332
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING
CHEMISTRY
ente, d e p a r t m e n t managers, a n d o t h e r representatives of t h e rubber industry in t h e district will b e in a t t e n d a n c e . T h e charge will b e $2.50—$1.00 for t h e golf a n d $1.50 for t h e dinner. Reservations should b e made in advance. H . V . Pow ers, Goodyear Tire & Rubber C o . , Akron, Ohio, i s secretary-treasurer of t h e group.
T h e C h e m u r g i c Conference at Omaha
American Chemical Society
HE fourth annual Chemurgic Confer T ence of Agriculture, Industry, a n d Science m e t a t t h e Hotel Fontenelle in
O m a h a , Nebr., April 25 t o 27. I t is estimated t h a t attendance reached 96TH MEETING. Milwaukee, Wis., S e p 1000. Besides chemists, chemical engi tember 5 to 9, 1938. neers, a n d agricultural scientists a n d 97TH MEETING. Baltimore, M d . , spring engineers, many others were present w h o of 1939. were interested in t h e stated purpose of 98TH M E E T I N G . Boston, Mass., fall of t h e conference—namely, " t o advance t h e 1939. industrial use of American farm products 9 9 T H M E E T I N G . Cincinnati, Ohio, spring through applied science." Among these of 1940. were governmental representatives, in T H I R D A N N U A L SYMPOSIUM, Division of cluding t h e governors of Nebraska a n d Physical and Inorganic Chemistry, on Mississippi, a s well a s representatives of "Intermolecular Action," Brown Uni t h e United States Agricultural Experi versity, Providence, R . I., December 27 ment Stations, noted educators, represen to 29, 1938. tatives of farm organizations, of t r a n s portation, of Chambers of Commerce, e t c . Local Section General sessions included symposia on "New T h i n g s " a n d "Power Alcohol" CHICAGO. Boulevard Room, Stevens (Agrol). Special sessions dealt with Hotel, J u n e 24. Dinner, 6:15 P . M . ; " S o y b e a n s " and "Houses from t h e F a r m . " meeting, 7:45 P . M., "Chemical Rela Of interest among t h e "New T h i n g s " tionships among Cancer-Producing were Masonite, t h e all-wood plastic Agents," by James W. Cook. board produced in Mississippi from native wood; a n d walnut shell flour, which can Other Scientific Societies furnish a convenient outlet for t h e 10,000 or more tons of these shells t h a t accumu A L P H A C H I SIGMA F R A T E R N I T Y . Hotel annually in t h e United States. T h e Jung, New Orleans, La., J u n e 21 t o 25, late flour is rich in lignin, is easily decomposed, 1938. Fifteenth Biennial Conclave. and is practically insoluble in both water AMERICAN ASSOCIATION F O R T H E A D and ether. T h e particles a r e tough, ir VANCEMENT OP SCIENCE. Ottawa, regular spheres in contrast to t h e shredded C a n a d a , June 27 t o J u l y 2, 1938. particles common t o wood flour. AMERICAN I N S T I T U T E O P C H E M I C A L E N Leo M . Christensen, of t h e Atchison GINEERS. Philadelphia, P a . , November Agrol Co., reported encouraging progress 9 t o 11, 1938. in cutting t h e cost of producing alcohol AMERICAN I N S T I T U T E O P M I N I N G & M E T A L from farm crops. Hope was expressed LURGICAL E N G I N E E R S . Petroleum Di t h a t costs would b e further diminished vision. San Antonio, Texas, October in t h e n o t too distant future. Following 6 t o 7, 1938. t h e conference, a group of about 100 