PRODUCTION Other 1000-B.t.u. substitutes can be manufactured b y blending high and low calorific gases obtained from prop a n e reforming. Blended gases consume 390 cubic feet of p r o p a n e a n d 9 pounds of steam per 1000 cubic feet. Maximum process efficiencies, says Farnsworth, were obtained at space velocities of about 600 and reaction temperatures of about 2500° F . Carbon contained in the reformed gas is 3 to 4 % by weight of feed, which is readily removed by conventional gas cleaning equipment. T h e research team, he states, ran test cycles generally of two minutes duration, divided equally between h e a t a n d make, with a short steam p u r g e after t h e h e a t cycle to clear t h e furnace of combustion products.
carbohydrates. T o separate t h e hgnin, processors have h a d t o use acids, alkalies, a n d high t e m p e r a t u r e , w h i c h result in severe c h a n g e s in the original lignin structure. Recent conservation a n d pollution pressures have p u t t h e h e a t on organic chemists to improve the p u l p i n g process so t h a t a high yield of Hgnin can be obtained without distorting t h e origin a l hgnin structure. At present, the production of vanillin is o n e of t h e few chemical applications for spent liquor lignin, according to E . Adler of Chal-
mers University of Technology, Sweden. As yet only a very small percentage of spent liquor lignins is subjected to chemical processing, the major p a r t b e ing used a.s fuel in t h e p u l p mills or just discarded as waste, Adler told t h e Division o f Cellulose Chemistry. Only recently, a Swedish chemist, Anders Bjorkmart, developed a laboratory method for isolating hgnin—no acid, alkali> or high temperature are involved. Also, t h e yield is u p to 5 0 % . If this lab method can be used commer-
CHEMICAL
SARGENT OSCILLOMETER
Improving the Pulping Process N e w milling methods may extract a Hgnin that is better fit for chemical processing N e w ^^^^^^^^^B milling I I I W I W H A l l ^ ^ S techniques, still 8ySdy£ffibSSS&8H o n a l a b s c a l e > t o S B B E Q S S S H H extract lignin H ^ ^ R K e n i i s f ^ H S fr°m wood may i l i i i i i ^ l ^ f e i ^ ^ ^ ^ m a k e for easier and better p u l p processing. To date, it has been extremely difficult to separate hgnin from other w o o d constituents, particularly
T
HE Model V Chemical Oscillometer, designed and manufactured by E. H. Sargent & Co., is especially recommended to analysts for development of improved procedures within their laboratories. Pioneer oscillometric research to date indicates two general fields especially susceptible to great gains in analytical efficiency — the measurement of water in fluid commercial products, and the direct measurement o f composition of two and three-component mixtures. Based on the measurements of electrical properties at radio frequency, without conductive contact with the sample, this precision instrument is of the null balance type in which the dielectric and resistive contributions made to the circuit by the sample are measured as tfc*e equivalent increments of calibrated capacitance required to compensate those effects. A multi-turn dial and five range multiplier switches provide a scale of 32,000 units, in which measurements of the dielectric and conductive properties of all materials from air to concentrated strong electrolytes including all organic liquids are accommodated. The scale may be made linear with respect t o dielectric constant by the accessory use of S-29196 range expander, and continuous recordings may be made with commercial recorders, using S-29198 recorder adapter. T w o sample cells with two corresponding interchangeable cell holders are supplied — one suitable for small samples, the other containing sufficient volume to accommodate usual titration procedures. S-29180 OSCILLOMETER—Chemical, Null Balance Precision Type, Model V, Sargent. For operation from 115 volt, 60 cycle A-C. circuits $650.00 S-29196 OSCILLOMETRIC CELL COMPENSAJTOR-iinearizing, Sensitivity Increasing, Sargent. With coupling $80.00 S-29198 OSCILLOMETRIC RECORDING ADAPTER—Zero and Sensitivity Adjusting, Sargent. With couplings for connection to oscillometer and recorder _ _ $9O.00
SARGENT J. C. P e w of Forest Products L a b , with mill h e is now using to obtain wood ground finer t h a n with vibrational mill. No yield d a t a yet available
SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY
INSTRUMENTS*
APPARATUS • SUPPLIES •
CHEMICALS
E. H. SARGENT & COMPANY, 4 6 4 7 W. FOSTER AVE., CHICAGO 3 0 , ILLINOIS .V»!CJ!!OAN DIVISION, S5SC WEST CHICAGO AVENUE, DETROJT 4, MICHIGAN7£ (C 6 Hii) 2 CHCO0HI Dicyclohexylacetic aci -
(C 6 H 6 ) 2 CBrCOOH + HBr a-bromo-diphenylacetic acid
CHLORINATION TO THE ACID CHLORINE (C 6 H 5 ) 2 CHCOOH + SOCIo Thionyl chloride
(CeHo^CHCOCI + S0 2 + HCI Diphenylacetyl chloride
The acid chloride can be converted through the amide to diphenylacetonitrilc
TECHNICAL
BULLETIN
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WRITE OR PHONE
KAY^- F R I E S
KAY-FRIES C H E M I C A L S . INC.
