Apr., 1918
T H E JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING ENGINEERS I 16th Meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers was held in New York City, February 18 to 21, 1918.
1 The
PROGRAM
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of workmen while on duty, suitable living conditions for labor, the training of workmen for better positions, and the crippled soldier in industry.
OF PAPERS
AMERICAN ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
NON-FERROUS METALLURGY
The Disadvantages of Chrome Brick in Copper Reverberatory Furnaces.
F. R. P Y N B . Fine-Grinding and Porous-Briquetting oT the Zinc Charge.
W.
McA.
JOHNSON.
High-Temperature Resistance Furnaces with Ductile Tungsten or Molybdenum Resistors. W. E. RUDER. Zinc Refining. I,. E. WEMPLE. Bone-Ash Cupels. F. P. DEWEY. An Automatic Filter at Dupue, Illinois. G. S. BROOKS AND L. G. DUNCAN. MINING AND MILLING
Hints on Bucket-Elevator Operation. A. M. NICHOLAS. Recent Test on Ball-Mill Crushing. C. T.VANWINKLE. Theory and Practice of Ball-Milling with Peripheral Discharge Mills. P. R. HINES. New Method of Separating Materials of Different Specific Gravities. T.M. CHANCE.
The board of directors of the American Electrochemical Society, a t a meeting held in Philadelphia on February 22, 1918, decided to hold the Spring Meeting in the South during the week of April 28. The meeting will take the form of a trip through the chemical, electrochemical and metallurgical centers of the South, the plan being to leave Washington, D. C., on the evening of Sunday, April 28, and spend April 29 in Kingsport, Tenn., April 3 0 in Knoxville, May I in Chattanooga, May 2 a t Muscle Shoals, and May 3 in Birmingham, Ala. Returning, the party will arrive in Washington on Sunday, May 5. Mr. C. F. Roth is chairman OF the Committee on Arrangements and may be addressed a t Grand Central Palace, iSew York City.
IRON AND STEEL
The Erosion of Guns. H . M. HOWE. Transverse Fissures in Steel Rails. J . E. HOWARD. METALLOGRAPHY
Grain-Size Inheritance in Iron and Carbon Steel. 2. JEFPRIQS. The Time-Effect in Tempering Steel. A. E. BELLIS. Some Structures in Steel Fusion Welds. S. W. MILLER. AND A. B. JOHNSTON. Effect of Copper in Steel. C. R . HAYWARD
Two sessions were also devoted to the consideration of employment problems, some of the topics considered being the necessity of a thoroughly capable employment manager, care
CALENDAR OF MEETINGS American Electrochemical Society-Spring Meeting, Souihern trip, week of April 28, 1918. American Society of Mechanical Engineers-Worcester, Mass., June 4 to 7, 1918. American Institute of Chemical Engineers-Summer Meeting, Berlin, N.H., June 2 2 , 1918. American Society for Testing Materials-Atlantic City, June 2 5 to 28, 1918.
NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE REVISED STATEMENT FROM THE CHEMICAL SERVICE SECTION Soon after the March issue had gone to press a revised form of the announcement from the Chemical Service Section was received. It is herewith printed in full, that which is in addition to the statement in the March number being printed black. OFFICE O F THE CHIEF OF THE CHEMICAL SERVICE SECTION, I 106 NEW INTERIOR BUILDING WASHINGTON, D. C. By an order of the Secretary of War the Bdjutant General of the Army has authorized the Chief of the Chemical Service Section of the National Army to initiate such measures as are necessary to secure deferred classification for chemists whose services are essential to war industries. Under the Selective Service Regulations such action is limited to a letter of advice to the Local and District Exemption Boards transmitted through the Adjutant General’s office, substantially as follows: “The Chemical Service Section of the War Department has investigated the status of your company in connection with the production of war material and considers it important that the efficiency of your organization be maintained. I n this connection the services of as a technical expert in ............................. have been investigated and it is believed that his continued employment in war industries would be t o the best interests of the Government. You are therefore advised t o apply to the local exemption board for deferred classification in his case on the ground that he is a necessary highly specialized technical expert of a necessary industrial enterprise. Such action, of course, should ..’s consent. If be taken only with Mr. ............................ he prefers to enter the military service, please advise this office of that fact in order that his services may be utilized where most needed.”
