WATERS ON A C T I O N OF S U N L I G H T A N D A I R UPON L U B R I C A T I N G O I L S .
EDITORIALS. CAST COPPER. THOSEwho were fortunate enough t o attend the Chicago Meeting of the American Electrochemical Society had the privilege of inspecting samples of copper castings made by the process worked out by Dr. Weintraub in the Research Laboratory of the General Electric Company a t West Lynn, Mass. Dr. Weintraub’s paper (which was read by Mr. Narvin, of Chicago, Dr. Weintraub not being present a t the meeting) appears in this number. The castings exhibited a t the meeting appeared to be as perfect as the most critical could desire, homogeneous, dense and free from flaws-of very different appearance from castings made in the old ways. Dr. Weintraub obtains his results by the use of boron, the preparation of which in the pure state has also been worked out b y himself during recent years. Copper is one of the most beautiful of metals, and in the form of castings made by this process its attractiveness appears t o be enhanced visually, as well as by the knowledge of its peculiar physical properties, including a greatly increased conductivity. The new uses to which copper cast by this process can be put are probably very great. But immediately its greatest field of usefulness will be in applying uniform cast metal where formerly joints, brazed and otherwise, were the rule. I n this field alone the use of copper will naturally increase and also naturally it will be more valuable insofar as i t is better adapted to a particular purpose. This invention will probably prove one of the greatest contributions t o the arts in Fecent times. PHOTOGRAPHY.
THE increase in the use of photography and the improvements in the practice are astonishing. Without dwelling upon the development of the portable camera, adapted to a great variety of uses including ultra-rapid photography and for which no better name has been devised than the “hand camera,” it is only necessary t o observe t h a t no modern family is complete without one of the numerous forms. Neither do we care to consider at length the domain lying between ordinary photography and art-art photography, if you please-where the tendency is toward softness of outline, contrasted effects, separation into planes and wherein the lenses are purposely left more or less uncorrected t o produce such effects. What the technical man and chemist want is photographic detail and usually they can not get too much of it. A long series of papers might be written on the modem technical and scientific uses of photography, which would lead from simple detail photography of apparatus, machinery, plant and equipment t o the photomicrography of tissues, mineral sections, metal surfaces and the applications of the wet plate and
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L u m i h e color plate. Photo-engraving is a branch by itself full of the most elaborate and intricate details and-also full of possibilities in the line of more perfect development. The moral of all this is that the chemist and technologist will find i t to their advantage to be photographers. Some institutions of learning include photography among their courses. But the curricula are already generally full and until some general agreement as to what is most advisable in the curriculum for the education of a chemical engineer, we do not advise adding photography to the courses of study. What we do advise, is, if i t is not advantageous or expedient to take a course in photography, that each man take i t up for himself. It will be found one of the most fascinating and profitable avocations which could possibly be undertaken. We recommend further t h a t the study be not taken up piecemeal, haphazard, irregularly, or in a dilettante spirit. I,& the amateur cover the whole ground of cameras, lenses, diaphragms, shutters, exposures, wet and dry plates, developers and prints! There be photographs without pith or merit, smudgy, cloudy, distorted and out of focus which could well be spared b y many a n editor and printer. It were well to eliminate these altogether. The technical or scientific photograph, which is clean cut, detailed, properly lighted and properly developed and printed, is a joy.to the engraver, printer and beholder.
ORIGINAL PAPERS. THE ACTION OF SUNLIGHT AND AIR UPON SOME LUBRICATING OILS. B y C.
E. WATERS.
Received October 1. 1910.
I n 1885, Schaal’ patented a process for the manufacture of soaps by the action of air upon mineral oils in the presence of alkaline substances. This was based on a n earlier observation of Engler’s. I n 189 I , Zaloziecki2 studied the oxidation of petroleum by means of air. By blowing cold air through the oil the oxidation was slight, but was greatly increased in the presence of sodium hydroxide. The acidity shown by methyl orange, as opposed t o phenolphthalein, he believed t o be due t o the oxidation of mercaptans and organic sulphides, and not to traces of the acid used in the refining. SchestopalS found that illuminating oils absorbed several volumes of oxygen a t room temperature, when enclosed in sealed tubes laid horizontally. H e pointed out the bearing this had upon the treatment of kerosene in agitators. 1
D. R. P. 32,705.
2
Z . anvew. Chenz., 1891, 416-9.
3
Chent..-Zfp. 16, 352-4 (1895).
Chem.-Zfv., 9, 1520 (1885).
