Reports of Committees Advisory to the Bureau of Mines and the Bureau of Standards on Nonferrous Metals
A meeting
s THE representative of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, I attended Che
of the Metallurgical Advisory Committee on May 9, 1939, at which current research on a wide variety of problems was discussed. These include refractories for high-purity metals, foundry problems, corrosion and its prevention, plastic deformation of metals, silver, physical testing, etc.
to the service the accumulated experience of men in industry. Other matters of current interest have been discussed by correspondence and in many cases the individual on the committee has brought to bear upon the problem the knowledge and skill of his own staff members, and in some instances that of his company. For obvious reasons this report cannot go into detail, but it is believed that recently the committee has been of far more service than at any previous time. Η. E. HOWE, Chairman
WM. B. PRICE, Representative
Analysis of Commercial Fab
and Oils
D
URING the past 3 years, the committee has thoroughly investigated the following six methods and now recommends their adoption: titer, modified Gardner break test, detection of tristearin in lard, the Villavecchia test for sesame oil, calculations for the hydroxyl value, and the smoke, flash, andfirepoints. The detailed rocedures have been approved by the upervisory Committee on Standard Methods of Analysis. After presentation to and favorable action by the Council, the methods will be printed in the Analytical Edition of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, probably in July. A program of future work has been outlined that at present includes seven studies.
§
V. C. MEHLENBACHER, Chairman
Analytical Reagents URING the year ending April, 1940, D the committee has prepared for publication additional recommended specications for analytical reagent chemicals and also has recommended minor modification of certain teste and limits in specifications previously published. W. D. COLLINS, Chairman
Chemical Service to Medicine HE committee has not started to work T in an active way. It is in process of being formed and a general survey is being made on how it can best function. VINCENT DU VIGNEAUD, Chairman
Cooperation with Chemical Warfare Service
Exchanses
T
HE committee has made 11 new ex change arrangements since our last report (March 14, 1939) and 14 former exchanges, temporarily interrupted, have been resumed. Twenty-eight exchanges have been discontinued during this period; exchanges are discontinued for various reasons, but usually because we are no longer receiving enough by the exchange to make it an economical means of getting needed publications. One exchange pro posal made by us has been refused. Ex change proposals made to the committee are often turned down (20 during the past year). The total number of periodicals obtained by the SOCIETY on the exchange basis is now 663. The office of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry receives IS of these exchange periodicals and the re mainder come to the office of Chemical Abstracts. It is the policy twice each year to reconsider all of the existing exchanges to see that they are in good order and to determine whether or not continuance is justified. Special attention is being given the exchanges now because of publication suspensions brought about by the war in Europe. The exchange plan is of great service in obtaining papers for abstracting. E. J. CRANE, Chairman
Hazardous Chemicals and Explosives HIS committee wishes to report that T it has been active in its capacity as consultant to the Committee on Hazardous Chemicals and Explosives of the National Fire Protection Association during the past year. The committee has answered the usual number of inquiries submitted by various officers and members of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY and other interested
parties dealing with hazardous chemicals and explosives.
HE committee as a whole was not called T to active duty during 1939, but extensive use of the services of its individual members was made by the Chemical Warfare Service. Members of the Chemical Warfare Service interviewed members of the committee on several occasions concerning the design of plant to manufacture certain organic chemicals of great importance to the national defense. The time and assistance so generously given the service by these members were very greatly appreciated by the Chemical Warfare Serv ice. Individual members also made commente and gave suggestions concerning numérous specifications for chemical warfare material and directives for manufacturing processes, thus making available
One of the inclines carrying trolley and passenger cars up Eden Park Hill in Cincinnati
333
In cooperation with the Committee of the National Fire Protection Association, authoritative data have been prepared on the life, fire, storage hazards, ana firefighting phases of several hazardous chemi cals dunng the year. The work of the committee is continu ous because of the many new chemicals of a toxic or combustible nature that are being produced and marketed in com mercial quantities at the present time. These newer chemicals are given careful consideration as to their life, fire, and storage hazards, and sate methods are recommended for their storage and use; also the proper fire-fighting methods to be employed when the chemicals are involved in nrvs. In view of the committee's future plans of making 6 additions and 24 revisions to the latest 1939 Table of Common Hazard ous Chemicals, it is recommended that the committee be reappointed for another year. G. W. JONES, Chairman
