemischer Fabriken in Mannheim, for the production of strong acid, and the question arose whether we could economically and profitably reduce this highly concentrated acid t o lower strengths. I n calculating the cost we had t o take into consideration the license fee and other fixed charges, and it was found in the end that it was impossible to do this. There was, however, a market for Chamber acid ; consequently i t was thought possible to combine the Contact Process with the Chamber Process and attain the end in view. As a result of the study of conditions, a plant was designed as shown in the illustration. I n order t o be independent of the constant variations in the pyrites market and the possible scarcity of pyrite fines, the plant was so designed that lump ore as well as fines could be roasted, the burning capacity finally adopted being 24,000 lbs. fines and 36,000 lbs. lump ore. Thirtysix lump burners were installed, each able t o handle from goo t o 1200 lbs. ore daily, and four standard Herreshoff fines burners. The gases from the fines burners were conducted into a flue situated above the flue of the lump burners and provided with a number of baffle walls t o
Nov.,
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y .
1912
catch some of the dust. The gases of the lump burners and fines burners were united and conducted into the patented iron-oxide-contact-shaft, similar to the contact process chamber of the Verein Chemischer Fabriken. I n order t o regulate the draft on the fines burners, a separate exhaust fan was installed t o draw
Fine burners. Small dust chamber. Exhausters with electric motors. Lump burners. E. Iron-oxide-contact-shaft. A. B. C. D.
BUFFALO,
various state laws fixing a standard for butter-fat in both creamery and renovated-butter, there is a demand for a simple field test, such a s might be used in any creamery or by any state or federal officer engaged in the inspection of butter. The following test is not to be considered as taking
F. Glover tower. G. Chambers. H. Intermediate towers. I . Gay-Lussac towers. K . Exit from Gay-Lussac tower.
the gases from the fines burners and deliver them into the flue over the lump burners. A second exhaust fan was installed between the iron-oxide-contact-shaft and the Glover tower, which took the sulphurous gases after they had undergone conversion, t o the extent of 30 per cent., into SO, b y the iron-oxide-contactshaft and forced them through the Glover tower into the chamber system. The combination of the two very distinct processes into one system gave most excellent results. It was found t h a t : I . The capacity of the chamber plant was increased at least 30 per cent. 2. The conversion of SO, t o SO, in the iron-oxidecontact-shaft averaged about 30 per cent. 3. At the same time the acid produced in the Glover tower was water-white. 4. The iron oxide eliminated 95 per cent. of the arsenic carried by the gases leaving the roaster sand flues. Finally i t was proved that the total production of the chamber system could easily be concentrated t o 60' BaumC or higher in the Glover tower. Such satisfactory results are all attributable to the introduction of the iron-oxide-contact-shaft between the burners and the Glover tower; in other words, t o the suitable combination of the contact and the lead chamber processes. The iron-oxide-contact-shaft retards the dust and is the best known means of keeping dust from getting into the chamber system; it is an accumulator of heat and acts as a n equalizer on any system, such as that described, enabling the operator of the plant to carry out the process more uniformly; it saves 30 per cent. of the niter consumed in the ordinary plant, on account of the conversion of the catalytic action. Since constructing the above described plant, the iron-oxide-contact-shaft has been introduced in other existing chamber plants with equally good results. SEW YORK.
A SIMPLE TEST FOR THE DETERMINATION OF BUTTERFAT IN BUTTER. JAMES M. DORAK. Received August 15, 1912.
BY
At the present time, owing to the federal and the
84 1
L. Baffle-walls in upper flue of lump burners. M. Cleaning doors in upper flue of lump burners.
the place of the chemical method of determining butter-fat in butter, but merely as a control test or to be used b y an officer in a preliminary examination. It has several advantages that commend i t as a field test : I . The apparatus is cheap and simple and may be purchased from any supply house. 2. It is portable. 3. There is no weighing of sample. 4. The only reagent used, gasoline, can be obtained sufficiently pure practically everywhere and a t little expense. The outfit consists
of: I. A simple hand centrifuge such as is used in urine analysis or milk analysis. It can be clamped t o any table or support. 2. Several accurately graduated 15 cc. sedimentation tubes. 3. Some gasoline of good quality. The procedure is as follows: The sample of butter, taken with a trier or otherwise, is first warmed to about I O O ~ F. and thor=!+ oughly stirred t o in- HANDCENTRIFUGE, SINGLESPEED('/" Sure the m8ss being ACTUAL SIZE) AND SEDIMENTATION TUBE.
uniform. About I O cc. of the sample is placed in the sedimentation tube and whirled in the centrifuge for a few seconds. The sample should be sufficiently liquid in order to insure a good reading after being whirled in the centrifuge. After reading the amount of the sample on the tube scale, about 5 cc. of gasoline is added and the tube carefully inverted two or three times, holding the thumb or finger over the top of the tube. Let the solution of fat and gasoline drain a few seconds before removing the finger.
