2.52
per year, with a probability of increase as Italian glass, soap, paper and cotton manufacture are further developed. Italy itsclf produces only a limited quantity of this material, and it is therefore dependent largely upon foreign markets for its supply. Imports of soda ash amount to over $I,OOO,OOOannually. The imports of crude caustic soda come principally from Great Britain and France, and the same countries lead in exports of soda ash t o Italy. The caustic soda and soda ash used in the Durban district (Natal) is a t present purchased from Great Britain and Germany. j o tons The consumption of caustic soda in Natal is from 100-1 per month, and of soda ash from 40-jo tons per month. There are two soap factories in Durban, and these are the only concerns which use caustic soda or soda ash to any extent. The imports of caustic soda and soda ash into Japan are practically all from Great Britain. About ~o,ooo,mo pounds pounds of soda ash are imported of caustic soda and ~2,ooo,ooo annually for consumption in soap, glass and paper factories. THE PRESERVATION OF TIMBER Several papers of interest to the chemical engineer were prcscnted at the annual meeting of the American Wood Preservers’ Association in Chicago, January 21-23, 1913. H. von Schrenk discussed the requirements for successful timber treatment. He pointed out t h a t the amount of material actually treated each year is ten times t h a t of seven or eight ycars ago. I n order to obtain good results from treated timber, hc said t h a t the following points must be observed : ( I ) Only perfectly sound timber should be treated. ( 2 ) Properly seasoned material should be used. (a) 4 good preservative is essential. (4) Proper injection as to quantity and penetration is neccssary. (5) Proper subsequent handling of the timber is cssential. Investigations of premature failures of so-called treated timber have shown t h a t they were attributable, almost without exception, to the non-observance of one or more of these principles. I n the early days of wood preservation much timber was treated which was sap rotten. However, the consumer frequently makes demands which cannot be fulfilled, and if they are they are bound to result in ultimate failure. The inspection of material before treatment should be made with great care, and cvery treating company should be empowered to refuse to treat material which it knows to be defective. The same holds truc for improperly seasoned material. I n treating green-red oak ties with z gallons of creosote oil by the full-cell process, the pcnctration is insignificant and internal sap rot is bound to occur in a comparatively short period of time. H. F. Weiss reported the results of an investigation wherein he compared zinc chloride with coal-tar creosote for treating ties. I n 1911, there were 9,445,961 ties treated with zinc chloride and 16,510,721 ties with coal-tar creosote in the United States. Zinc chloride and coal-tar creosote, when used under normal conditions, are both effective preservatives of cross-ties, and there is little choice between them so far as aanual charges are concerned. Creosoted ties generally cost initially more than Burnettized ties, the cost of treatment being two or three times as great. Creosoted ties last, on the average, longer in the track than Burnettized ties, hence require less frequent renewals and changes in the roadbed. If creosote advances appreciably in price, it will very probably result in stimulating the number of ties treated with zinc chloride. TAR AS A FUEL FOR OPEN-HEARTH FURNACES The Indiana Steel Company, of Gary, Ind., has been investigating the use of tar as a fuel for its open-hearth furnaces in the place of producer gas. It is reported that the results of these experiments have been very successful, and at present two fur-
naces in open-hearth unit No. I are being run exclusively with tar as it comes from the by-product coke oven plant. The tar is handled very much like fuel oil, being atomized with steam i n burners similar to those used for oil.
A NOVELTY I N GAS ENGINES The Gus A g e , 31, 77, states that a recent novelty brought out in England was a gas engine fed with powdered coal through a hopper a t the ignition end. The coal passes through tubcs ( 2 inches in diameter in a 100 H. P. engine) into the combustion and exhaust chambers, where the heat drives off the gas, which then becomes mixed with the air drawn through the tubes. I n the “Low” coal gas engine the inventor claims to be able to produce I H. P. with one-half pound of coal and 90 pounds’ pressure. If the claims are correct, this “gas producer engine’’ may intercst those who are obliged to dispose of large quantities of coal dust. THE BRITISH METAL TRADE IN 1912 IMPORTS EXPORTS LONGTONS
L O N G TONS
Copiwr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 0 , 5 8 1 57,441 Tin(n) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 0 , 3 4 8 43,663 Lead.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205,Ji.i 5R,685 Spelter.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L57,604 I O , 70‘) Minor metals (nickel, aluminum, minor metals and alloys). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 , 8x9 2 S , .54’J ~Cercury .............................. 1,582 1,070 Pyrites.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 907,157 Nouc ( ( I ) Tin ore aud concentrntcs imported were 2R.652 tons, princiiinlly frutn llolivia and South Africa.
IRON AND STEEL STATISTICS FOR
1912
IRONORE
PRODUCTION A N D COXSUMPTION 1.osc I U K S
Lake Superior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Southern States.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other States.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
48,410,477 7 , 5 9 0 ,000 3,485,000
___
Production in the Unitcd S t a t e s . . . . . . . . . . . 5 9 , 4 8 5 , 4 7 7 Imports.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,200,000
____
Total supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deduct exports.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Increase in stocks., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
61,685,477 1,307,000 200,000
____
Consumption.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
60,178,477
l’hc consunlption in 191 1 anlountcd t o . . . . . .
43 ,.57 I , 5.36
S0UNCR.S 01’ ] R U N
O R E Ib1I’UK.I.S
I.olla tolls, 1 1 mu
ending November 30, 1912 Cuha.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sweden., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Newfoundland and Lahrador. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spain., . . . . . . . . . . .................... .a.
Total imports amounted to.
..............
1,259,513 315,796 124,585 95,714 83.631
___
1 , 9 0 4 , ,594
PRODUCTION O F PIG I R O N
TONS Poundry and forge.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Low phosphorus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bessemer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
... . . .. .
...........................
...
,
..
... Charcoal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spiegeleisen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ferromanganese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total production.. . . . . . Imports.. . . . . . . . . . . .. Exports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , , . Consumption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Consumption per capita. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,. . .
6,096,254 282,359 11,385,297 11,394,477 347,025 96,346 125,379 2 9 , 7 2 7 , 137 125,000 268,000 30, 100,000
703 pounds