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Under the same order of the Secretary of War the Chief of the Chemical Service Section will initiate action for the return t o civil industries of any expert chemist whose service in the industry from which he was taken is of more importance to the Government than are his services in a military capacity. He must certify that the man is considered indispensable in
industry or that his services are essential to the prosecution of the war, and that his place cannot be filled by a man or woman not in the Army. Except in the cases of members of the Reserve Corps, the action taken will consist of a recommendation to the Adjutant General of the Army, that the man concerned be discharged from the National Army, National Guard or Regular Army, as the case may be, reenlisted or recommissioned in the proper branch of the Reserve Corps, and placed on the inactive list. In the cases of members of the Reserve Corps, the action will consist of a recommendation that the man concerned be placed on the inactive list. The Secretary of War further directs that upon the transfer to the Enlisted Reserve Corps for this purpose the enlisted man so transferred will be directed to report to the employer who requires his services. The employer in each case will be advised by the man’s transfer for the specific purpose intended and will be requested to report to the Department Commander a t the end of each month the status of the soldier, and should at any time the soldier separate himself from such employment, the employer will immediately notify the Adjutant General of the Army of such separation and, if practicable, the latest address of the man. The enclosed forms (printed in March issue) indicate the proper method of requesting action-a separate application must be made WM. H. WALKER,Lieut. Col. for each man. Chief, Chemical Service Section, N. A. PREPAREDNESS CENSUS The Bureau of Mines has published as Technical Paper 179 a classification of the returns of the census of mining engineers, metallurgists, and chemists made a t the request of the Council of National Defense. The paper can be obtained from the Bureau of Mines until the limited free edition is exhausted; after that, for 5 cents from the Superintendent of Documents,
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T H E JOURNAL OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. The following excerpt will be of special interest to chemists: The accompanying table shows the 15,000 chemists classified according to the various industrial groups. The miscellaneous group of 1,130includes 240 men not actually engaged in laboratory work, but holding administrative positions such as presidents, treasurers and secretaries of chemical companies. It also includes 157 leather chemists, 116 research chemists, a number of dentists, editors, physicians, chemical engineers, and consulting chemists.
10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19
20
21 22 23 24 25 26
27
270 27b 276 27d 27c 27f
% 27i 273
27k
271
27m 27n
270 279 28 29
CHSMISTSCLASSIPIED BY CHIEP INDUSTRIAL GROUPS Acids alkalies and salts.. 1,405 Alcohbl and aietone.. 339 Ammonia oxidation. 81 Analytical chemistry.. 3,808 Barium compounds.. 208 Cement and lime.. 584 Coal, gas, tar, and coke.. 1,294 D es and textiles.. 775 E?ectrochemistry 769 Explosives (high) 962 Explosives (black powder). 150 834 Fats and soaps Fertilizers. 844 Foods 1,619 Glass and ceramics.. 262 532 Inorganic chemicals.. Nitrogen (synthetic). 128 888 Organic chemicals (other than 2). 577 Paints and varnish Petroleum and asphalt. 769 Pharmaceuticals., 983 Pyrotechnics. 42 494 Rubber and allied substances.. Sugar, starch, and gums. 592 Water, sewage, and sanitation. 1,035 Wood products 368 494 Metallurgical chemistry. 323 Alloys, ferrous. Alloys, non-ferrous.. 360 Aluminum and magnesium. 127 Antimony, bismuth, and cadmium.. 54 82 Chromium and manganese. 379 Copper 337 Gold and silver.. 1,415 Iron and steel.. 209 Lead Mercury ... 25 Nickel and cobalt.. 68 Platinum metals. 75 Radium and uranium.. 99 Silicon and titanium.. . 89 Zinc, ,. 255 Other metallurgy.. 126 Professors and instructors.. *. * 1,285 Miscellaneous. 1,130
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The following table shows the number of chemists who reported experience in foreign countries: COUNTRY CHEMISTS Africa 13 Australasia. 10 Austria-Hungary.. . . . . . . . . . .................. 24 Canada 203 15 Central America. Cuba 60 Europe: Belgium.. ................................... 6 Denmark 10 France 38 117 231 Holland.. 10 Italy 11 Norway-Sweden.. ...................... 21 Russia..,. 30 Spain 5 Switzerland.. 18 Others... 10 Not specified.. 171 F a r East (including Philippin 80 Greenland.. India .............................................. Mexico 117 Newfoundland, ............ South America.. .................. 34 West I n d i e s . . . . . 32
