March 20, 1928
INDUSTRIAL
AND ENGINEERING
J- T. Baker Chemical Go. Analytical Research Fellowship Progress in chemistry has been so rapid und carried t o such a degree of specialization in certain directions t h a t t h e r e is need to h a l t momentarily a n d consider its effects. T o a g r e a t extent the real progress in science is dependent upon precision m e t h o d s of measurement. Analytical chemistry, particularly q u a n t i t a t i v e , is t h e principal i n s t r u m e n t of measurem e n t of chemical science. Although great a d v a n c e has been m a d e in t h i s branch of chemistry, i t has n o t kept pace w i t h the progress m a d e in the other branches, a n d the latter a r e demanding m o r e a n d m o r e precise q u a n t i t a t i v e methods. Bio logical, metallurgical, and other scientific investigations re quiring a s t u d y of the effect of m i n u t e quantities of this o r that element a n d its combinations upon the problem a t hand, force upon us t h e necessity of finding b e t t e r and more reliable m e t h o d s for their m e a s u r e m e n t . Active participation in the research development of a subject is one of t h e prerequisites t o t h e successful teaching of that subject. I t is felt t h a t institutions of learning should place the teaching of both elementary a n d a d v a n c e d quantitative chem istry in charge of men with d u e regard t o special fitness, love, a n d desire for t h i s b r a n c h of chemistry. Analytical chemistry, though t h e oldest and o n e of t h e most useful branches of chemistry, h a s descended from its former position of respect a n d undoubted potency and influence in t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of chemistry because of t h e glamour of publicity attached t o research in new fields ; because of the lack of capable a n d inspirational teachers in analytical chemistry; and because of t h e occasional conception t h a t this branch of chemistry is too much like t h e A, B , C of one's career in t h e field of chem istry. Believing in t h e fundamental importance of pure research in a n a l y t i c a l chemistry for t h e further development of chemistry as a whole, and desiring to encourage study in t h i s branch of chemistry a s a teaching major, t h e J. T . Baker Chemical Co. h a s established a fellowship t o the value of one thousand dollars a year. Because of t h e lower ratio of fellowships held in t h e Middle W e s t , a n d as a first experiment, t h e fellowship is limited to qualified institutions in t h e Middle West, as defined below. T h e fellowship is t o be governed and distributed by a com m i t t e e of university o r college teachers of analytical chemistry from qualified institutions w i t h i n the territory designated. Addition t o or changes in t h e personnel of the c o m m i t t e e m u s t be a p p r o v e d by t h e J . T . Baker Chemical Co. T h e J. T . Baker Chemical Co. h a s n a m e d t h e following m e n to sit as p e r m a n e n t m e m b e r s of the governing a n d distribut ing b o a r d : H. H . Willard, University of Michigan, c h a i r m a n ; C. W. F o u l k , Ohio State University; Stephen PopofT, Iowa S t a t e University; a n d G. Frederick Smith, University of Illinois. After consulting fully t h e wishes of the company, t h e committee h a s drawn up t h e following conditions under which t h e award shall be m a d e : (1) T h i s fellowship shall be known as the J. T. Baker Company Fellowship in Analytical Chemistry. (2) T h e object of this fellowship is to emphasize the need of funda mental research in inorganic analytical chemistry, particularly quantitative, as distinguished from routine application of established methods; to en courage such research and, in general, to develop reliable, precise chemical measurement. (3) This fellowship is limited to institutions which grant the doctor's degree in chemistry in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. (4) T h e holder of this fellowship will receive one thousand dollars annually. Iu addition, it should be noted that nearly all the institutions to which it is limited remit laboratory fees to the holders of such fellowships and many of them also remit tuition fees. This adds greatly to the value of such fellowships, and i t is hoped that all the institutions concerned will eventually see fit to remit all fees to the fellow. (5) I n awarding this fellowship preference will be shown as follows: (a) to those institutions which have a background of research in inorganic analytical chemistry; (.b) to projects sponsored by the divisions of analytical chemistry; and (c) to candidates desiring to follow the teaching profession. The fellowship will not ordinarily be awarded to a given institution for two or more years in succession. (6) An application for an award of this fellowship may originate with any member of the teaching staff who is qualified in his institution for super vising a doctor's dissertation. The application shall include: (a) an outline of the proposed problem; (b) a sketch of the experimental evidence upon which the merits of t h e problem are based; and (c) a statement of the qualifications of the candi date. Applications must be sent before April I to the chairman of t h e committee. (Consideration of the applications will be facilitated if four copies are received.) (7) Thi- felicv:th*p will «ι«υ»!|ν he awarded to students specializing in analytical chemistry who have completed all or nearly all of their course work and can devote practically their full time to the doctor's dissertation. (δ> The fclIo»*aLip s a y b£o-~ i^ -"** on*"inn or iu the summer session.
