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T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
V O ~8, . KO. I O
CURRENT INDUSTRIAL NEWS LEATHER TRADE I N NIGERIA The demand for leather in Nigeria, says the Leather World, 8 (1916), 388, is limited to the varieties used for slippers and saddlery. The southern districts are not so well adapted for tanning materials but in the marshes along the coast there is a n abundance of mangrove and its exploitation would, it seens, be remunerative, considering t h a t labor is cheap. The natives work well in their way for 1 2 t o 24 cents per day, but resent being ordered about too much. The population of Nigeria is about 6,ooo,ooo.--A. MCMILLAN
SWISS DYE INDUSTRY A report has been issued by the Basle Chamber of Commerce dealing briefly with the position of the dye manufacturing industry in Switzerland. I t seems t h a t all the firms iormerly engaged in the production of coal-tar dyes have had t o enlarge their plant in order to manufacture the intermediate products used in the industry, most of which had previously been imported from Germany. The supply of raw material seems t o be the chief cause of anxiety, but reference is made t o the assistance given by the British Board of Trade in facilitating the transport of crude t a r products from that country t o SwitzerNEW INSTITUTION land. The various color makers are making negotiations with According to Engineer, 122 (1916), 33, what is described a view t o erecting a large plant for the production of mineral as a n “experimental workshop and industrial laboratory,” acids. The report further states that synthetic indigo has has been established by the recently founded Aeronautical In- been produced on a small scale only, owing t o the difficulty of stitute of Great Britain. The laboratory is situated a t 4 j obtaining raw materials, but it has been found possible, notHorseferry Road, IYestminster, and according to information withstanding, not only to supply the demands of the Swiss received concerning it, is intended to form a link between “an market but also to export a moderate amount. Owing t o invention in its primitive stage and its scientific application complaints raised by Swiss dyers that they were not receiving and commercial development.” It has, further, been gathered a fair share of the output, the dyestuff manufacture has been t h a t its work will not possess the minute accuracy of exact placed under the control of the government to some extent scientific investigation but will aim simply a t ascertaining and export licenses are now- necessary. These are granted only whether any practical purpose would be served by submitting t o countries which are supplying raw materid to Switzerland a new device to systematic and frequently delicate and costly and the amount of color exported is in proportion to the amount scientific research. I n short, the laboratory, it is claimed, will of raw material supplied. At the present time and under afford means of producing and testing under good conditions, these conditions, England is the only country receiving dyes in new ideas, and of quickly obtaining results which can give reany quantity.-M. liable indications as to the practicability of the proposed deLAC EXPORTS FROM BRITISH INDIA vices. It will specialize on aeronautical work but will be open The Indian Trade Journal of May 19 contains a communique, to deal with inventions outside this sphere.-AI. issued by the Commerce Department of India, which states that the Collectors of Customs have been instructed t o permit VEGETABLE DYES exports of lac to all allied countries under license. Permission Samples of dyes have been received a t the Board of Trade, has also been granted, under license, for the exportation of lac London, from the Consul a t Szechuan, as follms: in normal quantities to the usual consignees in neutral countries RED: Lithospermum oficiale L; Rubia cordifolia I,; a n d Carthamus tincoutside Europe. Applications to export to neutral countries torius L (Safflower). in Europe should be submitted to the Government of India BLUE: Strohilanthes p a c c i d i f d i u s ; Nees (Indigo). GREEN: Polygonum orientale. through the Collector of Customs a t the port of shipment.-M. YELLOW:Curcuma longa I. (turmeric) ; Sofihora Japonica; and Gardenia j o r i d a L. BLACK: Rhus Semialala Murr; Quercus. Mongolica or Sinensis (silkworm or chestnut oak) and Stillingia srbijeeva (tallow tree).
Information regarding preparation and employment of above may be obtained a t Board of Trade Offices, London.-M. PARAFFIN AS A PETROL SUBSTITUTE In view of the abnormally high price of petrol and the difficulty of obtaining it, an article in Engineer, 122, No. 3158, will be read with interest. A description is given of the Binks vaporizer and carbureter, by the use of which paraffin may be substituted for petrol in motor-driven vehicles. A small tank is fitted for the supply of petrol for starting the engine and paraffin is Used after the vaporizer has become sufficiently hot. The carbureter has two float chambers, one for petrol and the other for paraffin and has a main jet and two pilot jets. T h e sprayed paraffin enters the vaporizer which consists of two concentric tubes, between which the exhaust gases from the engine pass and thus heat the walls of the inner tube. The latter tube contains a worm which causes the mixed air and paraffin to whirl as the mixture transverses the inner tube. There is thus a tendency to throw any unvaporized paraffin into contact with the hot walls where vaporization is 2ompleted. With present prices, application of this and similar devices may reduce the cost of fuel for motor engines by 50 per cent.-M.
JAPANESE CHEMICAL PRODUCTION Official returns of the production of chemicals in Japan during 1915 contain the following figures (lbs.) : Benzol.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 128,000 Ether.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549,000 Aspirin.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000 Sulfuric a c i d . . . . . . . . . 153,420,000 Caustic s o d a . . ....... 240,000,
h-aphthalene.. . . . . . . . 1,170,000 Alcohol., . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,600,000 Hydrochloric acid.. . . . 4,819,000 Acetic a c i d . . . . . . . . . . . 723,000
The exports of camphor last year amounted to g,onq,ooo lbs. valued a t $1,737,500 and showing a steady increase.-M. COPPER INDUSTRY I N AUSTRALIA Considerable interest, says Engineering, 102 (1916), 104, is attached to the recent developments in the copper industry in -4ustralia. The Hampden Cloncurry copper mines instead of sending metal overseas for conversion into the pure metal as heretofore, now sends the whole of its output t o be refined a t the works of the Electrolytic Refining and Smelting Co. of Australia a t Port Kembla. The refinery is not yet able t o refine the whole of the company’s output electrolytically and the excess is pre-refined and is being disposed of a t satisfactory prices. A company has also been formed to manufacture all classes of copper wire, copper tubes, sheets, etc., with works adjoining the electrolytic works a t Port Kembla. The consumption of manufactured copper goods is a growing one and after exhaustive investigation and on assurances of support from the commonwealth authorities, its inauguration seems to be commercially justified. The capital of the Company is $~,ooo,ooo.-M.