AMERICAN L E A T H E R C H E M I S T S ASSOCIA journeyed t o Atchison t o inspect t h e TION. Bedford Springs Hotel, Bedford power alcohol plant there. Springs, Pa., J u n e 14 t o 17, 1938. O. E . M a y , director of t h e U . S. R e A M E R I C A N PHYSICAL SOCIETY. U n i v e r s i t y gional Soybean Industrial Laboratory a t of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, J u n e 24 Urbana, reported extensively on t h e work a n d 25, 1938. of t h a t laboratory. Among o t h e r things, AMERICAN P U B L I C H E A L T H ASSOCIATION. he told of t h e recent development of K a n s a s City, M o . , October 25 t o 28, interesting plastic materials which can b e 1938. Annual meeting. produced from commercially available AMERICAN SOCIETY F O R T E S T I N G M A soybean protein. R . A. Boyer, of t h e TERIALS. Chalfonte-Haddon Hall, At Ford Motors C o . , displayed a fiber pro lantic City, N . J., J u n e 2 7 t o J u l y 1, duced after much research from soybean 1938. Annual meeting. protein. H e s t a t e d t h a t h i s company SOCIETY O P C H E M I C A L I N D U S T R Y . Ot hoped t o develop this fiber into an a u t o tawa, C a n a d a , J u n e 2 0 to 24, 1938. mobile upholstery material. T E C H N I C A L ASSOCIATION OP T H E P U L P AND Prefabricated a n d synthetic building P A P E R INDUSTRY. N o r t h l a n d Hotel, materials of various t y p e s were discussed. Green Bay, Wis., September 8 t o 10, C. P . Winslow, of t h e Forest Products 1938. Laboratory of Madison, Wis., reported X I I I T H NATIONAL EXPOSITION O P P O W E R on t h e construction of t w o prefabricated, AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. flat-roofed houses—a one-story structure Grand Central Palace, New York, Ν . Υ., and a two-story dwelling. Resin-bonded December 5 to 10, 1938. plywood was used throughout, as were moisture barriers a n d mineral wool insula tion. A convention highlight was t h e chemur Akron Rubber Group Outing gic b a n q u e t on Tuesday evening, April 27. Wheeler McMillen, president of t h e HE summer outing of the Akron R u b b e r National Farm Chemurgic Council, pre G r o u p is t o b e held J u n e 17 a t t h e sided, a n d A. M . Paul of Fresno, Calif., Silver Lake C o u n t r y C l u b . A big golf was toastmaster. T h e principal speakers program is planned, in addition t o tennis, were t h e Honorable Hugh L. White, baseball, cards, swimming, boating, a n d Governor of Mississippi, a n d D r . J o h n horseshoes, with good fellowship a n d A. Widtsoe of U t a h , a representative of plenty of prizes. I t is expected t h a t nearly 3 0 0 technical m e n , superintend- t h e Church of L a t t e r D a y Saints. Gov
T
V O L . 16. N O . 11
ernor W h i t e painted a vivid word p i c t u r e of a formerly one-crop (cotton) s t a t e which was now hoping for a n economic survival a n d revival through crop diversification, aided b y chemurgic outlets. Dr. Widtsoe said t h a t t h e Mormon C h u r c h was interested in chemurgy because i t held promises of being of material assist ance in t h e "self-help*' o r "self-reliance" grogram of t h e Mormon c o m m u n i t y in ghting t h e depression. Presentation of t h e Pioneer C u p w a s m a d e a t t h e dinner t o a much surprised William J . H a l e (see pages 305 a n a 308 of t h e N E W S E D I T I O N of M a y 20).
