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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 .
sufficiently high to effect complete detinning below t h a t a t which the iron is attacked.
July, 1909
zone containing a non-oxidizing atmosphere in which the volatilized silicon is condensed.
915,401. Process of Purifying Rosin. HOMERT. YARYAN, 916,900. Process for Electrolytically Producing Peroxid of Toledo, Ohio. March 16, 1909. Hydrogen. GUSTAV TEICHNER, Nuremberg, Germany. March 30, 1909. The process consists in treating with sulfuric acid a solution of rosin in a hydrocarbon solvent, 915,633. Sodium Sulfid. EMERSON H. STRICKLER, White Plains, N. Y. March 16, rgog. This composition is a new form of sodium sulfid i n the form of flakes or laminae of great purity and solubility, the laminae being of homogeneous composition and containing high percentage of Na,S, with a smaller amount of water than required for the crystallization of Na,S.
INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE NOTES.
Acetone in France.-In reply to a n inquiry relative to a report on the manufacture of acetone in Great Britain and France published in Daily Consular and Trade Reports, January 15, 1909, Consul Maxwell Blake, of Dunfermline, Scotland, forwards the following description of the method of making acetone in France, as ascertained from a British 915,774. Composition of Matter for and Process of Making semiofficial report of the process: Insulating Material. CARL A. KELLER and BERTRAND The raw material used in the manufacture of acetone is G. JAMESON, Chicago, Ill. March 23, 1909. wood, cut to meter (meter = 39.37 inches) lengths and varying from I to 8 inches in diameter. The kinds of wood This composition is produced by mixing cement, sand, a used are elm, poplar, beech, and oak, which are common water-proofing compound and water, molding the mixture, in underwood growths all over Great Britain. The sticks solidifying the molded form, evaporating the water thereof wood are first carefully packed in retorts, which are hoisted from, heating the form, and impregnating i t while heated with an insulating fluid. - - , . by hydraulic cranes into the furnaces, the retorts being about IO feet high by 5 feet diameter. 915,946. Process of Making Aldehydes. CARLETONELLIS, The iron retorts in which the wood is roasted are oblong White Plains, N. Y., and KARLP. MCELROY,Washington, in shape, and fitted with iron rings on each side for the purD. C. March 23, 1909. pose of the crane and a n orifice a t the t o p to allow the gases The process is produced by decomposing a formate by to pass out through the rest of the plant. The connections a low and regulated heat and removing the formaldehyde are plugged with clay when the retort is inserted in the from the point of formation to a cooler point'as fast as formed. furnace. One of the admirable points about this system of Pages, 916,302. Method of Treating Metals, such as Steel or Steel Camus & Co. is t h a t the tar produced from the wood is used Alloys. CHARLESJ. GRIST, London, England. March as the fuel to create the heat necessary for the distillation. 23, 1909. This wood tar is sprayed with a jet of steam and used much The treatment consists in passing a n electric current as oil is used in furnaces constructed for that particular through the metal while the same is heated to a recalescent fuel. I n consequence the firm does not use any coal whatpoint in the presence of mercury. ever in the process, which is in itself a great advantage; 916,449. Process for Recovering Waste Lime. JOHN G. and if the industry in its new phase ever becomes a British one, the woodland areas and not the coal areas will be the JONES,Carthage, N. Y. March 30, rgog. place where the manufacture will most probably be estabThis is a process of purifying and revivifying spent or lished. It takes about 40 tons of wood to make a ton of waste lime by reducing the same to a solid form, afterward acetone. drying the carbonate of lime in a solid form, and coarsely After the retort full of wood becomes sufficiently hot, granulating the lime and reducing it by heat to an oxid the gases from the wood rise and fall through several constate. tinuous closed chambers, two of which are constructed 916,558. Process of Treating Glucose. HENRYA. HUGHES, with baffle plates in order t h a t the wood tars may be caught Philadelphia, Pa. March 30, 1909. and arrested early in the process. Eventually, a t the end of the last closed chamber, the water, which has taken its The process consists in treating saccharine solutions for the purpose of eliminating the effect of sulfites and sulfurous proper share in the condensation of the vapors, comes out acid residues present therein by determining the quantity a black and oily compound. The result obtained is orof sulfites and acid residues in such solutions, and then adding dinary wood spirit, methylene acetone, and acetic acid. a n aldehyde of one of the primary alcohols sufficient in quan- Methylene as usually employed for excise purposes is also obtained. tity t o conibine with said sulfites and acid residues and form When the gases have been thoroughly expelled from the a different and innocuous compound, wood, only charcoal remains, which is used or sold. The 916,793. Production of Silicon. GEORGE 0. SBWARD,annual production of this particular factory is as follows: East Orange, N. J., and FRANZ VON KUGELGEN, Holcombs Charcoal, 5,000 tons; tar, 1,000tons; crude pyroligneous Rock, Va. March 30, 1909. acid, 10,500 tons; methylene for excise purposes, 350,000 In this process silicon is produced by subjecting a suitable liters, or about 70,000 gallons. silicon compound and a reducing agent to sufficient heat As compared with former processes, the number of operations i n this new method are fewer and more simple. There t o reduce said compound and volatilize the silicon, while maintaining around or above the zone of reduction a cooler is also greater economy, few copper vessels being needed,
