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T E E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
however, the Department of Agriculture forecast a most serious drop in cotton yield owing to the drought. A conference was immediately called a t Washington by the War Industries Board and it was pointed out that owing t o the cotton shortage, instead of using a mixture of 7 0 per cent linters and 30 per cent hull shavings, it would be necessary to use a mixture of about 63 per cent linters, 23.5 per cent hull shavings and 13.5 per cent wood pulp, with the prospect that the amount of wood pulp would have to be very materially increased. The program of the War Department figured on the use of I j0,ooO tons of sulfite wood pulp for the ensuing year, or 500 tons per day, approximately IO per cent of the output of sulfite wood pulp. On the basis of the large-scale experiment above described i t was recommended that preliminary to putting the entire manufacture of smokeless powder in this country on the cottonwood pulp basis, we should immediately manufacture I ,ooo,ooo lbs. of powder each, from a mixture of 50 per cent linters, 25 per cent hull shavings and 25 per cent sulfite wood pulp, .and a mixture of 50 per cent linters, 25 per cent hull shavings and 2 5 per cent soda wood pulp. At the time of the signing of the armistice, all preparations were made for the nitration of the material. The order for the manufacture of the powder was immediately cancelled, so that we were prevented from obtaining very valuable data as regards yields and manufacturing difficulties, and a satisfactory comparison of sulfite and soda wood pulp. We believe that a very satisfactory powder could be made from either sulfite or soda wood pulp and that the advantages or disadvantages of these two materials as regards difficulty in manufacture, yields, etc., could be obtained only from largescale manufacture such as we recommended. We also wished t o place ourselves in a position so that we could use either soda or sulfite wood pulp in case of shortage of material. With reference t o the kind of wood, coniferous woods appeared to be more suitable because of longer fiber, so that in the case of sulfite pulp we were specifying largely spruce and, in the case of soda pulp, Jack pine. On the advice of government experts and private manufacturers we confined our attention almost wholly to the use of coniferous woods. Information from Germany indicated that they were probably using sulfite wood pulp and examination of several sarpples showed two to be entirely spruce and the third about 7j per cent spruce and 2 j per cent pine. Other information stated that soda and sulfate wood pulps were being used by Germany and it is quite possible that all three kinds were finally used. USE OF WOOD CELLULOSE FOR NITRATING IN PEACE TIME
In regard to the use of wood cellulose in peace times in the manufacture of smokeless powder, we have previously refer:ed to the reluctance on the part of government officials to change from cotton to another form of cellulose, due to the serious question of chemical stability. Jn view of the enormous stocks of smokeless powder now in storage and the ample supply of cotton fiber for nitrating purposes, all smokeless powder for many years will continue to be made from cotton. Relative to the use of wood pulp for industrial purposes other than explosives, there is a possible field. We believe that experiments in the past have in many cases failed because the investigator was satisfied to nitrate wood pulp as obtained from the gaper trade and prepared for paper making purposes. We believe that better success can be obtained by giving the pulp an additional purification treatment so that the final cellulose will more closely approach cotton cellulose in chemical characteristics. This additional treatment naturally adds to the expense of the material. Nitrocellulose prepared from wood pulp will be found to be of lower viscosity than cotton cellulose and might be of advantage for use in those industries where such a nitrocellulose is desired. As we have pointed out, however, there are serious
Vol.
12,
No. 4
difficulties in connectipn with the nitration of wood pulp alone, due to the physical character of the material and shortness of the fibers. These difficulties would of course have to be solved in order t o make nitrocellulose from wood cellulose a serious competitor of nitrocellulose from cotton.
NEW
CHEMISTRY BUILDING AT MONTANA STATE COLLEGE The formal dedication of the new chemistry building of the Montana State College, a t Bozeman, took place on January 14, 1920, in connection with the inauguration of Alfred Atkinson as president of the college. The dedicatory address on “Chemistry in Our Agriculture and Mechanic Arts Colleges” was given by Prof. William F. Coover, head of the department of chemistry a t the Iowa State College. Formal dedication was made by Chancellor Elliott, of the University of Montana. Prof. E. A. Duddy, of the State College, outlined the history of the department of chemistry, which in 25 years has become one of the leading depariments of the college. Its work began in 1894 in a frame building, used also as a skating rink, with a heating system which required the use of overshoes and overcoats in the classroom. Frequently from two to four classes recited in the room a t once under different instructors.
X E W CHEYISTRY
BUILDING, -MONTANA
STATE
COLLEGB
Other addresses were made by President Atkinson of the State College, Director F. B. Linfield of the Montana Experiment Station, Dr. W. F. Cogswell of the State Board of Health, Prof, Lester J. Harzell of the Montana State School of Mines, Prof. W. G. Bateman of Montana University, Prof. C. C. Todd of Washington State College, W. H. Andrews, chemist for the Three Forks Portland Cement Co., Lyndall P. Davidson, chemist for the Anaconda Copper Mines’ reduction department. and A. P. Stark, senior in chemistry a t the college. The new building,completed and equipped a t a cost of $175,000, takes the pla8e of one burned in 1916,and is believed t o be one of the most up-to-date in the West. In many important features it is similar to the chemistry building a t the Iowa State College. It provides quarters for the department of chemistry and chemical engineering a t the State College, research offices and laboratories for the Montana Experiment Station, water and food laboratories for the State Board of Health and an oil laboratory for the State Oil Commission. The building has an efficient ventilating system for classrooms, offices, and laboratories, and a separate system for the laboratory hoods. The plumbing system provides pipe lines for hot and cold water, distilled water, drainage, compressed air. vacuum, and hydrogen sulfide. These pipe lines are placed in furred ceilings in each hallway and additional connections to all these lines can be made as future needs require. Alternate and direct current circuits are provided for each laboratory.
