.INTERNATIONAL
WORLD W I P E
CHEMISTRY
Battelle-Frankfurt research center cornerstone laid in Germany . . N e w w o o d preserving methods reported from Australia can staff members is now working in Europe on "an extended loan basis." In rial Institute at Frankfurt/ Main in Ger- keeping with the original purpose for many to serve the industry of that coun- Battelle's European program, staffs of Battelle's European units will be made up try was r>luced Oct. 31. Battelle is establishing another research predominantly of Europeans. Battelle-Frankfurt has temporary offices center at Geneva, Switzerland, and has · set up a program of fellowships for at DECHEMA-Haus, Rheingau-Allee 25, selected students in the universities of Frankfurt, Germany. DECHEMA-Haus both Switzerland and Germany. In addi- serves as headquarters for the German tion, research centers and fellowship pro- chemical industry. grams for other countries of Western Europe arc contemplated for the future. The Frankfurt research center will en- Australians Announce N e w gage in chemical, metallurgical, and engi- Preserving M e t h o d f o r W o o d neering research. It is already under conMuch has been said on the value of the struction on a site presented for the pur- work performed by the Commonwealth pose by the City of Frankfurt. The labo- Scientific and Industrial Research Organratory will cost an estimated'$1 million, isation in treating Australian hardwoods and another half-million will be required that they might be used in the production to equip it. Battelle-Frankfurt has been of newsprint. Now comes another triumph licensed by the Bonn government to oper- for science with the solution of the probate as an "eingetragener Verein," or nonlem of preserving timbers, even softwoods, profit organization. so that they will outlast such woods as the Plans call for the Frankfurt laboratories famous red gum. to be completed for occupancy by late Redgum, one of the world's longest lastspring of 1953. The physical plant there ing timbers, is becoming increasingly diffiwill consist of two major buildings, one . cult to get and future supplies are very four-story building 279 by 85 feet, and uncertain. one three-story building 279 by 92 feet. The Wood Preservation Section of the These will be connected by a three-story CSIRO, anticipating the problem with 20 bridge. Another one-story building, independent of the other units, will b e con- years of research, has now demonstrated structed to house heating and pumping that through a process of impregnating hardwoods and softwoods with creosote equipment. these timbers would outlast the best and Battelle in Europe established offices in most famous of the hardwoods. Geneva some months ago, and now has an The essence of the treatment is to drive engineering economics group working on creosote through the timber under presindustrial surveys. It is preparing labora- sure. High-pressure impregnation is an tory facilities on a 16-aere plot there. The Australian variant of standard wood presSwiss laboratory, which formerly housed ervation methods practiced in Europe and medical research, is being remodeled and is scheduled for completion and occu- America for many decades. Spectacular pancy early next year. It will initially results have been demonstrated. Messmate or stringybark used for employ a staff of 15. stumps of houses will last approximately Funds liave been allotted by Battelle 10 years without treatment. Redgum for approximately 20 fellowships in Swiss stumps are practically unobtainable: even and German universities. In Switzerland these may last only 30 or 40 years. But these funds will be administered by tl··* Swiss Federal Institute of Technology; in messmate and stringybark impregnated Germany by the Stifterverband Fiir,Die with creosote at a cost of approximately 1 shilling a stump will last 50 years or Deutsche Wissenschaft, e.V. more. Documents for the cornerstone were The economics of the treatment are enclosed in a capsule fabricated from pure titanium metal processed at Battelle's equally spectacular. There are approxilaboratories in Columbus, Ohio, where mately 4 million power and telephone considerable research is being conducted violes in Australia and the most durable on this metal. The capsule, which will be species average about 20 years' life. Curvirtually everlasting, represents one of the rent average cost of replacement of standfirst examples of successfully welded tita- ard 35-foot power poles is $67.50, and nium. The stone itself is Indiana lime- 60-foot poles average $164.25 each. It costs not less than $5.00 a year to stone. Nattelle in Europe now has a staff num- keep a power pole in place. With creobering 35, including citizens of Germany, sote treatment at about $4.50 per pole, Belgium» Switzerland, France, Holland, anything over 18 months of prolonged life and England. A skeleton force of Ameri- pays dividends. The creosote will double HE cornerstone· for the new research Tcenter established by Battelle Memo-