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GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF PLATINUM On Friday, March I, 1918,the Council of National Defense issued the following statement: Through Ordnance Requisition No. 510 from the Secretary of War, the Government has taken over control of the production, refining, distribution, and use of crude and refined platinum for the period of the war. The control will be exercised through the Chemical Division of the War Industries Board. The Chemical Division sent out to-day to the industry requests for inven-
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tories of the existing stock of crude and refined platinum and platinum-iridium alloys as of March I , 1918. The letter stated that it was not the intention of the Government to take over and handle directly the present stock of platinum but to permit its shipment by the producers or dealers subject to certain conditions. Upon the fixing by the Secretary of War of a reasonable price for crude, refined, and alloyed platinum, notice will be given apd blanks issued governing delivery and distribution. DIRECTIONS TO PRODUCERS
The letter sent out by the Chemical Division includes the fol. lowing directions to producers: 1-That producers, refiners and dealers in platinum continue to dispose of their product for Government purposes, and for t h a t only, as directed by the Chemical Division. 2-That producers, refiners and dealers in platinum who are also consumers use platinum for Government purposes, and for that only, as directed by the Chemical Division. 3-That all ohligations arising out of transactions in the production or delivery of crude, alloyed, or refined platinum released as above, including all claims for shortage, poor quality, damage, or loss in transit, be borne by the producer or seller, as the case may be, in accordance with existing trade practices. Distribution may he made by consent of this board through agencies under existing arrangements, provided t h a t there results no increase over the existing price to the user. The undersigned, on separate application in each case, will consider permitting the delivery of a limited amount of platinum for essential commercial purposes not for Government account. Proper blanks upon which application for release of shipment should be made will be furnished on application. The following list indicates, in general, the order of preference which will be followed in releasing platinum for shipment: first, military needs of the United States Government; second, military needs of allied Governments; third, essential commercial purposes. SUPPLEMENTARY STATEMENT
On March 4 the following statement was published as a supplement to that of March I : The Council wishes to state that in issuing Ordnance Requisition No. 510, commandeering crude or raw platinum now in the hands of importers or refiners of this precious metal, it is to be understood that this commandeering order does not apply . to or interfere with the purchase by the consumer of any manufactured articles containing platinum. This explanation is made so that the public may clearly understand the purpose of this action by the Government.
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This action of the Government will be welcomed by those who have been concerned lest the available supplies should be insufficient to meet our war needs, especially since affairs have taken such a turn in Russia as to make it very improbable that we may hope to draw further from that source, “where the mines are mostly shut down and a commercial market does not exist.” Even so, it is doubtful if the unmanufactured stocks in the hands of dealers and refiners will begin to be enough. If not, the sole resource is to take possession of manufactured articles a t a valuation. It is regrettable that our Government did not clearly cover in its order all the metals of the platinum group. It does not appear from the statement of the Council of National Defense above quoted that there is any restriction on dealings in the other metals of the group that are free from platinum. Yet there seems to be an even greater relative scarcity of much needed iridium than of platinum. A supplementary order should be issued without delay so worded as to include all the metals of the group. How far the present action of our Government follows what has been done by the British Government is made evident by the official documents and a letter from the Ministry of Munitions of War on January 31, 1918,to the American Embassy in London, copies of which have been placed at my service by the Bureau of
