EQUIPMENT Solar Furnaces for Research Low cost equipment designed high tern perature studies O UHPIAS military searchlight mirrors are the heart of A r t h u x D. Little's solar furnace for research laboratories. With the current design, materials can b e exposed to temperatures as high as 3500° C. over a circular area 0.6 c m . in diameter. The unit, first in LI series of AIDL high temperature research apparatus (C&EN, Feb. 4, 1957", page 7 ) , is ex pected to find wide? application in metallurgical and ceramic research, primarily in refractory and crystal growing experiments. It is designed for basic studies of t l i e general chemi cal behavior of systems at high tem peratures. This furna.ee, unlike carbon are equipment, d o e s not have any problem of contamina.tioii from sample containers or furnace walls—heat is re flected and concentrated, a n d t h e sam ple container is the sample itself.
to aid
fundamental
The high temperature area can be sharply defined and the temperature accurately controlled, according to Peter E. Glaser, in charge of the solar furnace development. Temperature and heat flux are measured by insert ing instruments through the viewing port at the back of the reflector. This viewport allows the operator to study the sample visually while it is under intense heat or to record the process on film—often a great aid in a research study. Key item in the furnace is a 60-in.diameter parabolic mirror, made of copper, with the front reflecting sur face coated with Stellite. To obtain an irradiated sample area larger than 0.6 cm. diameter, a bigger mirror must be used—this costs too much for the usual research laboratory. The sample moving mechanism is
Key t o Arthur D . Little's solar furnace is the use of surplus 60 in. military searchlight mirrors. Here, furnace developer Peter E. Glaser tracks the sun 84
C & E N FEB.
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195 7
made of aluminum set in a mechan ically rigid device held to very close tolerance and has a minimum frontal area to help reduce shadowing loss. The sample can be moved in direc tions parallel to the three coordinates, and the mechanism can b e rotated 180 degrees for sample insertion. Two motors rotate the parabolic re flector around the horizontal and ver tical axes. The sun is tracked man ually by sighting it in a collimating tube; potentiometers correct the basictracking speed of the motors moving the reflector. A shutter mechanism interposed be tween the sample and the sun controls heating cycle duration. Automatic sun tracking and temperature control de vices are available. The entire furnace, except for the mirror, is made of alu minum and stainless steel, and is built on order. Basic price is $14,500. The unit heats quickly, but naturally requires fairly strong sunlight. A very clear day, generally in winter, is best. Next in the series of ADL high tem perature equipment is a unit using re flected heat from a high intensity arcsource and able to heat a sample to 6000 3 C If current plans materialize, this unit will be readv within t h e next year. Ε1
Atom' lattery A tiny atomic battery has been de veloped jointly by Walter Kidde Nu clear Laboratories and Elgin National Watch Co. The battery is about the same size as the head of a t h u m b tack yet has a power output of 20 micro watts when new and should give power continuously for some five years. The battery gets its energy from promethium-147, waste product of nu clear fission. Beta particles from the promethium are absorbed by a phos phor containing cadmium sulfide or mixtures of cadmium and zinc sulfides. The phosphor converts the energy to red and infrared light, which is cap tured by silicon photocells and changed to electricity. T h e prototype battery uses about 4 1 /L» curies of promethium (about 5 mg. of Pm 2 O tS ) and about 50 mg. of phosphor. The phosphor particles, be tween 10 and 50 microns in diameter, are coated with Pm L ,0 ;{ ; t h e coated phosphor particles are then encased in transparent plastic. Each face of this light source is then covered either with one circular photocell or two semi circular photocells. Because promethium-147 is very ex pensive (around $500 a curie) and relatively scarce, the atomic batteries are not in commercial production. However, AEC has indicated that there will be more promethium-147 later
this year a n d t h a t at that time the price is expected to drop to about 50 cents a curie. Ε2
Another Alloy Another high t e m p e r a t u r e nickel al-! loy—this one called Incoloy T—has been developed by International Nickel. Widest use foreseen for t h e new metal is in highly stressed parts of jet engine combustion systems, Inco predicts. Incoloy Τ is similar in makeup to In coloy nickel-chromium-iron alloy and has in addition a b o u t 1% titanium. It is produced as a sheet material designed to operate at temperatures u p to 1400° F.—in some cases even higher. Cyclic oxidation tests at 1600° F . show Incoloy Τ to h a v e about the same oxidation resistance as Incoloy. In both cases, test specimens gain weight because t h e oxide film adheres tightly to the surface. In addition to its expected use in combustion systems, Incoloy Τ may find future applications in airframe parts for the attack on t h e t h e r m a l barrier, ac cording to Inco. Ε3
G e o r g e Meckler, President The J a c r o y C o m p a n y
"Formulating Symphony Brand Paints with Colton FLEXBOND 800 has enabled us to give our customers a better paint for less money/' says G e o r g e Meckler, President The Jacroy Company
Paints designed for the popularprice market are specialties of The Jacroy Co., Bedford, Ohio, and Jacroy Canada, Ltd. As the result of being formulated with Flexbond 800, Jacroy's Symphony Brand Paints now enjoy increased sales . . · with customers coming back for more. Flexbond 800, finest of Copolymer Acetate Emulsions, adds the built-in features of quality paints—outstanding film integrity, scrub resistance, sheen uniformity, easy brushing and package stability—at minimum cost. Colton representatives will be happy to go over with you the Daniel-Litter Laboratories report showing the superiority of Colton Flexbond 80O and to demonstrate the advantages of Flexbond 800 in your present paint formulations. Write Dept. Β 2
It's Almost All Plastic A p u m p with plastics used through out is being p r o d u c e d b y Sethco Mfg. Designed for use with either acid or alkaline electroplating solutions, it uses several types of plastic for its various parts. T h e p u m p itself has a polyethylene body and a H y p a l o n impeller. It has a filter c h a m b e r of rigid poly (vinyl chloride). This filter chamber con tains two D y n e l filter tubes; the Dynel is wound around cores of phenolic plastic. Other features include a phenolic linen-surface base panel and 20 ft. of vinyl hose with a strainer for the inlet hose. W i t h all these plastics, the p u m p can h a n d l e such materials as chromic, fluoboric, and nitric acids. The Dynel filter medium successfully filters solu tions of iron a n d lead fluoborate, ferric! chloride, silver nitrate, sodium hypo chlorite, and m a n y other solutions, Sethco claims. Driven b y a 1/4 h p . motor, the p u m p can handle from 50 to 300 gal. per hr. filtering out all particles larger than about 1 micron, according to Sethco. E4
• Multiwall sack with aluminum foil laminated to kraft p a p e r has been intro-l d u c e d by Hudson Pulp & Paper. Sackj is said to offer protection against mois t u r e vapor a n d to block the passage of odors and gases either in or out. Ε5
@M)
COLTON CHEMICAL COMPANY A Division of Air Reduction Company,
!nc. · 1 7 4 7 Chester Avenue, C l e v e l a n d 14, O h i o
Sales Offices and Warehouse Facilities Throughout U. S. EXPORT: Airco Company International, New York 17, Ν. Υ.