FLORIDIN PRODUCTS Floridin p r o d u c t s have b e e n adapted by continuous research for the most advanced technical uses. O n any problem of adsorption—dehydration—catalysis—decoloration, you may find an answer in these prepared forms of Fullers Earth and Bauxitebased Adsorbents. Your inquiry will be given careful attention·
FLORIDIN COMPANY ADSORBENTS
Dept B. 220 LIBERTY ST.. WARREN. PA
Ottafect A fungicide, germicide and preservative . . . . A PLUS ING R E D I E N T for disinfectant solutions, pine oil and scrub soap formulations, and many other products. Phenol coefficient as high as 244 in some formulations. WITH LOW TOXICITY (L.D.o 28,000 m g kg of body weight), Ottafect is useful as a preservative for protein and carbohydrates. Easy to formulate. OTTASEPT. Ottawa Chemical also offers Ottascpt, a potent, non-toxic companion germicide and fungicide. For use in hand soaps, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. SAMPLES. Write today for samples and data sheets for each. y/te
O T T A W A CHEMICAL COMPANY
819 Hamilton St., Toledo 7 , Ohio
4758
CHEMICAL
AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
he life of most poles, making, on a con;ervative estimate, an annual saving on joles alone of over $2.25 million. Similar savings can b e effected with railway crossties of which Australia has some Ï0 million. Thousands of treated pine ïrossties put down in South Australia 15 /ears ago are proving superior to unreated hardwoods. Australia's hardwoods require pressures ιρ to 1000 pounds for treatment and the echnique has been evolved by the 3SIRO over many years and through much ixperimenting. Softwoods of Europe and \merica can be creosoted with pressures is low as 5 0 pounds per square inch.
New Text
Aerial Surveys in N o r t h w e s t Turn Jp Valuable M i n e r a l Deposits Thousands of square miles of Archaean greenstone, a favorite rock formation with prospectors, have been m a p p e d by Cana dian government geologists in the North west Territories recently, according to Canadian Weekly Bulletin. T h e presence jî this type of rock with which mineral deposits in the Precambrian Sheidl are largely associated and from which a considerable amount of the mineral production of Canada is derived was discovered during aerial geological reconnaissance work by the Geological Survey of Canada. According to George Prudham, Minister uf Mines and Technical Surveys, "five geologists using two helicopters actually accomplished at approximately the same cost what a ground party w o u l d have taken 25 years to do. The survey, t h e results of which will b e published on a scale of 8 miles to the inch, permits the selection of those areas warranting more detailed study and mapping."
Mexico Increases Use of Chemicals American Cyanamid Co. has announced that Reactivos S.A., a Mexican firm which has distributed Cyanamid's mining chemicals since 1926, has expanded its activities to include the entire range of the company's agricultural chemicals and textile finishes. With this expansion, the name of t h e Mexican firm w a s changed to Cyanamid d e Mexico. Among the rjroducts to b e distributed b y the Mexican firm will b e Cyanamid's complete line of Aerotex resins which impart shrink-resistant, fire-retardant, waterrepellent and many other durable characteristics to textiles. D e m a n d for these products in Mexico has b e e n growing rapidly in recent years because of increased quality consciousness of Mexican consumers, postwar establishment of a modern rayon industry in Mexico, and a more than two-fold expansion of the nation's cotton production. Other products will include a wide range of insecticide, fertilizer, and defoliation chemicals. Mexico's growing cotton production is o n e of the factors which is increasing that nation's demand for agricultural chemicals. Other factors are the Mexican government's program of V O L U M E
3 0,
NO.
45
Other Corn and Soybean Products INOSITOL-CALCIUM PHYTATE-PHYTIC ACID-ANTIBIOTIC NUTRIENTS-MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE-FOOD & INDUSTRIAL STARCHES-SOT FLOURS, GRITS AND MEALS.
..NOVEMBER
A . E. STALEY M F G . CO., (Industrial Division), ^ Dept.CEN-HDecatur, Illinois Please send me data and prices on following products:
Name F/r/n_ Addrt 'resj. C/ry-
10,
Po$ition -Zone.
