BEYOND THE FLYLEAF i^pipl
Acid-Base Catalysis. R. P. Bell. 211 pages. Oxford University Press, 114 Fifth Ave., New York, Ν. Υ., 1941. Price, $3.50. T H I S book gives a clear, concise, yet comprehensive survey of the present status of one of the classical sections of classical physical chemistry, the catalysis of a variety of reactions by acids and bases. Those who were schooled in the concepts of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions as well as those more modernly trained in the acidconjugate base concepts, developed largely by Brônsted, can read this volume with great profit. Every graduate student should know how this important aspect of quantitative physical chemistry has evolved as new measurements were achieved and as new concepts provided the spur to such measuring. It is understandable that younger authors and workers in this field should fail to appreciate the difficulties and perplexities
of those who were trying, prior to the 1914-1918 hiatus in academic science, to unravel the tangled skein of acid-base catalysis and who were using the, as we now know, mistaken concept of Arrhenius that the conductance of strong acids was due to a "degree of dissociation". Debye, Huckel, and Onsager smoothed the pathway of the later workers considerably, removing vital inhibitions. These circumstances might have induced the author to present conclusions reached in 1913—14 in the past tense rather than in the present tense (see pages 50-51); nor should one raise eyebrows excessively if an earlier worker guessed what ultimately proved to be the right form of the relation between catalytic constant and dissociation constant of an acid even when, of all the then available data, only four "can be regarded as approximately correct" (page 82). There are inaccuracies in the name index. The reviewer is credited there with several researches he never performed. The volume reveals how vitally the work
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carried out in the field of acid-base catalysis has contributed to the dissipation of the mists of uncertainty that surrounded the electrolytic dissociation theory from its very inception and which troubled Arrhenius even to his final years. Today Arrhenius would have great satisfaction could he have this book to read for he would see clearly the formulation of so many difficulties and problems that beset him, and would see more clearly the limitations of his own postulates. The young student approaching this field today, via this book, can learn a more intelligible and comprehensive formulation of acids and bases, in terms of proton donors and acceptors, with quantitative applications in aqueous and nonaqueous solutions. In the final chapters (VII-VIII) he can trace the best ideas as to mechanism of protolytic reactions, what the newer theories of chemical kinetics in terms of the potential energies of the reaction complex and what isotopic reactions have to contribute; finally, whether proton transfer may occur by other than classical collisional methods, whether chemical systems can "tunnel" through energy barriers in the way that radioactive atoms disintegrate or atoms may be disintegrated. Bell discusses this whole field in a critical, balanced, and impartial manner which cannot but help the reader to a more mature knowledge of the whole field of physicochemical science. HUGH S. TAYLOR
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The Technology of Natural Resins. C. L. Mantell, C. W. Kopf, J. L. Curtis, and Ε. Μ. Rogers. 1st ed. 506 pages + viL John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 440 Fourth Ave., New York, Ν. Υ.; Chap man & Hall, Ltd., London, 1942. Price, $6. D R . MANTELL has found an excellent out let for the voluminous basic data on nat ural resins which he and his associates have collected in the past years. This data looks much more imposing and is of more distinct value when collected in handbook form than it was when originally presented as individual papers on solubilities and compatabilities. The book is very timely, being published just when the more commonly used syn thetic resins are becoming scarce and resin users must fall back to the use of certain available natural resins. Many of the younger men in industries using resins are CONTINU*D ON PAOB 8 7 6
874
CHEMICAL
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ENGINEERING
NEWS
TYPICAL ANALYSIS—YARMOR 302-W
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Specific Gravity @ 15.6/17.6°C 0.9214 Refractive Index @ 20.0 o C 1.4792 I'npolymerized Residue 0. 1·% Specific Rotation +5.2° Moisture 0.2% Freezing Point below -10.0°C. Flasb Point 166.0°F. Color—Lovibond 500 Amber Series . 3.0 A . S . T . M . Distillation Range: 5% 198.2°C. 30' 205.2 SO 70
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The ~!®rtg-@w@i#edB authoritative technical juide f© t h e e©nee@imenf of i n d u s t r i a l ihjectives from air attack. T h e FIRST b o o k o n INDUSTRIAL CAMOUκβί FLAGE p u b l i s h e d in A m e r i c a . Several g r o u p s ||p2 of camouflage experts a n d e n g i n e e r s h a v e c o l l a b o r a t e d to m a k e t h i s a m o s t vital a n d timely volume. Embodies the most up-to-date information relating to jH^ effective methods of concealment. D r a w s u p o n EuroJ l ^ pean experience plus research at the most advanced schools of civil defense in this country. ^Éà
