March, 1929
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEXISTRY
A study has been made in this" and other laboratories of the possibility of converting volatilized phosphoric acid into ammonium phosphate directly by passing ammonia gas into the treater in which phosphoric acid is precipitated. It has been found difficult, however, to control the addition of the ammonia to the system so as to give a product of the desired composition, and the method apparently offers no advantage Mer., 11 Ross. Men, and Carother., U. S. Pafent 1,194,077 (1918): Roes, and Carothers, U. S. Patent 1,284,200(1918).
289
over the procedure of collecting the acid and treating it with ammonia in separate operations. Consideraide attention has also been given to the direct preparation of ammonium phosphate from phosphate rock hy digesting with ammonium salts such as the sulfate and carbonate under Pressure.'2 Some sohtble phosphate is formed under these conditions, but the Percentage recovery is too small to offer much promise of commercial application. n Muckenberger, 2.morg. nligcm. Chcm.. 189, 81 (1928); Blumenberg,
U.S. Patent 1,638,677(1928).
Dissection of Wood Fibrils by Chemical Means' George J. Ritter
u. s. PoRssr PRODVCTS LABOsAToBY, MADISON. wrs. A previous paper* it was reported that fibers in hardT*Nwoods and tracheids in softwoods are comDosed of lavers. and that these layers are composed of fibhls. As a"p&
of the experimentation reported in that paper, the layers
and then the fibrils were separated by chemical means, in order to obtain the building units of the microstructure of the fibers by dissection in natural planes of cleavage. Since the manuscript of the earlier paper was sent to the publisher, it has been discovered that the fibrils themselves are in turn composed of tiny, natural building units and that these units can be separated by chemical means. The tiny units of which a fibril is cornposed are spindlelike in shape. They are arranged normally with their pointed ends overlapping slightly, thus forming a single, slender, threadlike structure (fibril) of a diameter approximately uniform throughout its entire length. It is not definitely known whether the units are held together by a cementing material that a d s similarly to the lignin between the wood fibers, but judging by the conditions required to separate the units, it does seem probable that such a. material is present.. In the experimentation now under consideration deligni1 Presented before the Division of CellularE Chemistry at the 76th Meetins of the American Chemical Society, Swampuott, Mars., September 10 t o 14, 192s. :Ritter, INo. EN$. Cnew.,20, 941 (1928).
Plate I-Threadllke structurellr In Mlddle Portion of Ob11 ue Flber Shows Flbrlla of Inner Layer %mrtly Loosened by Phosphoric A d d Treatment. 8w x
fied spruce and elm fibers were treated with 68 to 77 per cent nhosDhoric acid a t a tem&rature of 60" t o 65" C . f o r 15 to 20 minutes and then were examined with the aid of a microscope. In a large proportion of the fibers the fibrils had begun to separate into the spindlelike bodies that appear to be the smallest building units of the fibrils visible with the high power of themicroscope. The conditions (concentration of acid, t e m p e r a t u r e , and time) under which the fibrils of the two Plate 111-Separation of Cell-Wall species s e p a r a t e d Layers info Fibrils More Nearly Cominto t h e smaller plete than That of Plate 11. 800 X
Plate 11-Yarnllke Appeamnce of a Flber after Flbrils Have Been well Loosened. 800 X
Plate IV-"Fualform Bodlee" into Whlcb Fibrils Hare Been Separated. 1000
x
290
IND USTEIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
units were not identical. From work that is now being done on other species, in order to determine whether such units are common to all woods, it appears that the previous treatment of the fibers has an effect on the ease with which the fibrils may be dissected into the smaller units. Within the author’s knowledge, the units are newly dis-
Vol. 21, No. 3
covered bodies, which were separated and photographed for the first time in the investigation reported here. Hence, they have been given the descriptive name “fusiform bodies.” Progressive steps in the separation of the fibrils and the fusiform bodies are shown in the accompanying photomicrographs.
