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number of fir wood sawmills for given periods, and estimate t h e value of t h e ashes on t h e amount of pure ash they contain? While these questions arise from the consideration of t h e Douglas Fir mill-waste alone it is probable t h a t many of t h e m would apply to the potash problem f r o m nearly a n y kind of wood mill-waste within t h e Sorthwest country. Observing casually t h e enormity of the lumber industry in the Pacific Northwest, one is a p t t o be misled by the possibilities of the potash problem from t h a t territory and from this source. Inasmuch as the majority of the standing timber bordering Puget Sound is of Douglas Fir, and since fir wood yields a large amount of potassium salts as compared with other woods in this region, this outwardly appears t o be a likely possibility. The Report of Commerce and Labor for 1 9 1 3 on “ T h e Lumber Industry,” T‘ol. I , in cooperation with the Forest Service, pages 278, Table I gives t h e following statistics for the State of Washington: “ I n the State of Washington we find a total of 714 sawmills a t the expiration .of t h e year 1909. Arranging these according t o output, me find only 1 3 with a n output of less t h a n 5 0 M. board feet, while there are I I O with a n output of from 1,000t o 2 , 5 0 0 ill.board feet and 8 with a n output of over jo,ooo nl. board feet. The total output for t h e State for t h a t year was 3,862,916 M . board feet, leading all of t h e States in t h e Union in production of Lu.mber.” When we consider t h a t Washington is second in total amount of standing timber with Oregon ranking foremost, it is little wonder t h a t we consider t h e Pacific Northwest a s a possible b u t a highly improbable factor in t h e production of potash from waste wood ash. Although t h e lumber industry in the State of Washington is growing rather t h a n waning, still t h e values of t h e figures in t h e above Report for 1913 are probably much changed during the intervening time-since t h e number of lumber mills and total board feet cut are markedly fluctuating factors. CHEMICALLABORATORY, COLLEGE O F PCGET S O U N D TACOMA, WASHINGTOX
NOTES ON A NEW PROCESS OF BLEACHING’ By S. F, PECKHAM
Some years ago a man brought t o me some flax fiber and asked me t o bleach it b y a quick process without injury to t h e fiber. He said t h a t a certain party t h a t he named claimed t o have done it. I said t o him, “ Y o u will have nothing left b u t paper pulp,” a n d after some talk he owned u p t h a t t h a t was t h e case. I knew t h a t about 30 years ago one Charles Toppan had t a k e n out a patent for a bleaching compound of which petroleum and t h e fixed oil of mustard were t h e essential ingredients. Great claims were set forth for this mixture, b u t nothing came of it as there was too little fixed oil of mustard produced in t h e world t o supply t h e demands of one large bleachery. -4t t h a t time t h e only petroleum on t h e market was Pennsylvania petroleum a n d i t was a well knomn fact 1 Presented a t the 8th Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Jan. 12-15, Baltimore.