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SEC Survey on Drugs, Medicines T H E Securities and Exchange Commis sion has made public the 15th of a new series of industry reports of the Survey of American Listed Corporations. These re ports cover the calendar years of 1939 and 1940 and extend earlier reports on the period 1934-39. Balance sheets and profit and loss statements, in both dollars and percentages, as well as surplus statements and financial ratios, are presented for in dividual companies and for the industry group as a whole in uniform tabular form. Report N o . 15 covers corporations en gaged primarily in the manufacture of drugs and medicines which had securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 at December 31, 1940. T h e y are Abbott Laboratories, Allied Labora tories, Inc., American Home Products Corp., International Vitamin Corp., Lambert Co., Norwich Pharmacal Co., Parke, D a v i s & Co., Plough, Inc., Sharp & Dohme, Inc., Frederick Stearns & Co., Sterling Products (Inc.), United Drug, United Drug Co., Inc., Vick Chemical Co., and Zonite Products Corp. Combined sales reported b y the group were $267,000,000 in 1940, compared with $256,000,000 in 1939. N e t profits after all charges totaled $32,000,000 in 1940 and 1939, equivalent t o 11.9 per cent and 12.6 per cent of sales, respectively. Total divi
Satisfied users in many lines of indus try tell of faster and more uniform heat; higher coil temperatures, and lower maintenance PLUS lower fuel cost. This means INCREASED PRO DUCTION and LOWER F U E L BILLS by the Cochrane-Becker closed circuit system which speeds up the positive removal of condensate with automatic and continuous separation and removal of entrapped air, returning the con densate to the boilers at high pressure and high temperature. Typical reports say:
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T o ACQUAINT members with the pur pose and procedure of industrial hy giene surveys, the Industrial Hygiene Foundation, Mellon Institute, Pitts burgh, Penna., has issued a booklet en titled "Conserving Manpower in War Industries". The surveys are conducted as a membership service to locate occupa tional health hazards, if any exist, and t o recommend proper control measures.
WPB Booklet on Plant Efficiency
1: RODTJCTioN of 720 tons of kelp between M a y and July 1941 is announced from Eire, where this substance is important as a fertilizer. During the coming kelp season the amount is expected t o be in creased to 1,000 tons.
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A BOOKLET on plant efficiency has been published b y the War Production Board's Division of Information and is available for distribution on request. The title is "Plant Efficiency—Ideas and Suggestions on Increasing Efficiency in Smaller Plants". Chapters deal with Good Lighting— Better Work; Cutting D o w n Accidents; Adapting Old Machines to N e w Jobs; Maintenance and Repair; Longer Life for Cutting Tools; Getting the Most out of Machine Tools; Production Lines Geared for War; Meeting Government Stand ards; Training Workers Quickly; Swing Shifts; Keeping Track of Orders, Produc tion, and Materials; Plant Protection; Pooling Facilities; A Word o n Priorities; and Getting into War Work. Copies m a y be obtained from regional and local offices of the War Production Board, located in 120 cities, from local of fices of the Division of Information, Office for Emergency Management, or by writing to the Division of Information, Office for Emergency Management, Washington, D . C.
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d e n d s paid o u t were $24,000,000 in each year. Combined assets totaled $244,000,000 a t the end of 1940 compared with 8231,000,000 at the end of 1939, while surpluses increased from $72,000,000 at the end of 1939 t o $78,000,000 at the end of 1940. Single copies of this report may be se cured without charge by request t o the Publications Unit of t h e Securities and Ex change Commission, Philadelphia, Penna. Other reports which are available in the series include N o . 6, Chemicals-Fertiliz ers; N o . 7, Oil Refining; N o . 8, N o n Ferrous Metals; No. 9, General Industrial Machinery; N o . 10, Electrical Supplies and Equipment Other Than Household Appliances; N o . 12, Iron and Steel— Assets under $100,000,000 Each; and N o . 14, Tires and Other Rubber Products.
CHEMICAL
AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
Indiana Standard Pledges War A i d A
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Coal Coking Properties C E R T A I N coals heretofore considered un suitable for wartime production of coke and its by-products probably can be used for these purposes, it is revealed in comprehensive tests conducted by the U. S. Bureau of Mines. I t is indicated that some of the "borderline" coals can be used with comparative safety if proper measures are observed. Some of several blended coals, also investigated b y the technicians, responded favorably t o the tests. A copy of the report on the experi ments may be obtained by writing the U. S. Bureau of Mines, Department of the Interior, Washington, D . C , for Report of Investigations 3,644, "Expansion of Coal during Coking", b y James T . McCartney and Joseph D . D a v i s .
Zinc in Wartime THE third in a series of folders on the wartime status οf «m .. >been issued by The New Jersey Zinc Co., 160 Front St., New York, Ν. Υ. Illustrated and de scribed are some of the applications for zinc as a war material. The folder points out that no war use lacks the zinc it re quires.