Industrial Alcohol r ,
r HE committee has not been active durl ing the past year, although it has con tinued to be watchful of the general indus trial alcohol situation. The Industrial Alcohol Institute which was maintained at the expense of mrjiufacturer* of industrial alcohol, and whoso activities were helpful to all legitimate interests concerned with industrial alcohol, discontinued its activities in January, 1940. Although then» was formed in January. 1931), a National Council of Industrial Alcohol Users it is uncertain just how far this new organization may be successful in continuing the good work that was carried on by the Alcohol Institute. It is possible that the manufacturers who were the principal supporters of the Alcohol Institute, and who are also large users of industrial alcohol, may coojierate with the Council of l'sers to continue work similar to that formerly performed by the Alcohol Institute. MARTIN H. ITTNER, Chairman
Licensing Inquiry THE committee is keeping in touch with 1 current legislative proposals in respect to the licensing of chemists. There were introduced in the current sessions of the New York State Legisla ture Assembly Bill No. 1289 and corre sponding Senate Bill No. 978, covering general licensing regulations for chemists, and containing many features generally objectionable to members of the SOCIETY. We are reliably informed that the Assem bly Committee, to which this bill has been referred, has definitely decided not to report it. It is therefore our belief that this particular attempt at licensing legis lation in the State of New York will not be subject to action by the present legis lature. In the other States of the Union, there are no bills pending that have any rela tion directly or indirectly to the matter of licensing of chemists, and in these States there does not appear at the moment any ac*> /e movement toward such legislation. It is the understanding of the members of the committee that their function is confined solely to the observation of move ments of this kind and the reporting of the essential facts to the Council and the Directors of the SOCIETT with or without recommendations ; further, that the com mittee is not authorized by the SOCIETY to make any representations for or Against proposed legislation nor to enter into any
334
NEWS
association with any other agencies pro moting or opposing any given piece of legislation relating to the licensure of chemist*. F. W. WILLARD,
Chairman
Membership
Ί
ΗΕ Membership Committee of the SOCIETY is pleased to report that the membership is still in a very healthy condition and again increased in 1939. A detailed statement follows: Individual member· elected 1939.. Corporation members elected 1939. Members resinned during year 1939. Deceased members 1939 Total membership at end of year 1939 Members dropped for delinquency on December 31. 1939
2.607 33 445 89 23.619 676
W. D. COLLINS. Chairman
EDITION
mittee's recommendation that they be followed: (1) Hybrid names (use of mixed nomenclature systems) should not be used. EXAMPLES. The following offenders, among others, have gained some popularity in recent years: isobutene (instead of methylpropene, isobutylene. or tnsym-dimethylethylene) and tert-butanol (instead of terf-butyl alcohol. 2-methyl-2-propanol. or trimethylcarbinol). Similar offenders are α-butene, 2-butylene, isopropanol, tt-but&nol. isobutanoS. «te-butanol. andfcrf.pentanoi. (2) When ethers of polyols (glycols, glycerols, polyhydric phenols, etc.) are r.amed as ethers, the name of the polyol (i. e . a one-word name) shall be the first word in the name of the ether. This is in conformity with the Definitive Report (Rules 21. 62). which has decided against the use of multivalent radicals in nomen clature. EXAMPLES. I, resorcinol monomethyl ether: II, phloroglucinol ethyl dimethyl ether: III. glycerol α.γ-diethyl ether; IV. glycerol trirnethyl ether: V, 1.2-butanediol diethyl ether
Nomenclature, Spelling, and Pronunciation
OCH,
C H , 0 - A - OCH,
I
N CONTINUING its efforts to encourage the use of good chemical nomencla ture, the committee has been active dur ing the past year in answering inquiries, disseminating printed rules and comment, and considering proposals of new names and rules. The numerous questions which we have endeavored to answer have come from in dividual investigators, editors, and repre sentatives of other organizations, such as the Council on Pharmacy and Medicine of the American Medical Association. Leonard T. Capell and Austin M. Patter son have been particularly helpful in this work. The reprints available for distribution are: (a) Definitive Report of the Commission on the Reform of the Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry. Translation with commenta and index by Austin M. Patterson. Price. 10 cents With the cooperation of the Divi sion of Organic Chemistry of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 3000 new copiée of this very useful group of 68 rule· were obtained by planographic printing early in 1939 and of these 1921 copie· have been sold. (6) Key and Introduction to the 19S7 Subject Index to Chemical Abstracts. Price, 20 cent*. The year 1937 marked the beginning of another collective index period for Chemical Abstracts and this reprint contains a complete list < ' organic radicals, arranged by preferred names and by formula», in addition to considerable information on the nomenclature used in the index. (c) The Pronunciation of Chemical tVords A committee report. Price, 5 cents, (