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARIES David Wesson
D
AVID WESSON has taken such a prominent part in the technical and professional advancement of our times that he seems to be an integral part of it. While the most social of men, he still has a personality and individuality which is all his own. I n this respect none of his contemporaries could take his place in our professional circles. He is characteristically American in his ancestry, education, and professional career. Born in Brooklyn, X. Y., in 1861, he received his primary education in the public schools and prepared for college in the, a t that time, very popular collegiate department of the Polytechnic I n s t i t u t e of Brooklyn. His technical education was obtained a t the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received the degree of bachelor of science in chemistry in 1883. Wesson’s first professionalengagement was with William Ripley h’ichols, professor of general chemistry and chemical philosophy a t Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as his assistant in connection with his work on water and air for the Massachusetts State Board of Health, as well as preparing and setting up his lecture experiments and assisting in laboratory c l a s s r o o m w o r k . Such work is almost equal t o a post-,graduate course. A year later he went to-work for t h e N. K. Fairbanks Company, of Chicago, and in this soap factory he started his lifelong specialty by working on soaps, lard oils, cottonseed oil, and other fats. I n 1890, David after six years’ service in Chicago, Wesson moved t o New York with the W. J. Wilcox Lard and Refining Company, a branch of the American Cotton Oil Trust, which had previously absorbed the N. K. Fairbanks Company. Then followed five years as chief chemist of the American Cotton Oil Company a t its Guttenberg, N. J., plant, where he had the opportunity of coming into contact with the fat and oil trade and also obtained valuable plant experience. In 1895 he resigned from the American Cotton Oil Company and organized the Wesson Manufacturing Company, a t Cortland, N. Y., for the manufacture of bicycles. Here in 1899 work was begun which resulted in the development of Wesson oil, which has added many million dollars t o the value of the cotton crop and constitutes one of the many developments of the chemist and chemical engineer which have so greatly enriched our country. For the purpose of developing the process, the Wesson Process Company was organized in 1899 with Wesson as the general manager and also chemist with the Southern Cotton Oil Company. I n the winter of 1900 sufficient progress had been made to warrant starting a n installation a t the plant of the Southern Cotton Oil Company at Savannah, Ga. Wesson’s chemical en-
gineering training and experience were utilized to overcome the manufacturing difficulties that were encountered, and the new product was soon put upon the market. Sixteen years had elapsed since Wesson first began the study of fats and oils, including cottonseed oil, and now the manufacture and sale of Wesson oil in ever increasing quantities has continued for twentyeight years since it was first produced. Mr. Wesson has continued his connection with the Southern Cotton Oil Company, as manager of the technical department from 1903 t o 1920 and as technical advisor since 1920. Theyears 1912 to 1913 were spent in starting refineries in Germany and England. While David Wesson is well known as an expert on the technology of fats and oils, he has also acquired a broad knowledge of the entire food industry and has not neglected t o keep pace with the developments and improvements in the growing field of chemical engineering. His earlier work in industrial chemistry was concerned chiefly with the improvement of the analytical methods in use in vegetable-oil refineries. I n 1887 he organized and operated the first a n a l y t i c a l laboratory for the systematic analysis of cottonseed-oil mill products. He also established physical auditing methods for cotton-oil-refining operations. I n connection with plant operations he made careful studies of the properties and utilization of fuller’s earth, hydrogenation of oils, and the manufacture of catalysts, rancidity and Wesson its causes, and the colorimetry of oils and fats. His chemical engineering work has included the design, construction, and operation of vegetable-oil refineries, both in this country and in England and Germany. Wesson’s publications have included numerous papers in INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY, Transactions of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, as well as various trade journals of the fat and oil industries. I n addition, he has made numerous addresses before chemical societies and trade associations. As a speaker he is animated and forceful and always interesting and instructive. He does not belong t o the class of chemists who have hidden their light under a bushel. Wesson has made a very material contribution t o the campaign of publicity which has helped so materially in educating the public concerning the economic value of chemistry. A sketch of David Wesson’s life would not be complete without some account of his more human qualities. He is the best and most congenial of companions with a keen sense of humor. His friends can always count on him for a few good stories or jokes. The sport he seems t o enjoy most is sailing. He is fond of roses and will expend infinite care in raising the finest varieties. He
