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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 ENGINEERING CBBMIS1’R.Y
ANOTHER GREAT DISCOVERY
A discovery of enormous potential i m p o r t a n c e t o t h e chemical profession h a s been m a d e within t h e last few m o n t h s b y t h e general public. H u n d r e d s of nemspapers a n d periodicals are devoting editorial space t o t h e discussion of t h e chemists a n d cheniical engineers a n d their relations, a n d especially their ohligat i o n s , t o t h e coal-tar d y e industries. T h c public acknowledgment of our responsible connection ’ with t h i s i m p o r t a n t i n d u s t r y is a g r e a t accomplishment for our profession when we recall t h a t only six m o n t h s a g o t h e chemist was known chiefly b y t-lie d r u g store h e k e p t . E v e r y worker thrives u p o n public recognition of his achievements. T h e chemist is no exception t o t h i s rule, y e t f r o m t h e obscure and involved n a t u r e of his work a n d his n a t u r a l secretive instincts h e h a s received less public acknowledgment t h a n t h e workers of a n y o t h e r profession. It m a t t e r s little whether t h e chemical profession comes i n t o view riding t h e spectacular coal-tar d y e h o b b y , v h e t h e r i t is “ t r i m m e d ” b y t h e public press for its lack of initiativc in seizing opportunities, or whether i t is charged with an u t t e r absence of business a c u m e n , so long a s i t comes t o b e publicly recognized a s a n i m p o r t a n t a n d an essential f a c t o r i n t h e industrial development a n d councils of t h i s c o u n t r y . If t h e newspapers m a k e mistakes i n discussing our i n t r i c a t e scientific a n d industrial problems, we should n o t be c o n t e n t t o blink a n d chuckle i n our superior wisdom, b u t should come o u t i n t h e open a n d s e t t h e m r i g h t . If legislative styles point u n m i s t a k a b l y t o pension log-rolling, bureaucratic l o g r o l l i n g , tariff log-rolling, i t is o u r d u t y t o t e a c h legislators t h e value of rolling t h e logs t h a t will develop t h e industries v h i c h s u p p o r t o u r profession. T h e public h a v e been left t o t h e i r own resources t o figure o u t t h e function of t h e chemical profession. W e publish one t h o u s a n d copies of o u r Journals e a c h d a y i n t h e year, b u t t h e y are for t h e chemists, a n d are free f r o m m a t t e r s of public i n t e r e s t . T h e largest technical society directory of our Society-the in t h e world-gives n o h i n t of t h e v a s t a n d varied field of professional activity of t h e chemist. Our public work is obscured b y impenetrable technical d e t a i l a n d o u r industrial achievements are c u t off f r o m public view by high f a c t o r y walls. Public sources of information a s t o t h e field of a c t i v i t y of the chemist a r e t h u s limited t o t h e signs displayed on t h e corner d r u g storcs. TVe have labored €or years under cover. Is it a n y wonder, t h e n , t h a t we were still undiscow e r e d r h e n th.e foreign crisis disclosed t o t h e public t h e f a c t t h a t some of o u r g r e a t industries depended. for t h e i r development a n d continuance u p o n t h e work of t h e chemist? S e v e r t h e l e s s , t h e r e a r e m a n y o t h e r fields of a c t i v i t y besides those which h a v e recently become of interest t o t h e public, i n Yhich t h e chemist a n d t h e chemical engineer h a v e c o n t r i b u t e d much to industrial wealth.
Vol. 7, No. 4
T h e t i m e seems ripe for coming o u t i n t h e open a n d showing t h e public i n clear a n d a u t h o r i t a t i v e form t h e place of t h e chemist in i n d u s t r y . TVe publish io. T H I S ISSUE a series of papers w r i t t e n b y e m i n e n t specialists--chemists, chemical engineers, administ r a t i v e officials a n d industrial. managers---who see a n d present f r o m various angles t h e contributions of t h e chemical profession t o our industrial developm e n t . These papers cover b u t a few of t h e indus.. tries benefited b y t h e science of chemistry. W e hope t o publish m a n y others of t h e same kind arid t h u s bring t o light a b e t t e r understanding of t h e world’s work of t h e industrial chemist a n d t h e chemical engineer. ________~.
