Z?zdiistvial Chemistry.
209
away with the tedious elimination of nitric acid by evaporation with sulphuric acid, he dilutes the nitric acid solution, makes it faintly alkaline with ammonia, and reacidifies with acetic acid, then adds enough sodium hyposulphite to precipitate IOO mgms. of copper, stirs, boils for fire minutes or nntil the cuprous sulphide collects, filters, scorifies, cupels, etc. The Colorimetric Assay of Copper. BY J. D. A. SMITH. 7Ynizs. Am. I?&. M i n . E?zg., 30, 851-854 ; discussion by G. L. HEATH,I I 19-1I 2 I .-Referring to the apparatus described by Heath (1. A m . Chem. SOC.,19,24) for carrying out the Heine colorimetric assay of copper, the author prefers to do away with preserved sets of standard colors and to make a fresh standard for each batchof assays. T h e paper describes the method in detail and gives a table of results. Heath defends the use of standards.
INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY. F H. THORP, RBVIEW’IR.
A Proposed Method for the Extraction of Bromine.
BY XNG. BETTS. Evg. Mi?z.l., 71, j83.-Analysesof brines from Midland and Sand Beach, Michigan, and Syracuse, New Ycrk, are given, and also the percentage of bromine in the h’orth Xtlantic Ocean (0.00635) and in the Dead Sea (0.443). The method proposed is based on the reaction between bromine and phenol, in aqueous solution by which tribromphenol and hydrobromic acid are formed. T h e bromine must be free and is liberated by the action of chlorine water, but no free chlorine should be present, when the phenol solution is added. The chlorine water and carbolic acid are added three times to precipitate 87 . 5 per cent. of the total bromine. The reaction takes place instantly, and at ordinary temperatures a precipitate of the tribromphenol appears, if the brine contains as much as 0.002 per cent. of bromine. I t was found impossible to precipitate all of the bromine and form hydrochloric acid. Electrolysis is suggested as an advantageous method of setting free bromine ; at 5 volts, one horsepower is equivalent to lb. of bromine precipitated. If the phenol is pure the precipitate is crystalline and filters easily ; if cresole is present, the precipitate is tarry. By drying and heating the precipitate, most of the bromine is recovered as hydrobromic acid ; the rest is caught by passing the vapors through an alkali solution, or a solution of ferrous bromide. Reduction of the precipitate by iron and mineral acid will regenerate the phenol, according to the reaction 3H,SO, 6Fe = 3FeS0, gFeBr, 2C,H,OH. 2C,H,Br,(OH) T h e process is best carried on by saturating one part of the brine with chlorine and another part with phenol, and then mixing the two portions. Other organic bodies, such as acetylene, are suggested as suitable for recovering bromine from brine. SON
+
+
+
+
210
Reuiesu of Awten'cau Chemical Research,
Soil Analyses. Bull. Ab. j s , h: ,?% .4,y): h p t . S f a . RdI. No. 47, A? D.Agr. Ex$t. Stn. Researches on Nitrocellulose. BY G. LCSGE. J . .4m, Chenr. SOC., 23, j27-j79.-Thi~ is a long and very complete paper, dealing chiefly with the methods of analysis and the methods of obtaining the various nitrocelluloses. Several illustrations of analytical apparatus are given. Modern Production of Alum and Aluminium. BY J . OHLY. 24, 403-404.--After giving a historical review of the development of the aluminium industry, the author describes a recent French process for purifying bauxite by heating with alkaline sulphides. The iron is converted into ferrous sulphide, but the heat is not sufficient to form aluminates. T h e fused mass is treated with some sulphuric acid under such conditions that the solution is kept strongly alkaline, while sodium aluniinum sulphate is formed and crystallized. The preparation of aluminum hydroxide from this salt is also described. T h e uses of aluminum as conductors and reducing agent are then considered. ilZii7t. a m i Metal.,
A,H. G I L L , KEYIEV'IIK
On Fluctuations in the Composition of Natural Gas. BY F. paper describes an apparatus for the combustion of the gas, samples of from I 50400 cc. being employed, and for the determination of riitrogen in the gas. The per cent. was found to vary from 1.2-3.2 in the same well. No oxygen was found in it. I t is possible that the gas occurs liquefied in the rocks, and that the nitrogen is gradually distilled off from it. Attention is called to the fact that it is not easy to prepare from marble, carbon dioxide free from nitrogen. This can be effected with certain marbles, only by boiling them with water for six hours and then transferring them to t h e generator.
C. PHILLIPS. Proc. A m . A c a d . , 34, 7 1-S3.-The
O n the Composition of California Petroleum. BY C . F. MABERY AND E. J. HUDSON.Ant. Chenz. /., 25, z53-284.-Eight different samples, representing a fair average of the California oils, were examined : a preliminary distillation showed that they could not be distilled without decomposition except in vucuo and here the process could be continued to 350" at j o nim. Analysis showed their chief constituents to be methylenes. A11 the samples were submitted to fractional distillation iiz Z'UCZLO, i t being repeated in some cases twenty-four times. The results of the examination of the distillates boiling up to 216' are shown i n the table below :
hidustrial Chentisfry Fresiio Co ,
...... ...... ......
