T H E J O U R - Y A L OF I-YD G S T R I AL -4,YD E-YGISEERI-\-G
4
engineer nor any one representing him for others without express permission. e-Chemical engineering data or ,information which a chemical engineer obtains from his client or employer or which he creates as a result of such information must be considered confidential by the engineer; and while he is justified in using such data or information in his own practice as forming part of his professional experience, its publication without express permission is improper. j-Designs, data, records and notes made by a n employee and referring t o his employer's work, should be regarded as his employer's property. g-A client does not acquire any exclusive right t o plans or apparatus made or constructed b y a consulting chemical engineer except for the specific case for which they were made. 1 1 . A chemical engineer cannot honorably accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from more t h a n one interested p a r t y , without the consent of all parties; and whether consulting, designing, installing or operating, must not accept compensation directly or indirectly from parties dealing with his client or employer. When called upon to decide on the use of inventions, apparatus, processes, etc., in which he has a financial interest, he should make his status in the matter clearly understood before engagement. 12. The chemical engineer should endeavor a t all times t o give credit for work t o those who, so far as his knowledge goes, are the real authors of such work. 13. Undignified, sensational or misleading advertising is not permitted. 14. Contracts made b y chemical engineers should be subject t o the Code of Ethics unless otherwise agreed. ARTICLE 111.-For the administration of this Code of Ethics, a Committee on Ethics shall be appointed b y the president holding office a t the time of the adoption of this Code with the approval of the Council, to consist of five members: one appointed for five years, another for four years, another for three years, another for two years, another for one year, and thereafter, the president then holding office shall appoint one member annually t o serve for five years and also fill such vacancies as may occur for a n unexpired term. All of these members shall be over forty years of age. The Committee shall elect its own chairman. The Committee on Ethics shall investigate all complaints submitted t o them bearing upon t h e professional conduct of any member, and after a fair opportunity t o be heard has been given to the member involved, shall report its findings t o the Council, whose action shall be final. ARTICLE ~V.-AMENDMEP\TTS : Additions t o or modifications of this Code may be made according t o Article VI11 of the Constitution. ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERS' RESOLUTIONS PATENT LEGISLATION
The American Institute of
REGARDING
Electrical Engineers
has formally adopted] resolutions bearing on im-
CHEXISTRY
J a n . , 1913
pending patent legislation and it is exceedingly gratifying to note t h a t this organization has endorsed t h e policy so often recommended in THISJ O U R N A L . The investigation of technical matters b y a competent commission for the purpose of forming intelligent legislation might yield improved results on most a n y great problem, but i t is particularly important t h a t American patent law and practice be handled with care, skill and judgment and t h a t its provisions be based upon scientific and economic considerations rather t h a n upon political foundations. The resolutions adopted b y the Board of Directors of the Institute of Electrical Engineers are a s follows: W H E R E A Sthere , are pending before the Congress numerous bills affecting and greatly tmodifying t h e Patent System in the United States, and W H E R E A Sthe , Patent System has been, and is, a tremendous factor in building u p the present industrial prosperity of this country, thereby greatly contributing t o t h e prosperity of the country a s a whole, and W H E R E A Sany , untoward change in the patent situation might disastrously affect this condition of industrial and general prosperity, and the conditions contributing t o their continual augmentation, and W H E R E A Sin , view of the intimate relation of the Patent System t o t h e general welfare, no action looking toward a n y radical change in t h e Patent System should be taken without most careful consideration, and W H E R E A Sin, our opinion, proper consideration of such important changes as are proposed can be had only b y a n unbiased, non-partisan commission, made up of men from various walks of life and not from a n y one vocation, or interest, BE I T REsoLvED.-That the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, acting through its officers and Board of Directors, respectfully urge the Congress of t h e United States t h a t they provide for a Commission, made up of unbiased, independent, non-partisan men of such national standing as will command t h e respect of the whole country; and chosen from different walks of life; and not more t h a n one from any one calling or interest; and serving without pay. Such Commission to hold public hearings, and otherwise, as may appear t o them best, to make a thorough and careful study of the American Patent situation, and t o prepare and submit a comprehensive report and recommendations to Congress for such changes, if any, as may, as t h e result of their study, appear to them expedient, whether in the Patent Office, in t h e method of Court procedure, or in the organic Patent Law, and recommendations as t o the Legislation they would propose for effecting said changes. And t h a t we further respectfully urge t h a t the Congress make ample provision for the expenses of said Commission, and BE IT REsoI.vED.-That we respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to hold in abeyance all proposed Legislation affecting the Patent System in whatsoever way until such time as the said Commission shall have had ample opportunity to hold t h e said hearings, and make t h e said study and report, and