I n answer t o questions, D r . Hale, w h o originally coined t h e word " c h e m u r g y , " gave w h a t m a y therefore b e considered t h e authoritative definition and etymologi cal derivation of t h e word. I t is formed, he said, "from t h e Greek words chemia (meaning t h e land of E g y p t or t h e l a n d of t h e black soil or t h e black a r t of E g y p t , from which t h e word chemistry arises) and ergon, t h e Greek word for work. C h e m ergon would b e t h e expected synthetic word, m e a n i n g chemical work. D r . H a l e deleted t h e on a n d added ν a s in t h e word " e n e r g y . " This would a p p e a r t o leave t h e word "chemergy." D r . H a l e pointed o u t , however, t h a t i t was p r o p e r a n d fitting t o use u instead of β a s t h e elid ing vowel t o make t h e word " c h e m u r g y " comparable t o t h e word describing t h e sister science of metallurgy. H e also said t h a t t h e word "surgery" h a d been, evolved in a similar manner from ergon, with t h e choice of u as t h e eliding vowel. Zymurgy, which means t h e practical a p plication of t h e a r t of fermentation is still another similarly derived word. A s t o t h e pronunciation of chemurgy, t h e ck is given a hard sound as i n chemistry, and t h e accent falls on t h e antepenult o r first syllable. T h e adjective forms, chemurgic and chemurgical, a r e both correct. H e e r t h e accent falls on t h e second syllable. I n b o t h n o u n a n d adjective forms t h e g is soft, a s in urge. T h e generic sense of t h e word " c h e m u r g y " means work with or for chemistry. To make t h e word specific. D r . Hale originally added t h e qualifying word " f a r m , " giving farm chemurgy, meaning work with o r for chemistry on t h e farm. T h e word " c h e m u r g y " now carries t h e meaning of farm chemurgy through usage, a n d D r . Hale predicted t h a t within a y e a r t h e qualifying word farm would b e generally dropped. H e concluded his discussion: " C h e m i s t r y is t h e science a n d a r t of t h e elements a n d compounds a n d is divided into t h r e e p a r t s : chemical processing, t h e manufacture of compounds from t h e elements; metallurgy, t h e extraction of inorganic elements from their compounds; a n d chemurgy, t h e building u p of organic raw materials from air b y means of sun light, soil a n d chlorophyll." An interesting philosophical a n t i c i p a tion of t h e "Chemurgic F u t u r e " w a s p r e sented b y O . R . Sweeney, of Iowa S t a t e College. NICHOLAS DIETZ, J B .
Metropolitan Microchemical Society Formed H A V E been requested t o publish t h e WEsource of t h e item appearing o n page
200 of t h e N E W S E D I T I O N of April 1 0 , e n
titled "Metropolitan Microchemical S o ciety F o r m e d . " T h i s item originated with t h e Executive C o m m i t t e e o f t h e Metropolitan Microchemical Society, t h e members of which a r e W . F . Spikes, Alex. Knoll, A. Elek, G. L. Royer, a n d B . L . Clarke.
J U N E 10, 1938
International Congress of Chemistry
A
DVANCE reports received from t h e American delegates t o t h e T e n t h I n · teraational Congress of Chemistry, held in M a y i n Rome, were highly compli mentary t o t h e host chemists of Italy, who, notwithstanding a n advance registra tion of only 1500, rose t o t h e emergency incident t o t h e a t t e n d a n c e of 2600. T h e elaborate scientific program a s printed was carried out, interspersed with a con siderable n u m b e r of luncheons, private dinners, a n d banquets, a n d was followed by industrial a n d scenic trips complimentary to t h e attending delegates a n d complete in every detail. CavaUeria Rueticana, con ducted b y t h e composer, was greatly appreciated, as was a symphony concert presented with t h e compliments of Prince Conti. A t the congress M a r s t o n T . Bogert was elected president of t h e International Union of Chemistry and R . E . Swain vice resident for t h e United States. T h e lleventh International Congress of Chem istry will b e held in London in 1941, as will t h e Conference of t h e International Union. T h i s date is chosen t o have t h e congress coincide with t h e celebration of the n u n d r e d t h anniversary of the founding of t h e Chemical Society (London). Those in attendance from t h e United States included t h e following: Ross A. and Mrs. Baker, Edward a n d M r s . Bartow, Virginia Bartow, Norman P . Bekkedahl and his mother, Henry K. a n d M r s . Benson, Marston T . a n d M r s . Bogert, C. C . Concannon, M . L . a n d Mrs. Crossley, G u s t a v Egloff, J . B. a n d Mrs. Ekeley, Mildred W . Evans, Colin G. a n d M r s . Fink, H e n r y A. a n d M r s . Gardner, Mary A. Griggs, S. C . a n d Mrs. Lind, Hermann and M r s . Lythgoe, T h o m a s a n d M r s . Midgley, J r . , Ralph E. a n d Mrs. Montonna, J a m e s F . Norris, Charles L. Parsons, accompanied b y his daughters, M r s . Cooper a n d M r s . Vaughan, E . W. a n d Mrs. Reid, Arthur F . Scott, S. E. Shepard, Alexander Silverman, W . W . a n d 1rs. Skinner, R. E . Swain, John W. a n d Mrs. Turrentine, E . R. a n d Mrs. Weidiein, and Sybil Woodruff.
