NOTES A N D CORRESPONDENCE. ploying American labor, which is always paid fifty, and sometimes a hundred per cent., more than foreign labor. Therefore, to give worthy industries necessary protection, a n d no more, t o supply by d u t y ample revenue for government purposes and a t the same time revise (downward) t h e tariff to fulfil the Republican promise, is not a n easy matter. As the chemical schedule was the first considered by the Ways and Means Committee, considerable notoriety was won in t h e daily press by those asking for duties on chemicals, t o be made for the first time i n the United States, a n d by those who had the temerity to petition for a n increase in d u t y on chemicals now made in this country. The United States must acknowledge Germany’s superiority in chemical products, particularly the finer chemicals. T h e German government has fostered its chemical indust r y more than a n y of its other industries. She realizes more t h a n a n y other nation t h a t chemistry is the foundation of most of its industries and consequently aids i t in all possible ways. By not giving proper protection to infant chemical industries, the United States government not only discourages the development of this particular industry, b u t t o a certain degree retards the progress of many other industries which are founded on chemical reactions, or are users t o a greater or less degree of chemical products. I n considering duties on chemicals our legislators should have this in mind, first, t h a t those chemicals should be admitted free of d u t y which are made from minerals or other natural products which d o not exist in the U. S. in exploitable amount, P. g., nitrate of soda and potash. Second, t h a t as soon as a chemical manufacturer gives assurance t h a t he intends to enter into the manufacture of a certain chemical now on the free list, a tariff should be placed on t h a t article sufficient t o offset the extra cost of t h e chemical due to higher cost of labor i n this country. This sort of protection is what is needed to develop the chemical industry. It does not mean necessarily a n increase i n the cost of t h a t particular article t o t h e consumer, b u t i t does prevent the foreign trade combination from dumping its surplus goods in this market a t a ridiculously low price for a time to kill the American competition. There is evidence in the proposed tariff bill t h a t this principle has at least occurred t o our legislators, for oxalic acid under the Dingley tariff is on the free list; the importations for 1908 amounted to 8,800,000 lbs. In the last few years American manufacturers have succeeded i n producing this chemical and should have some protection. The present bill takes oxalic acid from the free list and gives i t one cent a pound duty. On the other hand, our Solons have inconsistently denied the petition made for a duty, equivalent to difference in labor cost, of those who with abundant raw material, benzol, stand ready to manufacture aniline oil and salts and free the American consumer of the foreign trade combination on those articles. Phosphoric, benzoic, phthalic and carbolic acids, whose imports amount to over half a million dollars in value, all on the free list under the present and the proposed bill, should bear d u t y if satisfactory assurance is made t h a t American manufacturers can produce them in considerable quantities. Acetic acid remains the same a s in the old bill, while boracic acid is reduced from gc. t o zc. per lb.; lactic
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acid is c u t from 3c. t o 2c.; gallic acid from IOC. to 8c.; tartaric acid from 7c. to 6c. I n many instances the Sena t e bill increases the d u t y imposed by the House; this is noticeably so in the case of artificial sulphate of lime, bichromate of potash, or soda, orange mineral and red lead The House attempted to make a reduction in the d u t y on lead acetate, but the Senate would not assent, retaining the old schedules. The Senate is hardly consistent in totally removing t h e z j per cent. ad valorem d u t y which sodium cyanide carried under the Dingley bill and leaving a I 2 . j per cent. d u t y on potassium cyanide. The House bill calls for a 1 2 ,j per cent, d u t y on both. The retention of $6.00 a ton on sulphur i n both bills seems unnecessary in view of the fact t h a t the Standard Oil Co. is producing i t a t such a low figure t h a t i t has completely shut out the Silician product. The potash salts are naturally still held on the free list. Through the efforts of the fertilizer manufacturers crying “free nitrogen for the farmer,” ammonium sulphate was placed on the free list in the House bill, reduced from a d u t y of three-tenths cent per pound, b u t i t was p u t back to two-tenths b y the Senate. Of the ammonium sulphate consumed i n this country, 90 per cent. goes into fertilizers. The fertilizer contains on a n average I per cent. NH,; if the d u t y of $ 6 . 0 0 a ton on sulphate is removed, i t means a possible reduction of 24 cents on a ton of fertilizer which costs the farmer $3j. LVill the fertilizer manufacturer or the farmer get this twenty-four cents? Bicarbonate of soda is reduced one-eighth of a cent per lb. and soda ash one-eighth. The House was inclined to encourage the aniline color manufacturers of this country by giving them 35 per cent. instead of a 30 per cent. duty, as in the Dingley tariff. This would not more than offset the extra labor cost and would be a just recognition of the splendid work t h a t Schoellkopf and Heller & Merz Co. have done in starting this industry in this country. B u t the Senate c u t i t back to 30 per cent. in spite of statements from consumers of the colors favoring the increase. The House also consented t o remove from the d u t y list certain products which are the color makers’ raw materials, namely, sulpho acids, paranitraniline, dimethylaniline and others, b u t again the Senate said no. What the final bill in its amended form will be one cannot predict. It has been intimated t h a t the President may have something to say about i t later.