ON SYNTHETIC DYESTUFFS AND OUR EXPLOSIVES L‘nder t h e title of “ T h e Dyestuff Situation a n d I t s Lesson,!’ we printed i n t h e March n u m b e r of THE J O U R N A L a n address b y our ex-president, A r t h u r D . Little. Were i t n o t for t h e p r o m i n e n t position occupied b y h i m , i n view of t h e m a n y reports a n d p a p e r s w r i t t e n , we would m a k e no c o m m e n t , a s t h e subject has become t h r e a d b a r e . F r o m a s t a n d p o i n t of p a t r i o t ism, however, if for no o t h e r reason, we challenge his conclusions. While he is stopping t h e “ w a s t i n g precious a m m o n i a ” t h e no less precious benzol, toluol, carbolic acid, e t c . , are t o go t o waste, or be exported t o be r e t u r n e d t o us as finished products. It is a d m i t t e d t h a t we can h a v e a dyestuff i n d u s t r y i n t h i s c o u n t r y if i t is protected with a n ad valorem d u t y of 3 0 per cent, plus a specific d u t y of 7s/2 cents p e r p o u n d . Let us see w h a t t h i s means t o t h e mind of t h e m a n or woman who is called u p o n t o p a y t h e t a x . D r . Hesse tells u s : t h a t t h e cost of t h e dyestuff, including t h i s d u t y , would n o t be over T S cents pcr a n n u m per c a p i t a of our p o p u l a t i o n ; t h a t t h e dyestuff entering i n t o a suit of clothes costing $ 2 j . 0 0 mould n o t b u y a good cigar, and: including t h e proposed d u t y , mould be less t h a n j cents per s u i t . H e asks why t h e n “should m duplicate t h e m (i. e., G e r m a n Color Works) only t o plunge i n t o at?. industrial warfare against t h e most strongly fortified industrial position in t h e world.” I n answer: let us quote f r o m w h a t D r . Schn-eitzer says in an articic on German militarism~ “The industry for the recovery of the by-products from the coking process, which we already mentioned as a source for sulfate of ammonium, has also been highly developed because Gcr- , man militarism needed some of the resulting coal-tar products €or the rnanuEacture of explosives. Benzol, toluol, carbolic acid, metacresol and diphenylamine are starting materials used in the manufacture of ammunition.” §caring t h i s in. mind !et us see n-hat I l r . HCSSCs a y s on t h e s u b j e c t i n a report which was r e a d i n t o t h e records of t h e House of Representatives, dated December I O , 1914, b y H o n . Samuel Wallin: “The best information your committee has so far been able t o gather is that this country can produce so-called coal-tar raw matcrial in amounts sufficient for the needs of a complete domestic coal-tar chemical industry, inclusive of explosives
Apr., 1915
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ElVGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
and dyes, provided there is a certainty of outlet as to volume and continuity. “There is no inherent defect in our coke industry with regard to the actual making of these things; the only question involved is whether i t be more profitable to burn the benzol, toluol, and the like, contained in the gas, as a fuel, than to separate them from each other for purposes of sale. “The materials of the preceding paragraph are the ones used in the coal-tar explosive industry, as well as in the coal-tar medicinals and dyestuffs industries. Each of these three industries cooperates with the others to make full use of those materials; alone none can fully make use thereof nor succeed; the correct and proper utilization of these materials require successful coexistence of all three industries in one and the same country.” In a s t a t e m e n t m a d e b y H. A. M e t z . before t h e C o m Senate, 62nd Congress, m i t t e e of Finance of t h e o n t h e m a t t e r of d u t y on Aniline Oil a n d Salts, h e s a i d : “ o r if the foreigners did n o t d r o p their prices t h e articles would p r o b a b l y b e m a d e here, a n d provide t h e basis for a real coal-tar (chemical) i n d u s t r y , etc.” H e r e we find t h e motive for t h e opposition b y t h e foreign m a n u f a c t u r e r a n d their agents, because if t h e dyestuffs i n d u s t r y was assisted b y proper protection in t h i s c o u n t r y t h e y k n o w t h a t i n t e n years we would c o m p e t e with t h e m i n t h e m a r k e t s of t h e world. T. B. W a g n e r h a s given us a t e x t on t h e subject w h e n h e s t a t e d i n his address before t h e American I n s t i t u t e of Chemical Engineers t h a t : “Strange as it may seem, the starting of industrial enterprises is not always due to the chase of the almighty dollar, as is generally and perhaps pardonably assumed, but in many instances it is directly caused by the enactment of laws with more or less restrictive tendencies.” Switzerlandproduces neither coal, coke nor coal t a r , a n d y e t of t h e 16.6 per cent of dyestuffs n o t obtained f r o m G e r m a n y in t h e y e a r 1913b y this c o u n t r y t h e major p a r t was o b t a i n e d f r o m Switzerland. Switzerland t h e n could hold us at her mercy because of her ability t o s u p p l y herself, or o t h e r nations who might b e a t war with us, with explosives. W e c a n r e a d between t h e lines. T h e r e is no secret whence t h e success of t h e foreign coal-tar chemical i n d u s t r y . It is fully set f o r t h in
u. s.