Jan., 1913
T H E J O C R A Y i l L OF I A ! 7 D Z / S T R I A L A.\-D
BE I T F U R T H E RREsoLvED.-That these resolutions be printed and a copy be sent to each Senator and Representative of the United States who is a member of the Senate or House Committee on Patents. MINERAL WASTE
The importance of the conservation of the mineral resources of the United States is again emphasized by the recent appearance of “Iiotes on Mineral Wastes,” Bureau of Mines Bzilletin, 47, by Charles L. Parsons, Mineral Technologist for the Bureau. Wastes of fuels, the common metals, fertilizers, combined nitrogen, sulfur, arsenic, the rare earths; losses in the mining and treatment of ores and minerals; failure t o make use of native ores; our need of potash, the platinum metals, new alloys and new uses for byproducts of our present industries; any one of these is alarming. But there is encouragement in the reports of the recent advances in the metallurgy of iron; the desirable properties of the new alloys; the successful application of the electrical precipitation processes to all smoke and fume problems ; the conservation made possible by the cement industries; the possible use of native feldspars and kaolins in the silicate industries ; the recovery of combined nitrogen from coal, as well as the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. While a certain amount of waste is absolutely neces-
1
E.YGIL‘\-EERIA\-G C H E M I S T R Y
5
sary, we are reminded t h a t our prodigal annual use and destruction of our natural resources must cease. Ages were necessary for their accumulation and they must be made t o serve for the ages to come. In his preface to this bulletin, Dr. Holmes points out t h a t the present generation will not stint themselves nor will they tolerate financial loss of any kind in utilizing their resources for their ever-increasing needs. The rights and duties of the Federal Government are recognized “as being limited t o the carrying on of inquiries and investigations with a view t o determining the nature and extent of this waste of resources, the means by which i t may be diminished, and the setting forth of the facts in the case.” A more detailed report on this subject is promised as soon as the necessary research can be carried out. I t is our opinion t h a t this work is the most important now being done by the government. S o scientific society is in a position t o support the researches necessary t o disclose the “facts in the case.” I t should be the first duty of chemists and engineers, individually and collectively, t o cooperate with the Bureau of Mines in this investigation. Judging from the preliminary report, the Bureau is attacking this problem on broad lines and with most excellent talent. Dr. Parsons’ wide personal acquaintance in the profession will assure him of the helpful cooperation of all chemists in this gigantic undertaking.
ORIGINAL PAPERS THE PRODUCTION OF CHLORINE SUBSTITUTION PRODUCTS OF METHANE FROM NATURAL GAS’ B y CHARLES BASKERVILLE
AXD
H.
s.
RIEDERER~
The attempts which have been made t o effect a chlorination of methane in order t o obtain satisfactory yields of substitution products have been discussed in a previous publication.3 I t may be noted here t h a t while the formation of methyl chloride, dichlormethane, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride from methane has been experimentally shown by several investigators operating with various methods, and a number of processes have been patented for the production of these and other halogen derivatives of methane,4 so far no process has been worked on a commercial scale. Since there is a n abundance of natural gas containing 50-90 per cent. methane in this country, the problem is of some importanceone which we thought would bear investigation along lines differing in certain respects from those hitherto followed. I n general, i t may be said that the ultimate object of those studying the matter has been t o produce 1 Paper presented at the Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry, New York, September. 1912. The authors have filed applications for patents on the novel features presented in this paper. 3 Baskerville and Hamor, THIS JOURNAL, 4, 216. Mallet, U. S. Patent 220,397, October 7 , 1879; Colin, U . S . Patent 427,744, May 13, 1890; Elworthy and Lance, French Patent 353,291, May 15, 1905; MacKaye. U.S. Patents880,900, March 3 , 1908, and 1,009,428, November 21, 1911; Walter, German Patent 222.919, November 5 . 1909; and Pfeifer and Szaroasy, 12,058 D . Anm. P. 24,872, September 25, 1911.
a constant yield of a n intermediate product. Bearing in mind the demonstration of Phillips1 that the tendency of methane, when chlorinated, is to constantly produce either methyl chloride or carbon tetrachloride, i t occurred t o one of us (C. B.) t h a t i t mould be more advantageous to obtain the end-product, from which, among other products, chloroform could be prepared by reduction. Accordingly a number of experiments were conducted with a view of devising a commercial process for the production of carbon tetrachloride from natural gas. EXPERIMESTS
WHEREIS
A
SPARK
DISCHARGE
WAS
EMPLOYED
I n preliminary experiments, a n apparatus similar in principle to that used by Phillips was employed. I t was finally decided, however, t o construct an apparatus with a closed circuit, producing a circulation of the gases by heat on the rise, cooling on the drop, and recovering the products in a trap a t the bottom; suitable openings being made in the apparatus for the introduction of chlorine and natural gas, and for the insertion of spark terminals in such a manner as to bring the spark in the junction line of the gases (Fig. I ) . Several modifications were made in this apparatus during the course of the experiments, and in the later experiments a horizontal reaction chamber (Fig. 11), provided with a glass pocket for the collection of any condensation products in a liquid form 1
A m . Chem. J . , 16, 362.
