T H E .JOUR;VAL OF I i V D r S T R 1 , 4 L A X D EAVGINEERI-VG C H E M I S T R Y
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DIVISION OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTS AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERS-MINUTES OF BUSINESS SESSION 54TH MEETING AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY The meeting was called to order with Chairman Dr. H. E. Howe presiding. The minutes of the meeting a t New York City were read by the Secretary and approved by the Division. The Secretary reported on the financial condition of the Division as follows : Cash on hand, September 25, 1916.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1 9 . 4 i Receipts in response to a request for funds. , . , , . , , ,
188 .OO
.......
8207.4i 30.00
Expenditures.
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Cash on hand, April 1. 1 9 1 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$177.47
The Secretary also reported that the entire roll of members had been carefully gone over, all addresses being brought up to date and the names of members who have ceased to be members of the General Society dropped out. It was moved and seconded that the report be accepted. Tehe Committee on Soap and Soap Products presented a report of their work. This was turned over to the Supervisory Committee on Standard Methods of Analysis, Dr. Hillebrand, Chairman, and went to the Council direct. After some discussion of the Committee situation it was unanimously decided to abolish the Divisional Committee on Standard Specifications and Methods of Analysis. Upon the suggestion of Dr. Hillebrand, Chairman of the Committee on Platinum, that this Committee be not reappointed because there seems to be no occasion for renewed work on the quality of platinum at the present time, it was moved and seconded that the Committee be not reappointed. Motion carried. There being no further business to come before the Division the reading of the papers was proceeded with. SAMUEL H. SALISBURY, JR., ATLASPORTLASD CEMENTCOMPANY Secretary SORTHAMPTON. PA.
Vol. 9 , No. 6
AMERICAN LEATHER CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION FOURTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING The Fourteenth Annual Meeting of the American Leather Chemists’ Association will be held a t Atlantic City, June 7, 8 and 9, 1917, with headquarters a t the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel. PROGRAM OF PAPERS Anthrax and Disinfection of Hides. V. A. WALLIN. The Future of Hide Supply (by Title). A. SEYMOUR-JONES. Discussion. DR. HICKMAN of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Comparative Analysis. R. H. WISDOM. The Testing of Dyes for Leather. G. T.CREESE. Solubility of Hide in Salt (NaCl) Solution and Effect of Alkali on Soaking Dry Hides. L. BALDERSTON. Nigrosines. J. MERRITTMATHEWS. Analysis of Sulfonated Oils. W. K. ALSOP. Effect of Hard Water on Tannins. T. A. FAUST. Sulfuric Acid in Leather. C. R . OBERFELL. Specifications for Kaolin Used in Tannin Analysis. R . W. FREY. Analysis of Tannery Efliuent. W. A. Fox. Studies Conducted by the Public Health Service in Regard to the Sanitary Disposal of Tannery Wastes. H. B. HOMMON. (The Public Health Service built an experimental disposal plant a t an important tannery where these studies were conducted.) Chemistry of the Manufacture of Tanning Extracts from Waste SulfiteCellulose Liquors. H. H. HURT. Drum Tannage. OSKARREITHOF. Borax and Boric Acid in the Tannery and Currying Shop. H. I,. HARRIS. Symposium on Anthrax Anthrax. A. S. Ross. Practice and Theory on Treatment and Diagnosis of Anthrax. H . Z. FRISBIE. The Nature of Anthrax and Anti-Anthrax Serum. J. REICHEL. Discussions Tanners and Chemists “Round Table” Discussion. Discussion of Recently Advanced Ideas on Theory of Leather Formation. JOHN ARTHURWILSON, LLOYD BALDERSTON, WILLIAM KLABER, H. C. REED, F. H. SMALL, ALLEN ROGERS, JOHN H. YOCUM, ROBERTW. GRIFFITH.
PLATINUM I N JEWELRY The members of the American Chemical Society will be very AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS glad to learn that the Platinum Committee of the Jewelers NINTH SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING Vigilance Committee has passed resolutions, which were preThe Xinth Semi-Annual Meeting of the American Institute of sented to the Secretary of Commerce, in which they have shown Chemical Engineers will be held a t Buffalo, New York, June 2 0 a very proper attitude in recommending to the jewelry trade to 2 2 , 1917. that the use of platinum in bulky and heavy pieces of jewelry PROGRAM OF PAPERS be discouraged, and that jewelers also discourage the use of Address of Welcome. DAVID C. HOWARD,1st Vice-president Buffalo platinum in all non-essential parts of jewelry, such as scarfpin Chamber of Commerce. stems, pin tongues, joints, catches, swivels, spring rings, ear Some Machinery Employed in the Manufacture of Glue. A. LOWENSTEIN. backs, etc., where gold would satisfactorily serve. Considering Treatment of Sewage by Aeration in the Presence of Activated Sludge. 111. the fact that platinum is essential for the production of many EDWARD BARTOTV. of the munitions of war and that it is absolutely necessary The Manufacture of Linseed Oil. GLENNH. PICKARD. Trade Wastes Disposal. H. P. EDDY. for the development of our chemical industry and for the deChemical Engineering Aspect of Renovating a Sulfide Mill. H. K. AIOORE. velopment of chemical knowledge, this action of the jewelers Waste Heat Utilization. H. D. BAYLOR. is to be highly commended and will be a great help toward disSymposium on Potash couraging the unnecessary use of platinum and result in a drop in its price and an increase in the stock supply available for the The Possibilities of Developing a n American Potash Industry. R. K. use of the government and our commercial laboratories. The MEADE A New Method of Potash Recovery from Feldspar. J. C. W. FRAZER AND jewelers should be credited with helpful motives, for they will E. MILLER. undoubtedly yield up important profits by declining to enPotash from Waste Liquor of Beet Sugar Factories. H. E. ZITKOWSKI. courage the desire for personal adornment and ostentatious Joint subscription dinner of the Buffalo Engineering Society display of wealth, which is the chief reason for the use of and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Addresses platinum in such articles as watch-cases, solid platinum rings, by F. A . Lidbury, President of the Buffalo Engineering Society, bracelets, mesh-bags, etc. and President G. W. Thompson. It is expected that these resolutions, added to those passed EXCURSIONS by the Daughters of the American Revolution, by the National Automobile trip around the city and inspection of the Buffalo Academy of Sciences, and by the American Chemical Society Foundry and Machine Company Plant. A day a t the Buffalo will help to overcome the abuse of platinum. The needs of the government itself for platinum will unCanoe Club. Automobile ride to Niagara Falls. Car-ride doubtedly he met during the present war without great sacrifice. around the great scenic gorge route.
June, 1917
T H E J O U R N A L O F I N D U S T R I A L A iV D E N GI LVE E RI N G C H E M I S T R Y
IVhile the government itself uses comparatively little platinum, our sulfuric acid industry, especially for the strong acid used in the production of high explosives, is dependent upon it, and its high price makes it almost prohibitive for scieritific research. hToAmerican man or woman will wish to feel that by wearing platinum they are interfering with the development of the country’s industries and scientific standing, but such is inevitably the case. CHAS.L. PARSONS, Secretary The resolutions passed by the Platinum Committee of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee are as printed below : RESOLUTIONS
WHEREAS,the Secretary of Commerce has requested the Platinum Committee of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee to bring to the attention of the jewelry trade of the United States the advisability of conserving platinum in order that our government may h a r e larger supplies to draw upon for war purposes, and WHEREAS,the jewelry trade has already clearly expressed its desire and determination to assist our government to the
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extent of its ability in bringing the war to a successful termination, B e It Resolved that we pledge ourselves to discontinue and strongly recommend to all manufacturing and retail jewelers of the United States that they in a truly patriotic spirit discourage the manufacture, sale and use of platinum in all bulky and heavy pieces of jewelry. B e I t Further Resohed that during the period of the war or until the present supplies of platinum shall be materially augmented, we pledge ourselves to discontinue and recommend that the jewelry trade discourage the use of all non-essential platinum findings or parts of jewelry, such as scarfpin stems, pin tongues, joints, catches, swivels, spring rings, ear backs, etc , where gold would satisfactorily serve. B e It Further Resolved that the jewelry trade encourage by all means in their power, the use of gold in combination with platinum, wherever proper artistic results may be obtained. B e I t Further Resolved that copies of these resolutions be handed to the Secretary of Commerce, to the trade press, and be sent to all our trade organizations, and to the daily press, in order that they may have the widest possible dissemination.
NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION OF OLEIC ACID CONTAINING IRON
Editor o j the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: -1 recent case engaging the attention of this laboratory was concerned with spontaneous combustion of oleic acid when applied to wool. The circumstances of the occurrence have enough of general interest to warrant publication. The wool or other hair fibers were first oiled with I O per cent of their weight of oleic acid, after which the oiled fiber was conveyed to bins through a tinned iron pipe by a current of air. The conveying pipes were very near a bank of heating pipes, the latter being employed to heat the mill. This, of course, was bad practice, but the investigation was continued by an analysis of the oil employed. The iodine value was normal for commercial oleic acid, and the other constants showed nothing of a suspicious nature. Samples of the various fibers employed-wool, mohair and the like-were then oiled with the oleic acid, and tested in Slackey’s Cloth Oil Tester, as described in Vol. 11, Allen’s “Commercial Organic Analysis.” The rise in temperature against time was normal, but the fact was disclosed that the finer fibers gave the greater rise. This fact we ascribed to more surface for oxidation k i n g exposed for equal weights of fiber with similar weights of oil. If the investigation had ended here, we should not have discovered the true inwardness of the case, but we were sufficiently interested to follow up the clue of more rapid oxidation the finer the fiber to which the oil was applied. To test this point, we next used cotton, and found a rapid and dangerous rise. This should not have been the case, if the oil were suitable. We checked the apparatus, using technically pure oleic acid of pharmaceutical grade, and got no dangerous rise. Thus, i t was obvious that something about the oleic acid was wrong, notwithstanding the correct constants. Briefly, we found it to contain iron equivalent to 0. I O per cent ferric oxide. We next made a n oleate of iron, and dissolved it in the pure oleic acid, so that it contained the same amount of iron as the commercial sample. When this oil was applied to cotton, we found that it gave the same dangerous rise in the Mackey Tester as the comniercial sample. Here, then, was an adequate explanation of the matter. The small amount of iron had functioned as a catalyzer to promote oxidation. Since this work was done, we have tested samples of oleic acid
from other sources, and have found in them amounts of iron of the same order of magnitude. Experiments have shown that the dangerous rise applies to these also. We tried to remove the iron by shaking the oils with diluted hydrochloric acid, but without success. To do this successfully would probably necessitate getting the oil and acid in very fine emulsion. CHARLESE. SWETTAND WALTERS. HUGHES LABORATORY O F ARTHURD. LITTLE, INC. APRIL28, 1917, BOSTON,MASS.
THE INCOMPLETE HYDROGENATION OF COTTONSEED OIL-CORRECTION Referring to the article under the above title (THIS JOURNAL, g (191j), 451) the following corrections should be made: P. 451, Foot-note I : second reference in third line should be
dated 1906 instead of 1916. P. 456, Table 11: amount catalyzer in Run F was z per cent instead of 4 per cent. P. 458, Table IV: iodine number of Sample 2, Run Ih, should read 83.6 instead of 83.1. Iodine number of Sample 6, Run II, should read 54.6 instead of 5.46. Catalyzer referred to in Tables I1 and IV as “No. I ” should be understood to represent the t y p e of catalyzer referred to in paragraph “2” of the section on “Catalyzers,” rather than as one batch of material: several batches, of differing degrees of activity, are represented by it. The catalyzer referred to in the tables as “No. 2” is described in paragraph “ I ” of the section on “Catalyzers.” H. K. MOORE,G. A. RICHTERA N D W. B. VAS ARSDEL THE MANUFACTURE OF LINOLEUM AND ITS VALUATION-CORRECTION In the article under above title printed in THISJOURNAL, g, the following corrections should be made : Page 13, column I (tabular matter, under “Linoxyn”) the sentence “By I per cent aqueous NaOH in the acid” should read “By I per cent aqueous NaOH in the cold.” Page 17, column 2, paragraph 4, line 30, “. . . . . . . . poison the solution” should read “. . . . . . . . poison the sol.” ARMANDDE WAELE (I 9 I j), 6,