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0F F I C I AL R E G U L A TIONS A N D R U LIN GS. and there is the great advantage also arising from the use of the crude wood tar: which is one of the most difficult by-products t o dispose of when not utilized for fuel. It is a curious fact, moreover, t h a t the production of t a r during the process seems to balance exactly the needs of the furnaces i n which they are suspended and heated. A summary of the chief features of the new process is a s follows: ( I ) The utilization of the vapors arising from the stills containing the wood for the removal of a large proportion of the water distilled therefrom and consequent concentration of the resulting pyroligneous liquors ; ( 2 ) the method of saturation of the above liquors by means of atomizers working i n the condensers; (3) the complete removal of the tars produced in the operation; (4) the passing of these acid tars downward over bafflers, where they are met by the upward current of gases, to which they give up the acetic acid contained in them; (5) securing by the means described a pyroligneous acid or pyrolignite of sodium of a higher degree of purity than the corresponding products obtained by the old process. The improvements in the new process are fundamental, and a n y one contemplating the establishment of new works will d o well to adopt them. As regards the question of acetone manufacture, direct pyroligneous acid can now be obtained by the new method a t once, which acid is then available for conversion into acetone without further purification, the use of acetate of lime being no longer required. The reduction of cost by this method is stated to be about S. Consular Report, April 17, 1909. 25-30 per cent.-U. Rubber Productzon, Brazil.-In transmitting the following statistics showing the decreased exports of rubber from Para, Manaos, Itacoatira, and Iquitos during the month of February, 1909, a s compared with the exports during the same month in 1908, Consul George H. Pickerell, of Para, reports t h a t the producers, confidently assert t h a t the exports for March will show a still greater decrease (kilo = 2.2 pounds): Fine. Medium. Coarse. Caucho. Total. Kilos. Kilos. Kilos. Kilos. Whither exported. Kilos. United States.. 1,188,074 218,475 598,018 483,843 2,488,410 Europe.. 869,658 202,450 405,838 615,827 2,093,773
.. . . . . . ... -___- Total.. . . . .. 2,057,732 420,925 1,003,8561,099,5704,582,183
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trees never before tapped ; the balance represents about I 2/3 ounces per tree throughout our Io-year-old fields. The output is not particularly encouraging, a s i t is 8 per cent. less than last year’s average, while we made this season 50 per cent. more cuts to the tree in our single tapping than we did in both tappings last year. The thrifty trees gave 50 per cent. more latex than last year, but this was offset by our losses among the backward trees, and the latex proved to be thinner than last year, a s equal units of liquid measure dried down to less rubber. This was due pattly t o tapping higher on the trees, where the latex is necessarily poorer, and possibly steady tapping once or twice a year, for several years, may have affected temporarily the latex reserves in the trees. I n view of our tapping record to date, I do not know whether to expect a n increased, diminished, or stationary yield the coming season. We went into this business with our eyes open and knew t h a t neither we nor a n y one else had much of a n y practical knowledge of the proposition. Our education has been and still is progressing as rapidly and with a s little expense a s anybody engaged in the Mexican rubber planting field. I have just received a letter from Tabasco, the only important rubber district in Mexico t h a t I a m not personally acquainted with. This letter is from a personal friend who recently took a position on a Tabasco rubber property, and he writes me detailed data as to size of trees of various ages, tapping yield, etc. I therefore repeat now the opinion t h a t our trees grow as rapidly a s a n y elsewhere in Soconusco, and our tapping results compare favorably with those in Soconusco or a n y other part of Mexico.
I t is expected t h a t the United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Co. will soon be given a hearing in the United States District Court on its petition to be permitted to reopen the copper smelter at Bingham Junction. The Murray Plant of the American Smelting and Refining Co. was closed for the first half of May on account of a strike started by the Greek and Austrian laborers.
Plans have been perfected for the addition of a regrinding and concentrating plant a t the United States Smelting, Total in 1908.. 2,898,641 565,910 1,027,5931,082,724 5,574,868 Refining and Mining Co.’s mill. I t is hoped t h a t by this means more iron and zinc may be saved. The Huff elecDecrease. ... 840,909 144,985 23,737 19,496 992,685 trostatic zinc separator is to be used. -U. .T.Consular Report, April 29, 1909.
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Rubber in Mexzco.-Consul William W. Canada, of Vera Cruz, in reply to many inquiries from the United States, furnishes the following information relative to sthe condition of the rubber industry in Mexico: I submit the following short report on the question of rubber culture in Mexico, prepared by one best qualified to give the facts, and by his permission: The tapping was begun in October and completed the first week in February. The rubber is now well dried, except the last few sheets, and i t weighs 590 pounds. This is practically the same as last year’s product, b u t t h a t was secured by two tappings, while this is from one only. This year we secured about 75 pounds of our crop from young
OFFICIAL RE.GULATI0N.S A N D RULINGS. The following judgment notices have been issued by the Board of Food and Drug Inspection. M A Y 17, 1909. 5 8 . Adulteration and misbranding of oats (as to presence of barley), 59. Adulteration and misbranding of lithia water (basic lithia water). 60. Adulteration and misbranding of buckwheat flour (as to presence of wheat and maize). 6 1 . Misbranding of vinegar (as to location and name of manufacturer).