Ê
S
American Institute of Chemists E l e c t s Officers H E annual meeting of t h e American T I n s t i t u t e of Chemists was held at A t lantic C i t y o n M a y 14. T h e following officers were elected for t h e coming term: Robert J . Moore, president; Joseph W. E . Harrisson, vice presidents Howard S. Neiman, secretary; B u r k e H . Knight, treasurer; William T . Read, Gustav Egloff, a n d N o r m a n A. Shepard, coun cilors.
NEWS EDITION
333
ington Section of t h e National Microchemical Society o n M a y 25, before the Microchemical Division of t h e Philadelphia Section of t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY on
May
26,
and
before t h e Metropolitan Microchemical Society in New York, Ν . Υ., on M a y 27. T a u Beta Pi Association held a contest for its initiates last fall, t h e prize t o consist of some publications being awarded in each chapter for t h e best pledge essay.
ROBERT
SHIRRIFF,
Montana
State College, chose INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y a n d m e m bership in t h e AMERICAN C H E M I C A L SOCIETY.
Cavalcade o f America Wins Another Award A NOTHBR laurel has been added t o those JL\ awarded t o t h e d u Pont company's radio program, "Cavalcade of America." T h i s time the recognition comes from t h e Women's Press Club, a national organiza tion devoted t o t h e advance of journalistic and literary pursuits. After balloting its affiliated press groups throughout t h e country, t h e Women's Press Club of N e w York singled o u t 10 programs in various classifications, such a s news, cultural music, best announcer, etc., to receive certificates of honor. "Cavalcade of America," in addition t o its interest for adults, was judged t o b e t h e "best program for older children."
Explosion a t d u F o n t ' s Belle
Works
T
HREE lives were lost in an explosion of a unit of t h e liquefaction equipment in t h e Belle, W. Va., Works, E . I . d u Pont de Nemours & Co., Ammonia D e partment, late Thursday afternoon, M a y 26. Dennis S. Carte, 34, operator helper, and Burton A. Hall, 3 1 , operator, a i e a instantly. Leon S. Alden, 45, assistant foreman, died 10 hours later. John M . Bowes, 28, mechanic helper, a n d William C Kitchen, 40, laborer, were injured b u t a r e expected t o live. Officials of t h e company say t h a t t h e cause of t h e explo sion is still obscure a n d m a y never b e determined. Equipment of this t y p e had been operated normally since 1927.