(9) has been Chemical (10; obtained
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Asjsoon as the research work carried out under this fellowship completed, an account thereof shall be sent to the J. T. Baker Co., and the work shall be published within a reasonable time. Information on points not covered by the articles above may be from the committee.
Additional Master's Thesis Problems T h e following supplementary list of problems [See N E W S E D I TION, 6, 2 (Jan. 20, 1928) ] has been suggested by m e m b e r s of t h e Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry to aid s t u d e n t s in selecting their m a s t e r ' s theses: Solubility of water in mineral oils as influenced b y degree or kind of oxidation of t h e latter. Mechanism of classification of contaminated mineral oils b y concentrated silicate of soda. Separation of traces of certain amphoteric elements (V, S b , Ti, Cb, T a , Ρ, a n d C) from tungsten. T h e Roentgen r a y examination of catalysts composed of mixed oxides t o determine whether these act as mixed crystals or definite compounds. A s t u d y of effects of concentration, temperature, a n d the comm o n catalysts in the formation of methylal in t h e liquid phase. Use of standard quinhydrone electrode or any suitable modifica tion in t h e determination of the hydrogen-ion concentration in formaldehyde, phenol, cresols, a n d in mixtures of these. Determination of formaldehyde in t h e presence of phenol a n d cresols. T h e extent and r a t e of thermal decomposition of cellulose a t 80°, 1U0°, 120°, and 150° C. in dry air, moist air, a n d v a c u u m . T h e effect of impurities, acids, bases, and salts on t h e abovementioned extent and rate of decomposition of cellulose. Causes of livering in bituminous paints. Saponification n u m b e r of asphalts and identification of acid bodies found in same. (Asphalts from various typical sources of several consistencies should be studied.) Formalité reaction as applied to asphalts. (Considerable work h a s been done in this field b y A. M. N a s t y u k o v a n d K. L. Malyar^v.) S t u d y of partial solvents for asphalts. (The development of a n y partial solvents for asphalt would be of great assistance in the analysis and differentiation of asphalts a n d might develop d a t a of commercial value in the m a n u f a c t u r e of bituminous paints.)
A m e r i c a n H o m e E c o n o m i c s Association Fellowship T h e Textile Section of the American Home Economics Association, through i t s Standardization Committee, offers a fellowship of $300 to b e used during the school year 1928-29 a t a college or university of recognized standing. T h e research involved is to be done under the direction of a member of t h e staff who has m a d e contributions in the field of textile research. T h e candidate m u s t be a woman holding a baccalaureate degree from a college or university of recognized standing a n d she m u s t offer a major in textiles with a minor in physics or chemistry, or a major in physics or chemistry with a minor in textiles. She will be required t o spend the school year a t the school chosen, devoting at least one-fourth of h e r time to research in t h e interest of textile standardization, and t o submit a report of her research t o t h e Textile Section a t the a n n u a l meeting of t h e American H o m e Economics Association during the summer of 1929. Application blanks can be obtained from (λ Settles, Division of H o m e Economics, Iowa S t a t e College, Ames, l a . Applica tions must be received by April 1, 1928.
Research Fellows to Be Appointed a t W i s c o n s i n T w o research fellowships in engineering are to be appointed on April 30 by t h e University of Wisconsin. C a n d i d a t e s m u s t be graduates of engineering colleges of recognized standing, and preferably should have had one or two years of g r a d u a t e study, of teaching or of engineering experience. Applications will be received u p to April 15. Information and application blanks c a n be obtained from F . E. T u r n e a u r e , College of Engineering, Madison, Wis. T h e a p p o i n t m e n t s will be for a period of two years, subject to satisfactory service, and the salary will be $900 for the first year a n d S1100 for t h e second year. A fellow will be expected to devote not less t h a n half time t o assigned research in the College of Engineering, b u t will be given an opportunity t o complete the requirements for a master's degree within the two-year period. T h e length of service will be t h e usual academic year, including t h e short vacations.
