I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
610
In order to see whether nitrogenous compounds play any part in the consistency of the sirups, the crude gum, precipitated before and after dialyzing the diluted sirup, was analyzed for nitrogen, with the results shown in Table 11. There is very little nitrogen present in the crude gum, and the amount varies erratically with the dialyzing treatment, Therefore, it is unlikely that nitrogen compounds have anything t o do with the jellying property of the sirups. The data in Table I1 show that the quantity of crude gum present is always less in the dialyzed sirups, and that the decrease is proportionately about the same in all cases. This is interpreted to mean, not that alcohol-precipitable material is dialyzed away, but that during the precipitation of the gum a great deal of dialyzable material is occluded. This is no doubt why the crude gum analyses as shown in Table I do not vary proportionately with the jellying property of the sirups. In Sample 1, however, there is some indication of loss of starch by dialysis, since the starch percentage is 3.36 and the alcohol precipitate after dialysis is 1.32. '
TABLE 11-RELATION OF DIALYSIS AND
OF NITROGEN CONTENT TO CONSIRUPS CRUDEGunr NITROGSN IN GUM Before After Before After Dialysis Dialysis Dialysis Dialysis
SISTENCY OF
Sample
1 2 3 4 6
DESCRIPTION Very jelly-like, Minn., 1920 Moderately jelly-like, Minn., 1920 Normal. Minn.. 1920 Very jelly-like; Ohio, 1920 Cornstalk sirup, 19211922 (average)
%
%
4.00
1.32
0.099
0.068
3.10 0.80
1.20 0.29
0.101) 0.142
0.269 0.534
6.92
1.67
0.260
0.190
1.39
0.35
0.943
0.724
It was then thought desirable to add to a sirup gelatinized starch in varying quantities and note the consistencies produced, The sirup used was one that had been diluted, freed from gum with alcohol, and the filtrate reevaporated to a sirup. The results are shown in Table 111. Apparently, 1.6 per cent or more of starch produces a jellied sirup. This agrees fairly well with the figure of 1.3 per cent deduced from Table I. NATUR OF~THE GUM The foregoing data show that apparently most of the gummy matter or alcohol precipitate in sorghum sirup is starch, A few additional tests were made to see if any further constituents could be identified. Pentosans were found to be absent in both dialyzed and nondialyzed samples. After removal of the starch by diastase, precipitation of the gum with alcohol, and then hydrolysis with 3 per cent sulfuric acid, a strong test for galactose was obtained by means of the mucic acid reaction. TABLE III-EsE=~cT
ADDEDSTARCH ON THE CONSISTENCY OF SORGHUM SIRUPS ~. . Starch Added Viscosity Sample Per cent Centipoises
TABLE1%'-GUM
in alcohol of the strength used, but more insoluble in stronger alcohol. Accordingly, 300 grams of sirup were diluted with 1200 cc. of water, and the gums fractionally precipitated with 1, 2, and 3 volumes of alcohol. The results are shown in Table IV. Most of the precipitate is obtained in the first fraction, but the ash content in the latter fractions is much greater, approaching the CaO content of the calcium salts of citric and tartaric acids (33 and 30 per cent, respectively). Quantitative tests showed the ash to be largely calcium.
CONCLUSION From this work it may be concluded that the major portion of the alcohol-precipitable material in sorghum sirup, exclusive of occluded material, is starch, but that some true gum containing galactan is also present, as well as the calcium salts of citric acid. These results corroborate and extend the work of Sherwood.
The Chemical Division of the United States Tariff Commission' By C. R. DeLong
%
%
Vol. 16, No. 6
UNIWD
STATE9 TARIFF COMMISSIO~,WASHINGTON, D. C.
NDER the so-called flexible tariff provision of the Tariff Act of 1922, the Tariff Commission has continued its investigations of production costs and other factors in the competitive situation as regards various commodities. While the facts collected were originally for the use of Congress in fixing rates of duty and later for use by the President in revising these rates, the Commission's reports have found a much wider use in the chemical industry. The information is of interest to the development departments of the various chemical companies, in deciding whether or not the companies shall enter into the manufacture of any given product, and, if they do enter a new manufacturing field, the scale of manufacturing operations to be adopted. It should also be of assistance to manufacturers in planning their schedules of production and sales policies. The surveys of industries involve the compilation of cost data and trade secrets of individual manufacturers, which are held in strict confidence by the Commission. The facts are used only in preparing summaries which, without disclosing individual data, give general information that could not have been obtained except by the codperation of the individuals and corporations who profit most from it. 1 Abstract of paper presented before the Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry at the 67th Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., April 21 to 26, 1924.
OF
OBTAINED F R O M 300 GRAMS OF SORGHUM S I R U P OB WATER
Volumes of Alcohol Used 1 2 3
Gum Obtained Grams 13.5 1.5
0.7
IN
1200 CS.
Ash in Gum Per cent 10.6 21.9 26.0
Two samples of gum were next analyzed for citric acid, and 9.4and 11.4 per cent, calculated as the free acid, were obtained. This indicated that possibly the crude gum contains considerable calcium citrate, which is somewhat insoluble
Increase Duty on Barium Dioxide On May 20, President Coolidge issued a proclamation ordering that after thirty days the duty on imported barium djoxide be increased from 4 to 6 cents a pound. This increase is the maximum permissible under the flexible provisions of the Tariff Act of 1922. The Tariff Commission made an exhaustive study of the production costs of this substance in this country, England, France, and Germany, and recently submitted a report of its investigation to the President. This report brought out the fact that Germany is the principal competing country, with England and France, respectively, second and third, and that production costs in Germany are very much less than in this country. Barium dioxide was not produced in. the United States prior t o the World War. The largest domestic production amounted to $5,000,000, in 1917. Investigations into the differences in production costs in this country and abroad of a number of other chemical products have been completed by the Commission and reports are to be made to the President shortly. It is understood that the facts developed call for increases in the duty.
