THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK C & E N REPORTS: American P u l p w o o d Association and Technical Association o f the Pulp and P a p e r Industry, Annual Meetings
Atomic Energy M a y Revolutionize Pulp and Paper Industry Waste pulping liquors may be more valuable than cellulose fiber, pulpwood representatives told NEW ι OR k.—Through the use of atomicenergy and other products of the labora tory, mobile pulping units may go into the forest, take the whole trees—needles, twigs, branches, leaves, bark, and roots— and pulverize them on the spot. This is the vision of Lincoln R. Thiesmeyer, president of the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada, who spoke before the American Pulpwood Association, meet ing here the week of Feb. 18, contempo raneous with meetings of t h e Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Indus try (TAPPI). Separated in a powerful centrifuge, Dr. Thiesmeyer said, the various fractions could then b e blown into tank trucks, or even into overland pipelines, fhiidized with air, and conducted into a battery of units resembling an oil refinery. There
they could be processed into a host of products not now made by the pulp and paper industry. This, he continued, would revolutionize the paper industry and help to get the most amount of wood out at the lowest possible cost. Moreover, use of radioisotope tracers would permit closer study of how trees get their nourishment and convert it into cellulose fiber. In ad dition, he said that "atomic cocktails" could well be used to prevent fire, and combat insects and diseases which do away with more timber than does the entire pulpwood industry. New methods of cooking, and refining of pulps to increase yield of useful fiber are under intensive study, Thiesmeyer reported. In fact, the industry is seri ously considering assurances of the wood chemist that there are values in the waste
liquors from a chemical pulping operation that may far exceed those of cellulose fiber. N e w plants to extract vanillin are multiplying, he observed, and the day is not remote when the industry "will use everything, including the leaves and needles—perhaps even t h e smells. There may evolve a revolutionary new way of making paper and board. Chemical Debarking. Principal chemi cals used and experimented with in chemical debarking of trees are sodium arsenite, sodium hydroxide, ammonium sulfumaU». 2,4-D (ester) and 2,4,5-T, and monochloroacetic acid it was stated in a panel discussion. It was the consensus of opinion that the arsenic compound works best, making for the fastest kill of the trees, and providing for the easiest peeloff of the bark. When the arsenite is used, the trees die so fast that the leaves do not even drop off, as with most chemi cal killers. With sodium arsenite, a 4 0 % solution may be regarded as standard, but the re search points to the least concentrations possible for sake o f wildlife and the men who handle the logs. Apparently no re search has been conducted so far to ascer tain how much, if any, poison carries through to the pulp or finished paper. Some 50,000 cords of softwood received chemical debarking treatment last year, it was reported, with probably double that amount in prospect for 1952.
Water Treatment
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^αίικηβ w h e n you use
T i t e f l e y FILTERS H e r e ' s h o w y o u S a v e T i m e : The Titeflex backwash system cleans out all residue automatically in approxi mately 2 0 minutes without manual labor. H e r e ' s h o w y o u S a v e M a t e r i a l s : Permanent filtering elements support cake. There is no need for costly re placements such as bags, pads, sheets, etc. T h e s e Titeflex features, plus many others, add up to genuinely efficient lower-cost nitration . . . an easier method of handling a difficult mechanical problem. Get the complete Titeflex story!
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Τ Ι Τ Ε F LE Χ , 1 Ν C $30 FRELINGHUrSEN AVENUE Ν EWARK 5, NEW JERSEY
886
CHEMICAL
Activated Silica. At a TAPPI session on water, it was stated that the activation of sodium silicate with chlorine on a con tinuous basis has been found successful, saturated chlorine water being added to full strength sodium silicate. The com bination is air mixed and aged in the same chamber, and t h e activated silica removed by an ejector. The water used to operate the ejector serves as dilution water. Activated silica, thus prepared, has been used to replace a glue formula in the operation of a Sveen-Pedersen Saveall for one year, said A. E. Griffin, of Wallace & Tiernan Co. Ozone Purification. Recent develop ments have shown ozone to b e an ex tremely effective means of removing tastes, odors, and color from water, ac cording to Victor Hahn of Welsbach Corp. An ozone process for the destruction of phenols in industrial wastes appears to be the most efficient and economical means for reduction of phenol concentrations to the very low values required by govern mental stream standards. It is also being used for oxidation of mercaptans in liquid wastes and for treatment of sewage gases to prevent atmospheric odor nuisances. Since ozone decomposes to ordinary oxy gen in storage, it must b e generated at the consuming plant. Air or oxygen is com pressed, dried, and passed through a spe cial type of electrical discharge to form ozone.