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INDUSTRIAL
AND ENGINEERING
New Reference Service A new reference service, designed to minimize for technical m e n the labor and expense of keeping u p with technical progress, is being announced b y Smith and Smith (Julian F. and Irene F. S m i t h ) , 138 Bachtel Ave., Akron, Ohio. In t h i s service, chemical technology is divided into thirty-six classes, for which subscriptions m a y be entered separately. T h e cost of a complete current bibliography o n one subject, kept c o n s t a n t l y up t o d a t e , will be very small. Extra copies will be furnished for a nominal charge added to the subscription price, so t h a t small laboratories can issue t o their men, at slight ex pense, a regular current literature bulletin similar to those com piled a n d distributed at much greater cost b y large laboratories. This reference service will be issued on paper punched to fit s t a n d a r d size loose leaf binders, and spaced so t h a t any single item can be clipped for mounting on a s t a n d a r d size index card. Copies or clippings of original articles from which the a b s t r a c t s a r e made will b e sold or loaned, a n d translations or detailed abstracts of foreign language items will be furnished t o order. This new service is not expected or intended to be in any way competitive with t h e regular abstract journals. I t s prime pur pose is t o bring within t h e reach of ali technologists, a t small cost, the type of current information bulletin on selected subjects compiled by t h e progressive large corporations for their own use.
New Fellowships a t Carnegie Tech The Carnegie Institute of Technology will award ten fellow ships in mining and metallurgical research diving the coming y e a r . Fellowships a r e open to g r a d u a t e s of colleges, universities, a n d technical schools who are qualified to undertake research investigations. The investigations will be m a d e under t h e super vision of representatives of the Pittsburgh Station of t h e U. S. Bureau of Mines and members of t h e faculty of Carnegie. Several of the fellowships will be financed by companies and organiza tions representing t h e mining and metallurgical industries. A p p o i n t m e n t s to t h e ten new fellowships will be made during t h e spring and early s u m m e r months, with the preliminary investi gations of the new p r o g r a m scheduled t o begin in August Subj e c t s for research will be selected in t h e fields of origin a n d con stitution of coal, coal-mining, utilization of coal, mine safety, and physical chemistry of steel-making.
P h a r m a c e u t i c a l Association Selects Building Site The American Pharmaceutical Association has selected a sitein Washington, in view of the Lincoln Memorial and between t h e National A c a d e m y of Sciences a n d the Naval Hospital, as t h e location for its national headquarters. The headquarters building, plans for which soon are t o be drawn, is to cost approxi mately $500,000 a n d will house a m u s e u m , library, research l a b o r a t o r y , a n d publication d e p a r t m e n t . The association p l a n s to engage the services of one of the c o u n t r y ' s best-known architects, who will cooperate with t h e Fine Arts Commission in planning t h e structure because of its prominent location near t h e Lincoln M e m o r i a l a n d other public buildings. F u n d s to ca.rry o u t this enterprise were raised by popular subscription a m o n g the pharmaceutical interests throughout t h e United States, C a n a d a , Cuba, Hawaii, a n d Porto Rico.
CHEMISTRY
News
Edition
T h e visitors inspected the electroplating laboratories, and also those devoted to optical glass, paper, textiles, and mechanical testing. O n the following d a y , a large number visited the electrolytic section of the Bureau of Kngraving and Printing and saw t h e production and chromium plating of t h e plates used for printing currency a n d stamps. On March 3, the officers and research c o m m i t t e e of t h e American Klectroplaters' Society m e t at t h e Bureau of S t a n d a r d s . They decided that t h e present research associate, W. P. Barrows, should continue t r i e study of spotting-out. I n addition, they authorized the e m p l o y m e n t of another research associate to conduct further s t u d i e s on chromium plating. As soon as a suitable person can be engaged, this work will b e initiated.