T'TT"/ 4820
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- I 8 0 M A D I S O N A V E . . N E W V O R K 1 6 . N. V . . MURRAY HILL 6 - 0 6 6 1
O C T . I,
1956
Ion-Exchange Catalyst for Ethylene Oxide Ethylene glycol sales were over 600 million pounds in 1955 and predictions call for over a billion pounds by 1962. Probably half of the U. S. total is made by hydration of ethylene oxide. The reaction is carried out in the liquid phase, using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. The process is technically simple, but it is expensive because the product must be separated from the neutralized catalyst (nonreusable) and large quantities of water must be evaporated from the less volatile glycols. A vapor phase reaction over a nonvolatile, solid catalyst should be a good
PRODUCTION
EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR CHEMIST, METALLURGIST OR PHYSICIST FOR X-RAY DIFFRACTS DEVELOPMENT WORK This position requires qualified person t o d e v e l o p uses of X - R a y diffraction equip* men? :r. solving iVieiaSiurgicui relating
to
stress
and
problems
metallurgical
structure changes. The salary for this position ranges f r o m $ 7 , 5 0 0 to $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 per y e a r dependent upon qualifications. Also opening f o r Chemist or Chemical Engineer with one to 3 years experience in plating a n d surface treatment work. Send complete resume to: M R . R. G .
CONRAD
M G R . , ENGINEERING DEPT.
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FRIT ZSCHE PORT AUTHORITY Ti,
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deal cheaper. The effluent would not have to be separated from the catalyst, the catalyst might be used continuously and partial condensation of product streams might be used to remove the glycols* This would allow recyling of unreacted materials. Gene E. Hamilton and Arthur B. Metzner at the University of Delaware haven't come up with a commercial vapor phase* solid catalyst process, but at the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Division, Hamilton indicated that one might be possible. Solid catalysts have been tried before, apparently with little success. Instead of using a "conventional" catalyst, Hamilton (now at Sun Oil) and Metzner tried ion-exchange resins. Amberlite IR-120 (a polystyrene sulfonic acid resin) and Amberlite IRC-50 (a similar carboxylic acid resin) were used. The IR-120 was better. Under conditions within these ranges the predominant product was diethylene glycol (or higher compounds) rather than ethylene glycol. However, if certain of the data are extrapolated, there is an indication that with Reynolds Numbers of 150 to 200 yields of 90% might b e obtained. The ratio of steam to ethylene oxide can be as low as 7.5, which is probably lower than present commercial processes, so evaporation costs could be cut. "This process may offer a good way out of the woods for the troublesome and expensive purification of glycol n o w experienced in the liquid phase processes/* says Hamilton.
• By-product from neoprene manufacture, l,3-dichloro-2-butene, i s used in a new synthesis of piperitone. Synthetic menthol was formerly made commercially by conversion of piperitone, extracted from natural oils. But a better process was developed using thymol. A cheaper process for piperitone could change the menthol synthesis route again. S. Leslie Misrock & James M. Church, Columbia University I&EC Division
• Houdry Process n o w has a new technique for obtaining 80% or more desulfurization of cracked gasolines without loss of octane number. The process uses the Houdry Series A cobalt-molybdena-alumina catalyst, operating at 300 p.s.i.g. Houdry researchers expect a catalyst life, prior to regeneration, of at least 100 to 120 barrels of total low sulfur gasoline per pound of catalyst.