AND
FNGINEERING
NEWS
p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde
PKOPEK7VES Pink powder with α faint, pleasant odor Melting point . Ζ I
N o w available ία comnierciaî ψ&&* tîties, p*KYDROXVBENZAE.Ï>îiHYDB êsads exceMeot esse m mafciag Asissic Afdehyâè â s d «5ï!b££-âiïii CÎWÇSMCÎÎÎ for && pÏR&rinaceueicar aad pet*
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SOLUBIUTY (approximate) grams per 100 grams solvent, at 25°C.)
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Acetone Alcohol Benzene Carbon tetrachloride Ether Methanol
70 Very soluble 4 Insoluble 18 90
Water W a t e r (at 8 0 ° C )
1 V e r y soluble
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p-HYDROXYBENZALDEHYDE The Dow Chemical Company Fine Chemical Sales Midland, Michigan
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Company Address — City
VOLUME
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3 0, N O .
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THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK some capital expenditures and technical skill b e y o n d the present requirements of the average paper mill. They have pre ferred that market pulp mills use this "superb" bleaching process in mass pro duction to meet the paper mill needs for an ultra-strong, high-white w o o d pulp. CIO2 Production. T h e manufacture and use of chlorine dioxide, from the pulp mill standpoint, was described b y E. Kest ing, Elektrochemische Werke, Munich, Germany, w h o said that in his manufac turing process it can be made from hydro chloric acid, water, and electric current. T h e carrier for the oxygen needed in the oxidation o f the hydrochloric acid is a solution of sodium chlorate, which con tinuously circulates between the dioxide reactor and an electrolytic cell for fortifi cation. Except for initial charges, neither sodium chlorate nor sodium chloride have to be purchased, nor are there waste products. T h e process is continuous and exceptionally well suited for automaticcontrol. Hence the cost of the chlorine dioxide process approaches hypochlorite chlorine, measured on an active basis. Though chlorine dioxide is subject to explosive reactions with almost any oxidizable matter, safe and efficient ways have been found for its manufacture and handling, Kesting said. U p to date, it is necessary t o make it at the place of appli cation. Tall OH. Optimum temperature for the
Acetylation Rote. A test that evaluates the acetylatability of pulps in terms of over-all reaction rate, rate of degradation of the cellulose acetate being produced, and rate of disappearance of filter plug ging particles from the acetylation mix ture was described b y R. C. Blume of D u Pont. These factors are determined accurately b y periodic examination of the acetylating mixture during t h e later stages of an isothermal, sulfuric acid-catalyzed, low consistency acetylation reaction. Re sults of this work disclosed that products from prehydrolysis-sulfatc and ammoniabase sulfite pulping of aspen could b e acetylated with equal ease, provided t h e proper combination of bleaching steps are chosen. Two sulfite and two sulfate pulps, puri fied by hot alkaline extraction, were acetylated satisfactorily at an industrial laboratory and made into yarn, which w a s as strong as yarn made from a commercial pulp of acetylation grade, F . A. Simmonds of the Forest Products Laboratory, Madi son, Wis., declared. Chlorine Bleaching. Despite prejudices and fears, chlorine dioxide bleaching can today be a very useful, flexible process for use in the paper mill, said H. R. Murdock, a consultant of Atlanta. T o o often, paper makers are undecided as to whether chlorine dioxide bleaching is economically adaptable to paper mill operations. Many believe that the process requires burden
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FOUR ESSENTIAl AMINO ACIDS IN ONE PRODUCT
R. B . Wolf, consultant, presents t h e TAPPI medal to R. S. Hatch df t h e H u d son Pulp & Paper Gô., Palatka, F i a . esterification of tall oil with glycerol is around 275° C , said Robert S; Aries of Robert S. Aries Associates. Catalysts m a y quicken the action at t h e start b u t offer no advantage where l o w . acid numbers (around 5 ) are desired. T h e fatty acids are almost completely esterified before t h e rosin acid esterification becomes appreciable. Very little reaction occurs with t h e rosin acids until a temperature of 190° to 200° C. is reached. A temperature of 275° C. is needed to esterify t h e rosin acids to a l o w acid number. The amount of rosin acids in t h e tall, oil has very little effect on the rate of esterification, and t h e extent of decarboxylation of the tall oil does not become appreciable until about 300° C. Plea for Scientists. Speaking at t h e annual luncheon of TAPPI, Walter J. Murphy, editor of A M E R I C A N C H E M I C A L
STA-MINO Type Β
jg A Refined Mixture of Naturally Occurring Amino Acids (L-forms) PROXIMATE
ANALYSIS
(Subject to slight natural and manufacturing variables.)
L-leucine L-lsoleueine L-Mefhionine ^Phenylalanine
75% 13% 8% 3%
Packed in fibre d r u m s . A v a i l a b l e in q u a n t i t i e s f r o m 1 lb. t o t o n lots.
A. E. STALEY MFG. CO, Market
Dept.