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t h a t the crude petroleum and its distillates would dissolve in a solution of soap. A study of this process f r o m all available sources led me t o conclude t h a t Toppan’s compound, which was originally a lubricating compound, consisted of a fixed mustard-oil soap dissolved in petroleum. and t h a t b y varying the proportions his bleaching compound consisted of petroleum or its distillates dissolved in a solution of fixed mustard-oil soap. 9 complete study of t h e chemistry of the fixed oil of mustard led me t o conclude t h a t a n y other pure vegetable oil soap might act in a similar manner. T h e cheapest oil soap of t h a t description on t h e market is what is known as cotton-oil soap stock. Having procured some of this, I proceeded t o make a solution of Pennsylvania petroleum distillate in a solution of t h e soap. This oil readily dissolved and on boiling the flax in the solution it came out in a condition t o be readily bleached in bleaching solution, but I concluded t h a t t h e result was not wholly satisfact o r y as the bleaching solution had t o be so strong or the immersion had t o be so long t h a t t h e fiber was tendered. I then concluded t h a t I would t r y all t h e hydrocarbons on the market t h a t came within range of practicability as t o price and sufficiency of supply. 1 first made u p a solution of a distillate of California petroleum a n d on boiling and bleaching t h e flax i t came out very much better in every respect. Reflecting on the fact t h a t California petroleum consists of benzol and its derivatives, while Pennsylvania petroleums consist of paraffins, t h e idea occurred t o me t h a t perhaps still better results could be obtained by using pure or nearly pure benzols. I found t h a t t h e different benzols dissolved in soap solution much more readily t h a n t h e petroleum distillates and t h a t t h e cleansing effect on t h e flax fiber was marvelous. Immersion in a very dilute bleaching solution produced a perfect dead-white bleach a n d left t h e fiber unimpaired in strength. I n fact I had accomplished precisely what the gentleman bad asked me t o do. This method can be successfully applied t o all vegetable fiber, as linen is t h e most difficult t o bleach of all of them without injury t o the fiber. I have never seen a n y mention made in chemical literature t h a t benzol a n d its derivatives are soluble in‘a solution of soap, nor did I ever hear any statement to t h a t effect. N o fixed formula can be designat e d , as soap is soluble in water in all proportions a n d t h e stronger t h e solution of soap the more benzol the solution will dissolve. The formula used for I O O lbs. of flax was: WATER,50 gals.
SOAP,10 lbs.
BENZOL, 3 gals
This was used for a heavy woven line damask, where for ordinary light cottons, such a s “gray cloth,” very much less material is necessary. Pure benzol need not be used; a n y of t h e light distillates of coal t a r , coke oven t a r or blast furnace t a r , freed from impurities b y washing a n d proper treatment, answers t h e purpose equally well.
Feb., 1916
T H E J O U R N A L O F I N D U S T R I A L A N D E .!!GI 9E E RI IVG CH E M I ST R Y
h f y invention consists of a process of bleaching by substituting for t h e usual lime a n d soda boils a single boil in a solution of soap, preferably a pure vegetable oil soap, in which is dissolved a sufficient q u a n t i t y of benzol (CsHs) or its homologues or derivatives, a s found in t h e light distillates of coal t a r a n d similar liquids a n d in light distillates of some varieties of petroleum, especially t h a t of California, as distinguished from t h e light distillates of paraffin petroleums. T h e strength of t h e solution in both soap a n d benzol would depend upon t h e kind a n d character of t h e material to be bleached, light cotton fabrics requiring less t h a n heavier cottons, a n d a n y cotton less t h a n flax, jute or hemp. After thorough squeezing a n d washing t o remove t h e soap solution, t h e goods or fiber may be bleached in a n y known chemic. I prefer one of my own preparation consisting of a solution of sodium hypochlorite, prepared b y pouring together, cold, a solution of j 8 per cent soda ash a n d a solution of calcium hypochlorite, stirring t h e mixture a n d allowing it t o settle. Both solutions should be prepared cold, a n d after mixing t h e solutions t h e y should be allowed t o s t a n d a t least 4 days or until all t h e available chlorine in t h e calcium hypochlorite shall be found in combination with t h e sodium a n d in solution. N o formula can be assigned for this mixture as calcium hypochlorite varies indefinitely in strength. T h e quantities taken should be such t h a t there will be a slight excess of t h e sodium carbonate. After a great many experiments upon this chemic I have found