Wood Utilization Committee t o Meet T h e annual meeting of t h e N a t i o n a l Committee o n Wood Utilization of the D e p a r t m e n t of Commerce has been called for Friday a n d S a t u r d a y , May 4 and 5. The sessions will be held a t the Commerce Building, Washington, D. C. T h i s meeting will follow a lumber conference called b y Secretary Hoover, May 3 and 4, in order t h a t representatives of the various branches of the lumber industry m a y gather simultaneously. Two h a l f - d a y sessions will b e devoted to t h e wood utilization committee's program. Secretary Hoover, a s chairman, will address the opening session; and W. B. Greeley, vice chairman, will open the second session. While t h e previous annual meetings of the committee have been devoted to d e t e r m i n a t i o n of its program, this y e a r representatives of the p r i n c i p a l groups of producers, manufacturers, distributors, and c o n s u m e r s will discuss their particular interest in the committee p r o g r a m . T h u s each m e m b e r will be m a d e to realize his p a r t in t h e program, the object of which is to m a k e reforestation feasible through increased utilization of t h e felled tree. Although the committee is vitally interested in reforestation, its program is concentrated on closer a n d more efficient utilization of timber.
National Safety Congress T h e 1928 Safety Congress, u n d e r the auspices of the National Safety Council, will be held October 1 t o δ, in New York, Ν . Υ. While head Quarters will be at t h e Pennsylvania Hotel, t h e r e will also b e meetings a t the McAlpin, Waldorf-Astoria, a n d M a r t i nique Hotels. It is anticipated that between six a n d seven thousand people will be in attendance, a n d an unusually strong program is being planned for the Chemical Section. Other meetings in which c h e m i s t s wall be interested include Public Utili ties, Metals, Packers and T a n n e r s , P a p e r and Pulp, Petroleum, Rubber, Textile, Automotive, a n d A. S. S. E--Engineering Sections.
Oil Chemists to Meet T h e American O i l Chemists Society will hold its annual meet ing a t the Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans, La., Monday and Tuesday, M a y 14 a n d 15, 1928. An attractive program is being prepared. Railroads will give an excursion rate of a one and one-half fare on t h e certificate plan.
Conference on Electroplating
National Lime Association
This conference, which was held a t the Bureau of S t a n d a r d s on March 2, 1928, a n d which was attended b y over seventy-live electroplaters and chemists, was for the purpose of discussing t h e research work of the Bureau in this field a n d of making recommendations for future work, especially by the research associates of t h e American Electroplaters' Society. In his opening remarks, George K. Burgess, director of the Bureau of Standards, referred to the advantages of the research associate plan, and commended t h e Electroplaters' .Society and manufacturers for their support of such work. William Blum, chief of the electrochemistry section, presided a t the morning session a n d discussed the purpose and scope of t h e research a t the Bureau on electrodeposition. He then re viewed briefly the principal conclusions of the published re searches on throwing power and polarization ; nickel, zinc, and c h r o m i u m plating; and nickel electrotyping solutions and g r a p h i t e . E a c h of these subjects was discussed briefly by the conference. A t t h e afternoon session, a t which R. J. Ο 'Conner, chairman of the research committee of the American Electroplaters' Society presided, subjects for future research were discussed. T h e need was emphasized for t h e further study of chromium plating a n d especially of t h e plating conditions and the properties of deposits best adaptea for various types of service. F u r t h e r studies were also suggested uickt-î plating, including pitting, t h e measurement of pH b y various m e t h o d s , and the relation of the nickel platine* t o subsequently applied cliromium plating.
T h e National L i m e Association will hold its 1928 convention a t t h e Biltmore H o t e l in New York, M a y 2.3 a n d 24. This is t o be a convention of the industry, not merely of the association. Because of t h i s there will be n o program but, instead, an open forum of round-table discussion before which members a n d others will submit questions bearing directly upon conditions which prevail in various sections of the country. Last year there was a decrease of over 200,000 tons in production a n d a loss of over $3,000,000 i n the industry, a n d it is t o discuss these critical conditions t h a t the convention h a s been called.
General Electric Suggestion Awards The General Electric Co. awarded $51,567 t o 4913 of its em ployees during 1927 for their suggestions tending to improve working conditions or increase the efficiency of the c o m p a n y ' s operations. During the year, 15,059 suggestions were offered, an increase of 500 o v e r t h e previous year, and more t h a n 32 per cent were accepted.
Messel Medal, Society of Chemical Industry The Society of Chemical Industry will a w a r d t h e Messel Medal to R . A. Millikan during the meeting of that Society in New York the first week in September.