Hexane ? Nonane Hexamethylene Heptaniethylene Octonaplithene Nononaphthene Dekanaphthene Undekanaphthene Dodekanaphthene Benzene Toluene Xylenes Adams Canon.
sp. gr. 30° 0.921 %, s 0.9 Y, N 1.36
Puente.
sp. gr.
Bardsdale.
0.892 0.8
20'
yo s
%N
1.2
Dekanaphthene
Dekanaphthene Undekanaphthene
......
...... Homologues of benzene C,, H,,-, series ? Torrey wells.
sp. gr. Yo
20°
0.884
s 0.5
Dekanaphthene
Dekanaphthene
......
......
Homologues of benzene
...... ......
Heptamethylene Octonaphthene
Heptamethylene Octonaphthene
......
sp. gr. 20° 0.892 ';b S 1.5 yo N 1.25
Heptamethylene Octonaphthene
%, N 1.15 Hexane i Nonane Hexamet hylene Heptamethylene Octonaphthene
...... ......
211
......
......
...... ...... ......
Xylenes Scott's Hill
sp. gr.
2oa
0.878
% s 0.4 yo N 1.25
Hexane ?
......
Hexamethylene Heptamethylene Octonaphthene
......
......
Dekanaphthene Undekanaphthene
Toluene
...... ......
Tri-, tetra-, and pentadekanaphthenes mere identified in some of the higher boiling portions. California petroleum contains then a small portion of products boiling below 225' which resemble those in Russian oil ; the proportion of aromatic hydrocarbons is, however, larger. It contains only small quantities of substances of the C,,H,,+, series.
On t h e Composition of Japanese Petroleum. BY C. F. MAS. TAKANO.A m . Chem. ]., 25, 297-307.-'I'he results
BERY AND
show that Japanese petroleum is mainly composed of the methylene hydrocarbons. Some contain also solid paraffins and in some the percentage of sulphur and nitrogen is as high as in the California oils. Composition of Texas Petroleum. BY C. F. MABERY. J . Am. Chenz. SOC.,23, 264-267. -The paper gives the analysis of oil from the Lucas gusher. This has a strong odor of hydrogen sulphide, contains 2.16 per cent. of sulphur, and I per cent. of nitrogen, and has a specific gravity of 0.92. I t seems to contain C,,H,, and C,,H,,, compounds having perhaps a double polymethylene ring.
212
Reviezt of Aniericaii Cheii~icalKcscarcii. G . TV. ROr.I:F. KI:T:>:IVF::
Sugar Beet Investigations in Ohio in 1900. HI. A. D. SELRS ASD J . W. ARIES. B d . Ohio . 4 ' ~ r .l:.xjW. S f a . , 126,133-174.This bulletin contains detailed results of an investigation of sugarbeets grown in Ohio and a popular description of Ohio's first factory recently built a t Freinont. Sugar Beets, 1891-1900. E d / . E.xpf. Sttr. h7nns. Sfnte A ~ T , Coll., 103,~53-~SG.--Tabulated statenients of investigations 011 scgar-beet cultivation are presented, which show that Kansas i unsuited for beet-sugar production. RETALLURGICAL, CHEMISTRY. €1. o, E r o : x . a s ,
KEYII;\%IXI+
Improvements in the Retaliurgy of Aluminum. BY C. I?. TOWESEED. Elec. JM'oild aizd Z Y ~ I, ~38, ~ . 1+-15.-Tlir iinprorenient described refers to two patents (Jiuie Z j , r g o r ) . by C.31. Hall of an electric fusiori method for purifying bauxite. Bauxite, e. g.,with alumina, Go per cent.; ferric oxide. I S per cent.; silica, 2-3 per cent.; titanic oxide, 3-4 per cent. and water I ; per cent., is calcined, mixed with S to I O per cent. of carbon, held for about one hour in fusion in an electrical furnace liaviiig a Sarbon lining and a carbon electrode : the current can be alteriiating or direct. Only the impurities are reduced : they collect 011 the bottom of the bath as a fused alloy. especially in the preseiice of considerable amounts of iron. In the second nietliod metallic aluininum or a j o per cent. ferro-aluminum is substitntd wliol1~or in part for the carbon, to combine with the oxygen of the silica, titanic, and iron oxides; the charge is maintained in fusion i imfor one and one-half hours in the electric furiiace, ~ l i e i tlie purities will again have separated out. As in this case there is little or no erolution of gas, the fusion is less disturbed than when carbon is used. T h e elimination of silicon and iron are satisfactory; less so, is that of titanium. The purified alumina differs from that produced by the usual combined dry and wet methods. It is grayish-white, crystalline, has a specific gravity of 3.;0 to 3.93, resembles in structure coarse-grained sandstone that is easily crushed, and often friable between the fingers. T h e product is partly soluble in hydrochloric acid and caustic alkalies wit11 liberation of methane and hydrogen, the former is due probably to aluminum carbide, the latter to the partial reductio11 of A120, to A1,,0, or A1,O. ~
Discussion of Paper of Rr. Scherr on Reduction Roasting. Its Value for Arsenic Expulsion from Copper Ores and Mattes. BY H. PI. IIOWE.School Afi?zes pzinvf., 22, ;Sr-382.-1n hi,+ paper (this Re;$.,6, 431) X r . Scherr held ( I ) that a metallic ar-
