Aug., 1 9 r j
T H E JOl-RS.1L OF I S D C S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
consumer or owner shall be furnished the manufacturer, the notification to state that the explosive did not meet the tolerance requirements for moisture or ingredients. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
MOISTURE, to be fixed by a sliding scale of from 1.5 per cent a t zero to 4 per cent a t I O per cent of moisture in original sample, this tolerance being on total percentage of moisture in the ex-
plosive. OTHER INGREDIENTS (or their equivalents) in quantities not exceeding 60 per cent, according to attached curve. For ingredients in quantities of 60 per cent or more, the tolerance shall be plus or minus 3 per cent: Prozided, that the ingredients of a permissible explosive shall be considered to be those substances reported as found by the Bureau of Mines in the original sample of that explosive submitted for test as to its permissibility; and Pvozided further, that an equivalent shall be considered to be a substance which would not materially alter the properties of the explocive and which would produce the same result as the original substance. PRODUCTS OF CoRfBGsTIoN (determined by Bichel gauge test) : The volume of poisonous gases from 680 grams of the explosive including its wrapper must be less than 158 liters, except that in case the first test yields 158 liters or more of poisonous gases per 680 grams of the explosive (including its wrapper), the average result of three tests agreeing within j per cent of each other shall be taken and no explosive shall remain permissible when this average for poisonous gases exceeds the above standard limit. PHYSICAL TESTS
717
Powder Company, Wilmington, Delaware. The bureau was represented by Van. H. Manning, $cting Director, Dr. Charles E. Munroe, consulting explosives engineer, George A. Hulett, consulting chemist, S. P. Howell and C. G. Storm, explosives chemists. THE RISE IN PRICES IN THE GERMAN CELLULOID INDUSTRY According to the Berliner Tageblat, because of the rise in cost of the raw products of the celluloid industry towards the beginning of November, especially of Japanese camphor and Chili saltpeter, the manufacturers were forced to raise their prices considerably. While synthetic camphor offers a substitute for the Japanese article, unfortunately the manufacture of synthetic nitric acid has not progressed to a point where it affords the necessary supply. The celluloid manufacturers were caught entirely unprepared, with the result that they bought up all the available raw products on the market, forcing prices still higher. Although i t was known a t the outbreak of the war that these raw products would be liable to seizure by the government for the army, exact information on this point was not to be had, and this also affected prices. While some qualities could have stood a slight rise in price, the hundred per cent increase demanded was out of the question for most consumers, and many canceled the orders they had already given. Since celluloid is chiefly used in the manufacture of luxuries rather than necessities, economic conditions also tended to cut down the demand for it. The great falling off in demand must eventually bring down to some extent the price of the raw materials.
RATE OF DETONATIOS (the average of three trials with Mettegang's recorder) : plus or minus 15 per cent. UNIT DEFLECTIVE CHARGE (the average of three trials with the ballistic pendulum) : plus or minus I O per cent. GRAMS OR WRAPPER per 100 grams of explosive (average of four determinations): Plus or minus 2 . 0 grams; Provided, that the manufacturers shall submit samples of all different sized cartridges, to be considered as part of the original sample, the amount of wrapper to be determined for each size of sample; and, Proaided further, that the tolerances as suggested shall be made in comparison with the various diameters as 'submitted with the original sample. APPARENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY of cartridge, by sand (average of four determinations): plus or minus 7.5 per cent; Provided, that actual density shall be determined on cartridges of the same diameter as the standard, and, Provided further, that manufacturers shall be required to submit samples of all sizes. GAS A N D DUST, GALLERY NO. I . No ignition must be obtained in each of one or more trials. Note: In the retesting of permissible explosives by tests I , 3, and 4, the charges of the explosives fired will be reduced I O per cent in weight from the weights originally used in order to eliminate any likelihood of a failure being due to the natural variations in the gallery conditions. PENDULUM FRICTION TEST: Each explosive must pass a test of ten trials under the same conditions as originally tested, except that the height of fall of the wood fiber shoe will be reduced by I O per cent in order to eliminate any likelihood of a failure being due to the natural variations in test conditions. The following persons were present a t the conference: John H. Feeman and Willard Young, Atlas Powder Company, Wilmington, Delaware; G. R. McAbee and C. T.Crone, McAbee Powder & Oil Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.; W. H. Blumenstein, W. H. Blumenstein Chemical Works, Pottsville, Pa.; W. C. Anderson and J. S. Burton, Burton Powder Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.; A. M. Comey, E. I. du Pont de Nemours Powder Company, Wilmington, Delaware; and Herbert "alley, Hercules
ENGLAND'S TRADE IN MAY, 1915 The British Board of Trade report for the month of May shows imports into the British Isles of $358,022,000, against $299,950,000. Exports were $198,090,000. compared with $21o,255,000 last year. The increase in the value of imports was due largely to gains in food, drink, and tobacco, amounting to $40,580,000; cotton, $13,685,000; manufactured iron and steel increased $1,395,000. Other metals and their manufactures increased $3,14g,ooo. The largest decreases in exports were $II,IOO,OOO in manufactured cotton, $7, j80,ooo in machinery, $4,490,000 in coal and coke, and $ 4 , 2 r o , o o o in iron, steel, and the manufactures thereof. England's imports and exports by months during the past year compare with one year ago as follows: IMPORTS EXPORTS 1915 1914 1915 1914 May ... .... , , . 871,604,400 €59,990,000 E39,618,000 €51,421,577 April.. , . , . 73,678,288 61,626,830 42,126,787 50,736,066 Mar.. . . . . . . . . . 75,982,845 67,339,845 39,829,000 54,171,870 65,265,744 62,050,744 36,405,778 51,490,778 Feb... . . . . Jan ............ 67.401.006 68,005,009 35.143.057 57,403,108 1914 1913 1914 1913 Dee. . 67,100,000 71,111,857 36,055,000 53,055,443 Nov . . . . 55,900,918 68,480,918 32,606,807 52,/56,807 Oct. , . . 51,562,000 11,732,893 38,158,000 56,178,843 45,056,086 61.359.086 33,527,877 49,277,877 Sept.. . . . . . . . . Aug , . . . . . . . . . . 42,362,034 55,975.704 28,631,104 52,261,228 July. . . . . ,.. 59,383,792 61.i83.683 52,231,296 55,475,551 June. . . . ,. 58,272,042 58,309,519 48,626,410 51,377,685
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AMERICAN STEEL RAILS The American Iron'and Steel Institute reports that the production of steel rails in the United States declined last year to I , 9 4 5 , 0 9 5 tons-the smallest production for any year since 1908. The contraction of the output in 1914 as compared with that of 1913 was no less than 1 , 5 5 j , o o o tons, or 44 per cent. The yearly production has been as follows during the decade ending with 1914 inclusive:
