T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
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Conference on Standardization of Biological Stains A conference on the standardization of biological stains, a t which H. J. Conn presided, was held a t the Chemists' Club, New York City, September 16, 1922. The objects of the conference were t o arrive a t some program whereby the user, the manufacturer and dealer may be benefited. It was the sense of the committee that the user should know when he purchased a stain that it was reliable and for what purposes, and that the stain business be put on a more economical basis, the committee's ability to test stains be placed more directly a t the service of the manufacturer, and that plans be formulated for educating the users as t o the excellence of American stains and the public as to the importance of this line of business. The following resolutions were adopted: (1) That those present lend their support to the continuance of the work of the present committee on standardization. (2) That, should it be found t h a t the National Research Council does not see its way clear t o continue its support, i t be recommended that the committee take such independent action as is necessary t o carry on its work of standardization and control.
It was further recommended, but without a record vote:
Vol. 14, No. 10
(1) That a list of dyes needed for biological purposes with their Schultz numbers be prepared and that the approximate quantities of each sold be sent t o the committee with a view to limiting productive effort t o necessary ones only. (2) That the list of dyes chosen as necessary be published and that standard labels be used on packages in which these dyes are sold. (3) That these standard labels be given proper publicity by publication. (4) That the American Society of Bacteriologists arrange for the certification and standardization of such dyes and that they charge a fee for such certification. More than 90 were present a t the dinner of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers at the Pennsylvania Hotel on September 14. It was announced that the Institute now has 550 members and 15 applications. As compared with a $700 balance in the treasury a year ago, there is now $2100 on hand, and there are no outstanding bills. David Wesson, H. C. Parmalee, H. C. V. Dorr, and Maximilian Toch, spoke during the meeting, and a committee, composed of David Wesson, G. W. Thompson, and R . F. Bacon, was appointed to consider the repeal of the PZew York law governing the registration of chemical engineers. Richmond, Va., will be the place of the December meeting, the tentative dates being December 11, 12, and 13.
Progress in Inorganic Electrochemi s t ry By W. G . Horsch MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
tant.8 One part antimony in two million N REVIEWING recent progress in causes t r ~ u b l e .Several ~ interesting descripinorganic electrochemistry, it seems tions of plants have been published: Trail, desirable to include as many topics B. C., with a daily capacity of 75 tons;1° as possible, touching on each one briefly, Judge Electrolytic Zinc Plant;'] and Anaand indicating where further information conda.12 Cadmium is recovered from the may be found. bag-house condensation product of copper The subject of metal recovery will be and lead furnaces, the electrolyte being a first considered. Of considerable interest pure sulfuric acid 1 e a ~ h . l ~ Excellent reis the well-worked-out Ashcroft process sults are claimed for a new cell for producfor the electrolytic decomposition of ing metallic ca1~ium.l~Recent patents anhydrous magnesium chloride employed cover the electrolytic production of sodium by the Magnesium Company of Wolverfrom fused sodium chlorideI6 and from hampton, England,' magnesium being first sodium carbonate in a fused mixture with recovered as an alloy with lead, which is sodium chloride.16 Difficulties due to the subsequently refined electrolytically. high vapor pressure of sodium caused the Other methods of magnesium recovery failure of early attempts to use sodium have been patented by Seward2 using a chloride. Electrolysis of fused boric acid, fused fluoride bath, and by Ingeberga3 Its rendered conductive by adding borax, recovery from salt-works residue has also yields boron, a useful metallurgical reducbeen in~estigated.~ A brief review of magW. G. HORSCH ing agent." Patents continue to be issued nesium recovery processes is given by Vickew6 E1ect;olytic zinc apparently has become a perma- covering processes for the electrolytic detinning of scrap.18 nent industry both in United States and abroad, according Cerium and "misch-metal," obtained by electrolyzing residues to Ingalls,G although it is dependent upon large-scale pro8 Brit. Patent 126,296 (1919); Clevenger, U. S. Patent 1,283,077. 9 Hansen, iMining Met., 167, Sec. 12 (1920), 21. duction. It is advocated as an economic proposition in 10 Chem. Met. Eng., 23 (1920),227. Great Britain.' Only a few of the many references can 11 Heikes, Eng. Mining J . , 110 (1920), 1118. be given. Low cobalt content of the electrolyte is impor12 Laist, et al., Trans. A m , Inst. Mining Eng., 1920, 1028; Chem. Me;.
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EZectrician (London), 88 (1922), 90. U.S. Patents 1,408,141-2. Ger. Patent 319,530 (1917).
Boynton, Langford and Hicks, THIS J O U K N A L , 14 (1922). 146. Brass World, 16 (1920), 330. 8 Trans. A m . Electrochem. Soc., 40 (1921), 165 7 Field, Tvans. Faraday Soc., 17, I1 (1922),400. 4
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Eng., 25 (1921),754. 18 Hanley, Chem. Met. Eng.,23 (1920),1257. 14 Brace, Trans. A m , Electrochem. Soc., 37 (1920),465. 16 Weaver, U. S. Patent 1,323,936. 16 Smith and Veazey, U. S. Patent 1,334,179. 17 Constant and Raisin, Brit. Patent 162,252. 18 Brit. Patents 122,618, 154,242,and 170,861.