FEB.
II,
1957
C&EN
85
starting point for the finish with a future Uniformity and purity—these are the quality keynotes of Solvesso Toluol, and all Esso Petroleum Solvents. These are the solvents that set the standards throughout the surface coatings industry, assuring top-notch performance in all sorts of finishes. Their distribution through a highly developed supply system geared for peak efficiency a n d utilizing modern, proven handling methods, assures industry that these key materials are always immediately available for prompt delivery· You, too, will find that the "Starting Point for a Finish with a Future" is ordering E s s o Petro leum Solvents. Write or phone today! Esso Standard Oil Company, Inc., 15 West 51st Street, New York 19, Ν . Υ.
SOLVESSO TOLUOL SOLVESSO TOLUOL · SOLVESSO XYLOL · SOLVESSO 100 · SOLVESSO 150\ A FAMILY OF FOUR AROMATICS FOR ALL OF INDUSTRY'S REQUIREMENTS/ 86
C&EN
FEB. I I ,
1957
PETROLEUM
SOLVENTS
EQUIPMENT
Processing · « · • Heaters featuring rapid fuel change over a m o n g gas, light oil, heavy oil, and combined gas and light oil firing are being offered by Dravo. Units with fan motors from */ 2 h p . to 7 1 U h p . and air-heat ratios from 11,000 cu. ft. per min. to 16,000 cu. ft. per min. per 1 million B.t.u. per hr. are available. € 6 • Drum heater, by Acra Electric, is said to provide improved conduction for heating standard 55-gallon drums. At the high setting, unit is rated at 3000 watts. Ε7 t Granutator, distributed by Peerless Confectionary Equipment, is designed to handle powders and stiff pastes, in cluding low pressure polyethylene. TWO hollow cylindrical rotating gears draw the feed through the perforations that line the gears. Ε8
• Liquid filler for small containers, by North American Electric, controls the fill by a timer adjustable to 1 / 6 0 sec ond. Filling cycle is started b y arrival of the container at the filling head, actuating a switch. F l o w stops after the preset time of flow h a s elapsed. Ε 12
Fluid Handling . . ·
metering
control
system
which provides for automatic switch control at the meter of pumps and quantity control valves has been intro duced by Rockwell Mfg. With the system, a predetermined amount of liquid is fed, after which the valve is closed and pumps are shut off automatically. Ε 14 • High pressure quick disconnect, by
• U. S. Rubber has developed a plastic pipe fitting with a thin layer of plastic on a section of the inside wall. This layer makes the inner half of t h e fitting slightly smaller than t h e o.d. of the joining pipe. By applying a solvent base cement to both p i p e a n d fitting, the plastic layer is softened; t h e result ing joint has a positive weld. U. S. Rubber says this will greatly reduce leaking joints in plastic pipe installa tions. Ε 13
• Hering chlorine plant which pro duces chlorine electrolytically from a solution of common salt is now being distributed in this country by Epic, Inc. Unit is designed for treatment of water used for chemical reactions, cooling, and drinking. Small units are portable. E9
• Liquid
Hydromatics, can b e used safely to disconnect safely and quickly a line (Continued
ι | |
on page
106)
Further useful i n f o r m a t i o n on keyed Equipment items ment i o n e d is r e a d i l y a v a i l a b l e . . . Use handy coupon on page 88
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February 1 1 , 1 9 5 7
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• Shear-Flow industrial mixers* latest design modification is interchangeable mixing heads, says the manufacturer, G a b b Special Products. Spare mixing heads are available for all production models in three impeller sizes. Ε 10
Every week C&EN's editors survey a l a r g e volume of v a l u a b l e scien tific, technical, a n d business information issued in the form o f product announcements, booklets, catalogs, d a t a sheets, etc. This material is digested a n d presented in several departments. For your conven ience this coupon is provided to facilitate requests for further informa tion on these items as well as o n products and services mentioned in advertisements. -Position-
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