F r a n k l i n E . T u t tie H o n o r e d BBONZE portrait plaque was presented to Franklin E . T u t t l e a t t h e Univer A sity of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., o n t h e
afternoon of J u n e 2, 1938. T h e ceremony included introductory remarks b y R . N . Maxson, present heaa of the Department of Chemistry, followed by a n address b y M . M. Harrison, chief chemist of t h e Economics Conference Miller Rubber C o . , Akron, Ohio, w h o presented t h e tribute in behalf of P r o H E 8 t h annual Economics Conference fessor Tuttle's former students. T h e a t Johnsonburg, N . J . , will begin this year on F r i d a y evening, J u n e 24, a n d president of t h e university, F . L. McVey, accepted t h e plaque for t h e university. continue t h r o u g h t h e morning of J u l y 2. T h e program h a s been planned b y t h e From 1889 t o 1906, Professor T u t t l e joint sponsors, t h e Stevens Institute of taught at the Pennsylvania State College. Technology a n d t h e Society for t h e Ad H e was on the faculty of the University of vancement of Management. Kentucky from 1906 t o 1934, when h e retired a s head of t h e Department of Chemistry, being tendered a banquet a n d >resented with a purse of more t h a n $150 W A L T E R R . K I R N E R , of t h e Coal Research rem the staff, students, and alumni. H e Î Laboratory of t h e Carnegie Institute of was an outstanding teacher of chemistry Technology, chairman of t h e Microand had built u p one of t h e strong under chemical Section of t h e AMERICAN graduate courses in the field. I n addition, C H E M I C A L SOCIETY, s p o k e on " T h e D i he had t h e unusual ability of being able rect Microdetermination of Oxygen in to size up the potentialities of his men. Organic C o m p o u n d s " before t h e Wash-
T
From a n Engineer's Log
H
o w we fared in an interesting b u t pain ful experience last March when 625 of us were interned in t h e plant for 3 weeks h a s been spread before you. T h e famous Alvin Johnson says: Industrial management must drop its outworn system of discipline by dictatorship and devise a plan of discipline by consent if an explosion is to be avoided in the present labor crisis. T h a t looks like a pretty big assignment and will doubtless be a long time coming. In England I believe they are closer t o i t . T h e boss used t o be king and could com mand t h e servant: go thou and d o t h u s . B u t now he is a comrade, and his orders are sometimes modified b y the rule of t h e committee. To keep the j o b moving with t h e old vigor now requires t h e boss t o possess diplomacy. T h e paternalistic weapon is gone. Nevertheless, o u r gang has n o t y e t reached t h e stage where t h e hammer is left hanging in t h e air when t h e whistle blasts. Occasionally o n a Sunday P . M. I circu late around with my camera a t t h e homes of t h e boys a n d get acquainted with t h e kids a n d the wives. I t is almost pathetic to observe t h e pleasure t h a t can b e inspired by a little fraternizing. On Christmas, Master Mechanic John's little granddaughter asks granddaddy w h y h e isn't going t o t h e sugar house "where h e belongs." Herman r s little orphaned grandson gets sleepy a n d informs granddaddy t h a t he is growing blind a n d so H e r m a n has to tuck him into bed. On Christmas morning last year I dropped in a t t h e plant a n d was informed t h a t Holly, t h e shift foreman in t h e steam plant, h a d slipped on t h e ice and had been sent t o Saint Mary's. So I drove t o t h e hospital (the policeman overlooked m y passing a red light) and found Roily on nis back, b u t in good spirits. After t h e visit, I drove out t o see his family. I told t h e youngster t h a t daddy wouldn't b e able t o come home. T h e little fellow wouldn't believe it, a s he said his daddy h a d told him t h a t he'd be home on Christ mas a n d his daddy always does what h e says he's going t o do! He may have a greasy hat, and the seat of his trousers may be shiny, and the banker may not be very well acquainted with hie sig nature; but if you see hie children with their noses flattened against t h e window-pane watching for him a half hour before he is due home for supper, you can go right ahead and trust him with anything you have. DAN Pennsylvania Sugar Co. 1037 North Delaware Ave. Philadelphia, Pa.
GDTLBBEN
Aluminum Metals N E W use for aluminum has been found by Warner Brothers in connection with their new Technicolor production of "Robin Hood." Speedy action is called for in this picture a s in many modern scenarios, and since t h e movie warriors would wear themselves o u t owing t o t h e long hours involved in "killine" each other, Warners have purchased about $1300 worth of aluminum weapons for use in t h i s particular picture. I n addition t o t h e swords, t h e helmets, chain mail, armor plate, and many other metal props are made from aluminum, fj
A