ECONOMY IN THE USE OF OXYGEN FOR COMBUSTION CARBONS. I n the steel works laboratory of to-day the consumption of oxygen gives rise to a considerable item on the laboratory invoice An idea suggested by Mr. A. G. McKenna, of our company, has led t o the development of a system by which the volume of oxygen formerly used to make a single carbon determination is now utilized for from six t o eight combustions. The method is shown in the accompanying illustration and consists simply of two eight-liter bottles on a balancing support, which when in one position causes the gas to flow b y hydraulic pressure from one bottle through the system into the other; and, when i n the other position, gives rise to a n exchange in t h e opposite direction. This reverse of flow is sent through the combustion tube in the right direction by means of a small switchboard arrangement of four
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T H E JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEiVISTRY.
June, 1909
glass stop-cocks so connected t h a t they are operated i n pairs and thus leave room for no confusion to the manipulator whenever he finds i t necessary t o reverse the current. From the bottles the gas passes through a purifying chain consisting of potash solution ( 1 . 2 7 sp. gr.), stick potash, and calcium chloride, and thence through the furnace, which is a n ordinary tube of Imperial Berlin porcelain, wound with platinum foil and jacketed with alternate layers of magnesia pipe covering and intervals of air and heated by a n electric current of such a strength as t o give a constant ~ We have temperature throughout the d a y of 1 1 0 0 C. found this temperature to give the most satisfactory results i n the direct burning of alloy steels. A small amount of coarse oxide of copper is kept i n the tube just beyond the heated area to prevent the possible exit of a n y carbon monoxide from the tube.
The former method has been used very successfully by the author and easily gives checks within 0.004 per cent. of carbon, b u t as i t is usually necessary to employ untrained labor i n steel works laboratories, the latter method h a s been found to be more reliable in such hands i n the long run. The method in detail: Weigh two grams of drillings (one gram i n the case of furnace tests) into a n ordinary platinum boat or filter plug, the former of which should be previously filled with quartz sand or ignited alumina, and the latter covered on the inside with a thin layer of freshly ignited asbestos. Fill t h e bulb tube with about IOO cc. of the warm barium hydrate solution and insert i t in its proper place in the system, I t is a good plan to syphon the solution from a large storage bottle into a 500 cc. Erlenmeyer flask, where i t may be kept
T h e rest of the train may consist either of the usual purifying tubes and potash bulb a s recommended by Blair, or simply of a Meyer bulb tube filled with a warm solution of barium hydrate (15 grams per liter). The barium carbona t e which precipitates is filtered off, ignited and weighed a s BaCO, containing 6 . 2 per cent. of carbon. This latter method gives consistent results which may easily be depended on for accuracy within two hundredths of one per cent. It is i n common use in the region about Pittsburg and is sufficiently accurate for commercial purposes. I t is possible, moreover, by this method to make quick tests for the melters i n less than fifteen minutes, which is quite as rapid as, and far more satisfactory i n the case of alloy steels than, the colorimetric method which is generally employed.