888
Development
Department
CN-3, Decatur, Illinois
CHEMICAL
SOCIETY publications, m a d e a plea for greater recognition of t h e skills o f scientists and technologists w h e n mobilizing manpower for defense, so that these valuable men would not b e wasted in their country's service. Private Smith, with a rifle over his shoulder in the infantry, will be safer if the technically skilled men are left in the laboratories and pilot plants to protect him by modern advanced types of warfare, he said. Russia is going all out for developing scientists and technologists, he said, nor did Russia draft these skilled men in World War II as w e did. Even now, that country is probably training more scientists and technologists than t h e United States, he commented. The shortage here of technical men is far more serious than in certain chemicals. T h e present scarcity is due in large measure to the short-sightedness in selective service policies during World War II—"a terrible blunder that may yet be the chief cause of losing every semblance of democracy in t h e future. The United States is the only major power to follow such a suicidai policy." The
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ENGINEERING
NEWS
Sulphur Thousands of tons mined daily, but where does it all go?
T
HE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE reports that in 1 9 5 0 some 3 3 6 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 acres of land in the United States were under crop cultivation. That's a lot of a c r e a g e .
But where, you might ask, is the connection with Sulphur? Fertilizer, to take just one phase of agriculturally-used chemicals in which Sulphur was used either as a component part or as a processing element! Superphosphate, the base o f the most widely used manufactured fertilizer, requires about 2 0 0 pounds of Sulphur for every ton produced» Consideration of the vast tonnage of fertilizer used in agriculture — a n d dosages range from a few pounds to a ton or more per acre — gives a n idea of the overall requirement of Sulphur for this one division of. industry. And to fertilizer you have to a d d all the insecticides a n d fungicides which are either sulphur derivatives or have used sulphur compounds in their preparation. Agriculture is just one of the many destinations of great tonnages of Sulphur. Photograph
obove shows our loading
dock at Galveston,
Texas
Texas Gull S u l p h u r Co. 75 East 4 5 t h Street, N e w York 17, Ν . Υ. Mines: Newgulf a n d Moss Bluff, TexasV O L U M E
3 0,
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THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK speaker admitted that selective service had improved so ewhat along this line today—at least when it obtains scientists, it tries to place them in work related to their experience, but it still has far to go towards improvement. Diminishing Engineers. Although in 1950 about 50,000 engineers were gradu ated from technical schools, this will diminish to between 12,000 to 17,000 b y 1954. One trouble has been false infor mation put out by the Department of Labor to the effect that there would b e a surplus of technologists, which has caused guidance personnel in high schools to advise against sueh education. The number of technical personnel now needed by the Department of Defense is 4 3 % of the entire national supply, which will have increased this year to 5 2 % . When personnel for atomic energy is added, this amounts to 6 5 % , thus robbing private industry to that extent. The AEC program will need 5000 more scientists and technologists, it is estimated. The public iteelf must b e educated as to the value of the scientist. Moreover, agitation for sparing the scientist from the rifle should come from the public itself, rather than from those more intimately involved. A national committee should be given power to handle deferment problems of the scientists and technologists. Dr. Murphy concluded.
Proof of Additives' Safety M a y Shift to Industry C&EN REPORTS: Institute o f Food Technologists. Southern California Section, An· nual Conference PASADENA.—Physicians, pharmacologists, and physiologists are unable t o keep up in establishing the long-range toxicity of t h e increasing number o f pesticides, preserva tives, surface-active agents, and other sub stances whose utility value in food pro duction has been demonstrated. These statements were included in comments b y Arthur A. Dickcrmann, attorney, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, in the din ner address of the annual conference of t h e Southern California section of the Institute of Food Technologists held here Feb. 16. Substances are usually added to fopds in an endeavor t o make them more pleasing in appearance, palatable, or nutritious, or to meet other consumer criteria, Mr. Dickermann said. H e added that there can b e no doubt but that t h e food industry as a whole is continually striving to improve its product to meet consumer standards. It is the fringe operator, chiefly interested in profit and who has neither the time nor resources for adequate investigation, w h o is likely to incorporate substances before
. . . concentrated . . . economical to use Stannochlor is stannous chloride in its most economical form. A stable, anhydrous material, Stannochlor does not deteriorate with age—permits low-cost large-quantity purchasing. Solutions of Stannochlor, too, can be stored for long periods of time without clouding—without loss of stannous conteat. Because it contains n o water of crystallization, Stannochlor is more concentrated—goes further. A pound o f Stannochlor does the work of one and a quarter pounds of hydrated stannous chloride. Besides a wide variety of proven commercial applications—including use as an ami-sludging agent in lube oils, a stabilizer in soaps and perfumes, and for immersion and electrotinning—Stannochlor is a powerful reducing agent. Write for data on Stannochlor and antimony chemicals.
and ask for information
on other
tin
METAL & THERMIT CORPORATION S52e&xzéaz&