this method of preparation, which is very unlike a n y which is laid down i n t h e books, to.be t h e only one t h a t will bring all t h e available chlorine in t h e calcium hypochlorite into solution as sodium hypochlorite. It is better t o prepare this solution of a strength 3-3” Twaddel, a n d dilute it t o such a strength t h a t a n immersion of t h e goods from 3 t o 5 hours will effect a bleach. After washing t h e bleached goods in water t h e y are soured, washed a n d calendered as usual. By this method a complete bleach of either cotton or linen can be h a d in from one t o t w o working days. I have described a process of bleaching b y which t h e goods or fiber are prepared for t h e chemic b y boiling in a solution of soap in which has been dissolved a sufficient q u a n t i t y of benzol or its homologs or i t s methylated derivatives, either separately or mixed together, a s f o u n d in coal-tar n a p h t h a s a n d similar liquids a n d t h e distillations from some petroleums as above set forth. T h e soap which I have used is t h e cheapest t h a t I know of on t h e market, as it is a by-product of t h e refining of cottonseed oil a n d is used in its crude s t a t e without further treatment. T h e a p p a r a t u s used is a Kier with a steam jacket t o which is attached a n inverted condenser which ret u r n s t h e evaporated hydrocarbons t o t h e Kier. T h e process was applied on a small scale a n d thoroughly tested out with t h e most gratifying results. Of course t h e goods are singed a n d sheared as is customary. Goods in small pieces were digested for various periods of time a n d t h e resulting goods subjected t o a great
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variety of tests excepting t h e effects of time upon finished goods. It was found t h a t if t h e goods were thoroughly dried after thorough mashing t o free t h e m from soap t h e effect of t h e chemic was very much more satisfactory t h a n when t h e y were introduced into t h e chemic d a m p , directly from t h e squeezers. This is not surprising when very dilute solutions of chemic are used as t h e water remaining in t h e goods from t h e squeezers not only dilutes t h e chemic still further b u t filled t h e pores of t h e goods, t h u s getting in t h e way of t h e chemic a n d preventing it from doing its work. An application was made for a patent on t h e above process with t h e confident expectation t h a t a valuable invention h a d been perfected, b u t t h e officials a t t h e P a t e n t Office in Washington quoted Toppan’s a n d other patents against me a n d I found t h a t no amount of argument would convince t h e m t h a t there was t h e slightest difference between t h e substances designated “Benzine” a n d ‘(Benzene”--in fact t h e y declared t h e y were identical. Comment is unnecessary in this place upon such a n highly unscientific administration of t h e P a t e n t Laws. 1154 STERLIKG PLACE BROOKLYN, N E W YORK
THE MICROSTRUCTURAL CHANGES ACCOMPANYING THE ANNEALING OF BRONZE (Cu 0.88,Sno.ro,Zno.z)l By HENRYS. RAWDON Received September 2 5 , 1915
Most of t h e questions which this s t u d y a t t e m p t s t o answer arose in connection with t h e work on t h e s t a n d a r d specimens of zinc-bronze (Cu 0 . 8 8 , Sn 0.10, Zn 0 . 2 ) carried on a t t h e Bureau of Standards. The samples used here were chosen from t h e series prepared in t h a t investigation. T h e physical properties of cast bronze are very materially altered b y heat treatment, this modification of properties being accompanied b y decided changes in t h e microstructure of t h e metal. These structural differences are especially marked if t h e sample has been subjected to mechanical work of a n y kind previous t o t h e heat t r e a t m e n t ; Figs. I a n d z illustrate this change. T h e structural changes here noted, as accompanying t h e annealing after distortion, may be taken as typical of t h e copper-rich brasses a n d bronzes a n d , in general, of alloys i n which copper is t h e predominating constituent. A I M A K D S C O P E OF T H E W O R K
T h e general purpose of t h e work is t o show t h e stages through which t h e alloy passes in going from t h e condition shown in Fig. I t o t h a t shown in Fig. 2 , a n d t h e conditions necessary for this change of struct u r e t o occur. While i t is quite generally understood t h a t t h e condition shown in Fig. 2 is t h e result of annealing, following distortion of t h e original structure, t h e opinion is b y no means general t h a t this is always true. Inasmuch as t h e common commercial use of annealing in t h e application t o brass or bronze is t o relieve t h e internal stresses of material, which has been mechanically (‘cold-worked” in some way, 1 The complete report of the results of this study will appear as a Technologic Paper of the Bureau of Standards.