1952
State
4759
WORLD WIDE CHEMISTRY opening up vast new farming areas by irrigation and forest clearing, the growth in population, and a growing awareness throughout the world of the agricultural revolution being effected by chemistry. Philippines Expands M a t c h Production The Swedish-owned Philippine Match Co. Ltd., which produces about 9 0 % of the matches consumed in the Philippines, has awarded a contract to the Luria Engineering Co. of N e w York City and Bethlehem, Pa., for a 53,800 square-foot addition to its present factory in Manila. Added production facilities will enable the company to satisfy the Philippines' annual match requirements of about 4 3 2 million boxes. It is scheduled to b e shipped early in November. Saudi A r a b i a t o H a v e Minerals Exploration Program Assistance in developing a minerals exploration program in Saudi Arabia along a planned extension of a railway line from Riyadh to Jidda on the Red Sea will b e given by Richard C. Bogue and Gus H. Goudarzi, U. S. Geological Survey technicians, who are now en route to the Middle East. On a Point Four assignment, the t w o geologists will make a careful reconnais-
sance of the country in the vicinity of the rail route, which is to be t h e final pnase of a transcontinental railway. They will assess mineralized areas, any existing mining activity, equipment, facilities, and availability o f local technical manpower. They.Avill cooperate in determining which possible mineral commodities should receive first consideration for exploration, development, or utilization. In addition, the men will serve as technical advisers to the Saudi Arabian government and to the Technical Cooperation Administration's country director in Saudi Arabia, in shaping a minerals program of technical assistance. They will also aid in the selection of young Saudi Arabian technicians for in-service training grants in the United States. The two geologists will join the Geological Survey-Point Four field party of three technicians who have been in Saudi Arabia for some time, cooperating in the search for critically needed ground water and with surface water problems. Their assignment is for approximately two years. Athabasca O i l M a y Be Recovered by Swedish Process A war-developed Swedish process is being considered for use in obtaining oil from Athabasca sands deposits in Alberta. Tests are being prepared by Swedish Shale Oil Co. on 50,000 acres, where the com-
COLLECTIVE NUMERICAL PATENT INDEX «o Volumes 31-40 of
CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS •
•
Contains more than 143,000
·'Classification
entries; classified by coun-
number
tries in numerical o r d e r .
timesaver.
is
by an
patent
enormous
Index references give v o l -
• Cloth bound, 182 pages, 71/2" x i o " o v e r a l l , 8 col· «mns ««ins o f listings p e r page
ume. page a n d location o f χ Γ I j. * · ,-L.r-n. p a t e n t a b s t r a c t in C H E M I -
Τ * 1 » " ! ! - " l u Ç Ï Ï f J Ï ? . ?£" s i r a c t e d in C H E M I C A L A B &TRACTS from 1937-46,
C A L ABSTRACTS.
inclusive.
PRICE $6.50 POSTPAID Send orders and Inquiries to:
Special Publications Dept., American Chemical Society 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W., Washington 6, D. C. 4760
CHEMICAL
pany has exploratory rights. The sands are believed to contain between 100 billion and 250 billion barrels of thick, heavy! oil, constituting the largest known reserve of petroleum in the world. The Swedish process involves the starting of internal combustion by use of electrodes sunk into the oil sands beds. The resultant subsurface heat is expected tc allow sand-free petroleum to be brought to the surface. N e w f o u n d l a n d Constructs O i l H a r d e n i n g Plant Construction of a marine and vegetable oil hardening plant will soon b e started at Harbor Grace, Newfoundland. The government of Newfoundland and thé Corona Newfoundland Oil Hardening and Refining C o . Ltd., a German firm, will cooperate in this, one of the last of the government's industrialization projects. The plant will use marine oils, mainly whale, seal, and herring, with some caplin, which will b e deodorized, bleached, homogenized, and hydrogenated to form a lardlike ingredient for the manufacture of soap, margarine, and cosmetics. T h e plant will also import peanut, cottonseed, and soya bean oil for further processing. A p p l i e d Research Plans Swiss Branch Factory Plans for the establishment of a branch factory at Lausanne, Switzerland, to supply spectrochemical equipment to European manufacturers have been announced by Applied Research Laboratories of Glendale, Calif. Present plans call for a plant of approximately 3000 square feet. More than 15 technicians will b e employed, all of whom will be hired locally with the exception of the general manager. Material for the highly specialized testing equipment will be purchased in Europe wherever possible. T h e new plant is expected to b e ready for operation about Jan. 1. Drillings in N o r w a y Disclose N e w Iron Sources Diamond drillings iv the Dunderland Valley, North Norway, have disclosed new iron ore deposits. According to News o\ Norway, these will b e sufficient to meet the 2-million-ton annual requirements ol the large Mo i Rana steel plant for many years. This all-electric steel rolling plant, now under construction, is scheduled foij production in two years. Six ore fields in the valley have been tested during the past four years, involving drillings of some 120,000 feet all told. Preparations for mining the Dunderland ore will b e started shortly. C&EN Foreign Correspondent Contributing to This Issue: A, P. S O M , Australia AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