REPRESENTATIVE T o d a y , m o r e t h a n ever—-the big j o b o f t h e Carey repre s e n t a t i v e i s serving i n d u s t r y . H i s t i m e for t h e d u r a t i o n is dedieated to h e l p i n g y o u a t t a i n u t m o s t e c o n o m y in plant m a i n t e n a n c e — t o p efficiency in plant operation. E v e r y C a r e y m a n is t h o r o u g h l y t r a i n e d f r o m t h e g r o u n d u p i n t h e u s e a n d a p p l i c a t i o n o f C a r e y P r o d u c t s . Mepi*es e n t i n g o n e o f t h e o l d e s t a n d l a r g e s t m a n u f a c t u r e r s of r o o f i n g , w a t e r p r o o f i n g a n d i n s u l a t i o n m a t e r i a l s in t h e c o u n t r y , h e is q u a l i f i e d b y e x p e r i e n c e t o m a k e p r a c t i c a l recommendations. Capitalize this Carey service w h e n our representative calls o n you. Whatever your needs, you'll find that he will d o e v e r y t h i n g h u m a n l y possible to be of real h e l p in analyzing your problems and in finding the econom i c a l a n s w e r s . F o r d e t a i l s a d d r e s s D e p t · 64.
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» JULY
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1942
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Uniform Tests for Derris-Root Rotenone Content Considered
Eire Promotes Domestic Production of Drugs
Shellac and Jute in Plastics Receives Attention in India
RESULTS of recent experiments in establishing uniform methods of determining derris-root rotenone content have proved very satisfactory, according to the annual report for 1941 of the Imperial Institute of the United Kingdom. Further adjustments are necessary to adapt the tests entirely for tropical use, it is said, while to make the analytical control of derris effective, it will also be necessary to improve present methods of sampling the roots. It is reported experiments in this direction are under way.
AUTHORITIES of Eire are doing ail possible to promote domestic production of drug and medical requirements, according to reports from that country. Anesthetic ether, formalin, glycerol, invert sugar, and lactosum are being produced on a scale said to meet minimum domestic needs. An Irish firm is producing a cod liver oil substitute by adding vitaminated oils, imported from the United States, to domestic vegetable oils. This last output is at present on a very limited scale and not equal to requirements.
(COMBINED use of shellac and jute, India's two major trade items, is receiving much attention by authorities, the U. S. Department of Commerce reports. Jute waste is being used as a filler in shellac plastics, while new developments are the use of both the j ute fabric and waste with shellac molding powder in manufacture of cheap laminated boards and the treatment of jute fiber with shellac resins to produce proofed materials. Shellac molding powder being used in manufacture of technical electrical goods, such as switches, has been improved and the curing time in press is said to be almost equal to that of imported Bakélite powders. Cost has been substantially reduced by cutting proportions of urea-formaldehyde in t h e composition.
Penchlora c i d - P r o o fCernent used in Enduring Corrosion-Resistant construction for punishing duty
Increase in Chemical Output in Canada T H A T Canada is turning out very large quantities of chemical products is reported b y the Department of Mines and Resources at Ottawa. Production of sodium chloride increased from 464,714 tons valued at $2,823,269 in 1940 to 560,827 tons valued at $3,008,281 in 1941. About 4 6 per cent of the total output in Ontario was used in the production of heavy chemicals. Production of sodium sulfate from Saskatchewan deposits reached a record total of 115,601 tons in 1941, compared with 94,260 tons in 1940.
Denmark to Try Local Production of Morphine
This acid-proof, brick-lined tank, in a leading chemical plant, must stand up to the toughest kind of service. Scrap iron, in half ton loads, is dumped into such tanks twice a day, t o be treated by hot acid in the manufacture of ferrous and ferric chloride. Some of these tanks have been in service over six years. The quick-setting and self-hardening properties of Penchlor Acid-Proof Cement recommend it highly for new construction—particularly now, when time-saving is so important in war efforts. With Penchlor Acid-Proof Cement you can get brick-lined equipment into service without delay. If you require a cement of exceptionalil
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P R E W A R attempts to start domestic production of morphine are being revived in Denmark, it is reported. At an earlier period substantial areas were given over to attempted cultivation of opium poppies. This venture was not so profitable as expected and never went beyond the experimental stage. T o date Denmark has continued t o rely on imports of morphine, but later this summer it is felt that again it will be necessary to intensify the effort to produce opiates locally. e^© T U R R E T is reported to have a vaseline shortage, with the government calling for bids t o meet national defense requirements. These average 120 tons annually, the normal annual consumption in Turkey being 500 tons. In 1941 imports amounted to only 105 tons, of which the United States supplied 5 tons and the remainder came from Rumania.
