INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
January, 1924
this control will apply especially to the question of armament. It is not necessary to emphasize the importance of this measure, which makes possible the control by the Allies of chemical factories, which will thus be able to devote themselves to work and studies on war gases.
GASLIGHTING EXPOSITION I might mention now that there will be in France, from May 31 to July 31, an international exposition of gas lighting to celebrate the fifticth anniversary of the use of gas. A number of congresses and conferences reporting on the gas industry and its by-products will take place a t this time, .and these should attract chemists interested in the gas industry in all parts of the world. November 30, 1923
German Letter By Walter Roth COTHEN,GERMANY
...... DEATH OF PROFESSORS FRIEDLANDER AND HARRIES In the last few weeks the chemical world has mourned the loss of two chemists, both of whom have done noteworthy work in the field of organic chemistry, but who in personality and appearance were of quite different natures-Friedlsnder, a typical scholar, modest, quiet, devoted t o his work, without striving for further honor or success-Harries, on the other hand, a man of the world, fearless; both ,have shown through their work, directly and indirectly, new methods of technic. Friedlander, whose “Fortschritte der Teerfarbenfabrikation,” is well known throughout the world, through his research on the purple which became famous in the Bible, found this color to be a thio-indigo, and discovered a series of new colors. Harries studied the effect of ozone on organic compounds, explained the chemical nature of rubber, and completed its synthesis. If under the present economic conditions synthetic rubber plays a small part compared t o natural, and large-scale experiments on the production of synthetic rubber have been given up, nevertheless, in time of war synthetic rubber played a definite role in the equipment of Uboats. In recent years Harries has devoted his work entirely to the Siemens concern and directed the “Zentralstelle fiir wissenschaftlich-technische Forschungsarbeiten des Siemens Konzern,” organized by him. NATUREO F THE INTERIOR O F THE EARTH In the last decade science has been specializing more and more and has lost the connection with the whole. The natural sciences in particular have differentiated from each other and each separate branch has devoted itself entirely t o its special task. All the more is it to be commended, then, that chemistry has recently been concerned with general scientific problems. Reference is made to the “Erda” stock company, which in its “Institut fur angewandte Geophysik,” in Gottingen, is working on investigations on the nature of the interior of the earth, and the problem of earth appraising. In Gottingen, the well-known investigator, Professor Tamman, in the “Institut fiir physikalische Chemie der Universitat,” has recently begun experiments on the structure of the earth. According to the results of Seismik, the earth consists of a shell about 1500 kilometers thick with a density of 2.9; under this is a middle layer about 1400 kilometers thick having a density of 5.6; and below this is the core, with a density of 9.6. The densities of these layers point to the fact that the outer shell of the earth is composed of silicates, the middle of sulfides of the heavy metals, and the core of metals. Tamman estimates the composition of the earth as follows: Silicate layer Sulfide layer Metal core
Thickness Km. Densitv 0 t o 1500 2 . 9
1500 to 2900 5 . 6 2900 to 6370 9 . 6
3
ComDosition l(AlzO8, FeiOa, FeO, CaO, MgO, KzO, NazO)
1.6 SI02 FeS, FesP, FeO, Fe, Si02 Fe SS%,, Ni, S%, F e (sulfide and
-
ihosphide), 3%; noble metals, 1 4. I”
The melallic core is, according to Tamman, a nickel iron, whose nickel content corresponds with the average nickel content of meteoric iron. PRODUCTION O F ARTIFICIAL BUTTER Margarine has in Germany in recent years, as a result of the hard economic conditions, attained a much greater importance than ever before. It is therefore natural that attempts are being
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continued to improve its quality and to make it more like butter. New experiments are being made, such as the well-known fat chemist, Dr. Normann, of Herford, described a t the meeting of the Vereins Deutscher Chemiker” in Jena, to add to artificial fat mixtures butyric acid, which is characteristic for butter. Anhydrous butyric acid is heated with a natural fat or oil, The butyric acid enters the glyceride molecule until a state of equilibrium is reached and sets another fatty acid free. The utilization of processes of this sort is a t present limited by the scarcity of butyric acid. But, as it was possible in war time to so conduct alcohol fermentation that a larger crop of the by-product glycerol was obtained, ‘so Normann hopes that fermentation chemists will also be successful in producing through fermentation, from the waste materials such as sulfite liquor, etc., butyric acid in quantities. Also waste water from the steeping of flax as well as from dairies may perhaps furnish butyric acid and similar fatty acid in sufficient quantities. MANUFACTURE O F SYNTHETIC METALS ~ S T A N C E S Formerly alloys were made by mixing metals well together in the fluid state and then leaving the bath to solidify. Recently it has been recommended, however, to prepare the alloy, not in the fused mass, but out of raw material in the powdered form and then to expose to heat treatment. Dr. Sauerwald described some new methods of this kind a t the meeting of the “Deutsches Gesellschaft fur Metallkunde” in Berlin. According to a process of this kind, for example, the so-called “stamp alloys” of Guertler and Pirani are made. This same process has already been used for some time in the manufacture of metal filament lamps, but it is also capable of further use for the production of objects from a single metal. A preliminary condition is, of course, a cheap method of preparation of the powdered metal. USE O F LIQUEFIED SULFURIC ACIDIN INDUSTRY As is well known, the purification of Rumanian petroleums has offered great difficulties, as it was not possible to obtain from it, a s from the Pennsylvania or the Caucasian crude oil, a satisfactory lighting oil through treatment with sulfuric acid. It was Professor Edeleanu, of Berlin, who was a t the time in charge of the laboratory of the Rumanian Government, who about twenty years ago, after extensive experiments, succeeded in purifying the Rumanian oil through treatment with liquid sulfuric acid. A special apparatus was designed which was found to be adaptable in refineries of quite different kinds. Recent investigations show that liquid sulfuric acid can be used with advantage elsewhere in industry. In the middle German lignite-tar industry, hard and soft paraffins have been separated from the lignite oils by means of sulfuric acid, producing cold, stable oils. Greases can be separated in this manner from the materials which harden them and make them viscous. Petroleum products rich in sulfur are desulfurized in this way, as also is anthracene refined. UTILIZATION OF LEAVES OF TREES It has already been suggested many times that the falling leaves should be utilized. They are said to be used for the manufacture of paper, but most experiments and suggestions have been directed towards making leaves useful for food for animals. The “Versuchss tation fur die Konservenindustrie” in Brunswick, has been working on this problem and Dr. Serger has written briefly concerning the results of this work in Chemiker Zeitung. The foliage of a middle-sized tree weighs about 60 kilograms. If only half of this is harvested each tree will furnish 25 kilograms of green leaves. Green foliage gives an average of 33 per cent dry substance. Then, out of this “leaf hay,” which is first dried by the air and then artificially, a product is obtained which is similar t o bran and can be used for food for animals. With a crop of leaves of 26 kilograms from one tree about 7 kilograms of bran can be obtained. November 18, 1923
Activity in Madagascar Wax Trade-According to the American Consul a t Tananarive, considerable activity has taken place recently in the gathering and exportation of a product called “lokombitsika,” a kind of gum or wax produced principally in the Province of Fort Dauphin, in the southern part of Madagascar. This material is said to be formed on the branches of trees in the forests by a kind of ant insect known as the “Gascardia Madagascariensis.” Recently, its exportation has been confined to France, where it is employed in connection with the manufacture of varnish. It is sometimes sold as gum lac. Previous to the war sample lots of this wax were sent to Germany by the German firms then doing business in Ma.dagascar.