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t h e report of t h e U. S. Tariff B o a r d d a t e d F e b r u a r y 7 , 1912,pages 225 and 226: The German chemical industry knows practically no competition between individual establishments engaged in the manufacture of the same products; and the elimination of competition and general tendency toward combination observable in all industrial countries, hut especially pronounced in Germany, has in that country gone further in the chemical and allied industries than in any other manufacture. This has been accomplished by the formation of ‘syndicates,’ ‘cartels,’ ‘selling associations,’ and to a lesser degree by the absorption of, or amalgamation with, rival concerns, formed secretly or openly for the purpose of controlling output and prices. The law puts no obstacle in the way of such consolidation, and in several instances governmental agencies operating large chemical establishments form a party to the agreements. * * * * Practically all the important manufactures of the chemical industries and many products of lesser importance are under some form of syndicate control, more or less strict, and more or less extensive as to production, prices, supply of raw materials or division of territory. Chemical manufactures lend themselves more readily to consolidation than any other, because within a given line the products from one source are not visibly different from those of other sources, and, on the same basis of purity, do not differ a t all. The products, therefore, carry little if any individuality, which is the principal basis of competition. Quite a number of these organizations are bound by agreements of some kind to international ‘cartels,’ the object of which is to control the international markets.” Should t h e American m a n u f a c t u r e r s use similar methods, i n d i c t m e n t s would p r o m p t l y follow. Were t h e y p e r m i t t e d t o use t h e m , however, t h e foreigner would unquestionably b e b e a t e n at his o w n game. If t h e n it is n o t t h e desire of t h e people of t h i s c o u n t r y t o foster its aniline i n d u s t r y , l e t us, a t least, as a m a t t e r of patriotism, d e m a n d t h a t o u r G o v e r n m e n t e n t e r i n t o t h e m a n u f a c t u r e of t h e necessary explosives derived f r o m t h e coal-tar chemical compounds, a l t h o u g h in so doing our a m m u n i t i o n of t h e character described b y Dr. Schweitzer a n d q u o t e d a b o v e ill cost t h e count r y m a n y , m a n y t i m e s w h a t i t could b e supplied for b y an established a n d protected aniline i n d u s t r y T. J . P A R K E R in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . I‘
SYMPOSIUM ON THE GQNTRIBUTIONS OF T H E CHEMIST TO AMERICAN INDUSTRIES Papers presented a t the 50th Meeting of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, New Orleans, March 31 t o April 3, 1915
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE CHEMIST TO ‘JXE INDUSTRY
WINE
By CHARLESS. ASH
Demonstrating the value of chemistry and chemists t o an old established industry, which has been commercially successful without either, is never an easy matter. To attempt such a demonstration to the wine industry of California fifteen years ago seemed like an almost hopeless as well as an entirely thankless task. The California wine industry had been established by European wine makers some thirty years before and for that length of time had been conducted by “thumb and screw” rules. While wines of good quality were not turned out each year, the results obtained by the wine maker were entirely satisfactory to the dealer. Spoilt and poor wine was attributed to a “poor vintage.” The arguments which could be advanced a t that time showing the value of the chemist to other industries had little effect.
When the chemist looked for employment in the wine industry he was naturally asked what he could do for the benefit of the industry. On replying that he could make an analysis of the wine, he was met with this answer-“Well, after I know the composition of the wine what good does it do me? Can you tell me whether the wine is good, bad or indifferent? An expert taster can tell all these things.” Of course, a chemist knowing nothing about wine could not interpret the analysis he had made, and an analysis without an interpretation is useless, while an incorrect interpretation is fatal. So the stand taken by the wine merchant was absolutely correct, as far as his knowledge went. The fallacy of his position a t that time (15 to 20 years ago) was that he unknowingly did depend upon the chemist. Chemical preservatives were in common use all over the world, their preservative value having been discovered by chemists. All wine having a sufficient quantity of preservative was sterile and, therefore, gave no trouble after shipment.