heated by a n Argand burner turned low, and drawn off b y a siphon into the bulb tube a s needed. Push the platinum plug, or boat, into the hot part of the tube with a nickel rod and quickly p u t the stopper into t h e front end of t h e tube and t u r n on the two governing stop-cocks, allowing the gas to run at full speed until the white precipitate h a s just begun to form. Then leaving the return cock on full, turn the other one until the gas bubbles through at the r a t e of about two bubbles per second and continue the burning for eight minutes-in the case of furnace tests four minutes will suffice, especially if they are low in carbon, a s is usually the case. Filter, using gentle suction, through a 1 1 cm. ashless filter supported by a small platinum cone, and wash with hot water. It is very convenient t o have a four-liter flask kept full of hot water and elevated above the desk
NOTES A N D CORRESPOXDENCE. near the filtering flask to allow i t t o be syphoned directly
on to tGe filter, the flow of the stream being controlled b y a small pinch-cock. If desired, the first filtrate may be reserved a n d later used i n making up a fresh barium hydrate solution. When thoroughly washed, ignite in a crucible, and when cool brush into a counterpoised watch glass and a correcweigh. This weight multiplied b y three-less tion of 0.01 per cent, found b y a blank determinationgives the carbon i n the sample. The factor in the case of furnace tests where only one gram is used is six. In the sketch: A. The tilting arrangement. B. Electric furnace. C. Keyboard for adjusting current of gas. D. hIeyer bulb tube. E . Allihn gas washing bottle containing potash solution. F. Calcium chloride cylinder containing stick potash. G. Calcium chloride cylinder containing CaCl,. H. Barium hydrate solution. WM. HERBERT KEEN. LABORATORY OF
THEFIRTH-STERLING STEELCo., D. C. WASHINGTON,
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space i n the balance case, it being kept ordinarily in the space immediately in front of the pillar. The cover C, having a glass top with pasteboard sides high enough t o clear the tallest weight, is somewhat smaller than the base, and rests on i t when the balance is not in use, b u t is removed whenever the weights are needed. The use of glass in the cover makes i t possible t o place i t over the weights without displacing a n y of them. This form of base greatly facilitates‘the reading of the weights, while the cover excludes dust at all times save when using them. As they are left a t all times i n t h e balance case, i t is only necessary to remove t h e cover i n order to have them in readiness for immediate use. The device may be obtained from Eimer & Amend. L. T. BOWSER. OHIOAGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, DEP’TOF CHEMISTRY, WOOSTER, OHIO.
THE “SIZE-WEIGHT” PERCENTAGE. APRIL 8, 1909. MR. HARRISON EVERETT ASHLEY, hTEwELL, WEST l i A .
A SIMPLE COVER FOR ANALYTICAL WEIGHTS. Probably every analyst is familiar with t h e annoyance occasioned by floating particles of dust and lint settling on the weights in a balance. The practice of always returning weights to the box has several disadvantages, and is usually considered unsatisfactory. An arrangement devised by the author to obviate this difficulty is in daily use in this laboratory, a n d may be of service elsewhere. The base R has marked on i t the shape, size, place and denomination of each weight. The exact size and shape of the base must, of course, be governed by the available
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Dear Sir:-I have your letter of March 29th regarding the “size-weight” per cent. mentioned in my article “Accuracy in Sampling Coal.” On page 164 of the JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AXD ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY, i t says: “ T h e size-weight percentage . . . . . . is t h e percentage of the largest pieces of slate to the total weight of the sample previous to its last division or quartering.” If the largest pieces of slate weighed one pound and the sample to be divided weighed one hundred pounds, t h e “ size-weight’’ per cent. would be one. If the sample had been crushed so t h a t the largest pieces weighed only 0 . I lb. each the “size-weight” per cent. would be 0 . I per cent. Unfortunately, in the reproduction of Fig. 2 the values of the “size-weight per cent. were omitted. The 4th, Sth, 12th and 16th heavy lines should be numbered I , 2 , 3. and 4, respectively. Trusting this explanation clears up the matter, I ani, Yours very truly, E. G. BAILEY.
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DEFINITION OF “GASOLINE.” NEW Y O R K , ilpril 13, 1909. T o the Editor of the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry : DEAR SIR:-On page 261 of the Journal for April, 1909, under ‘‘Xote on Turpentine,” reference was made t o “very light n a p h t h a ” and “exceedingly light petroleum products” as “ n o t intended to include ordinary gasoline, but merely such unusual products a s hexane, petroleum ether, etc.” b‘ould i t not be well to have the term “gasoline” or gasolene defined? I . As to composition, whether composed of pentane, hexane, heptane, etc., and which hydrocarbon predominates. 2. Boiling-point limitations. 3. Whether or not, i t is a p a r t of the well-known “petroleum ether,” or a n entirely separate portion of “ n a p h t h a ” distillate; and, the relations between i t and the hydrocarbon fluid known a s “benzine,” whether inclusive or not.
