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the gaseous state and mixed with an oxygen-containing gas mixture, to the action of vanadium (molybdenum) oxides heated to temperatures ranging from 250” to 650” C. When the process is carried out according to the above claims either on a laboratory or commercial scale, phthalic anhydride is produced which may consist of long, glistening needles, but it is always far from colorless and anything but substantially chemically pure, and having a melting point above 130’ C. (corrected). The color ranges from a light yellow to black and the melting point never is as high as 130’ C. There is no mention made in either of the Gibbs-Conover patents as to the purity of the product, but Gibbs bases the disclosure of the remarkable purity of the product on Monroe’s work and an article published by him.’ It has been shown that Monroe carried out his work with material made according to U. s. Patent 1,336,182, which is the one under discussion. The article entitled “Phthalic Anhydride. I-Introduction,” just mentioned, was received for publication August 19, 1919, which was approximately two months earlier than the filing date of U. S. Patent 1,336,182. I t will be evident to those who have had charge of similar problems that two months is a very short time for the development of a manufacturing process for the product in question. I n addition to this it can be definitely proved that this product was produced according to the claims of the patent in large quantities a t a much earlier date than either of these disclosures. It is evident also that Gibbs has neglected to consider the judgment reached by the examiners of the Patent Office after a very careful search of the Patent Office records as well as the literature on the subject. I n view of the above facts i t does not seem impossible to conceive the grounds upon which such a patent was granted. C. E. ANDREWS TRBSELDENCOMPANY PITTSBURGH, PA.
November 15. 1920
THE IGNITION OF FIRE ENGINE HOSE WHEN IN USE Editor of the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: Boston papers of November last had a most astonishing tale of the spontaneous ignition of fire hose when in service. The facts in the case are as follows: It was a new 50-ft. length of the usual 2.5-in. hose consisting of a simple rubber lining inside a heavy cotton jacket. Outside this was drawn a similar cotton jacket. The hose was used in a test made on the new pumping engines, and the stream was throttled down about 45 per cent, discharging about 250 gal. per min. Notwithstanding the fact that this quantity of cold water from the Charles River was used, the hose took fire between the cotton jackets. A spot 2 in. long by 1.12 in. wide was burned clear through each. Careful examination reveals the fact that on each side of the burned hole the inner casings or jackets are very severely chafed. This chafing coming from the vibration produced in the hose by the pump was in my opinion, sufficient to produce great heat and finally active combustion. I found also a similar state of things in another sample of hose used at a later test. The chemical composition of the rubber, in my opinion, had nothing to do with the case. I am of the opinion that the occurrence was due to excessive friction between the cotton casings produced by the vibration of the hose in service. It is interesting t o note that these results have been confirmed by ILlr. J. s. Caldwell, chief engineer oE the N. E. Insurance Exchange, with three different types of engines and three different makes of high-grade, standard hose. The experiments were made in Portland, New Bedford, and Boston, and in some cases the cotton was charred in about 15 min. MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY A. H. GILL, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS January 13, 1921 1
THISJouarnl~.11 (1919). 1031.
Vol. 13, No. 2
REPAIRING IRON LEACHING VATS Editor of the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: Herewith I should like to communicate an experience in repairing leaching vats which may be helpful to others. The bottom of a 5.5 f t . by 22 f t . circular cyanide leaching vat contained numerous holes, and some parts were so badly worn out that a needle could be passed through without effort. At first the leaks were calked with coal-tar soaked cotton waste. This method proved to be inefficient. Then a 2-in. cement bottom was laid on the inside af the tank, but pressure variations during charge and discharge, causing various bendings of the bottom, broke the cement layer in no time. This observation led to the construction of a more flexible bottom, built as follows: Over the whole defective bottom was laid a 0.25-in. asphalt layer, covered with a layer of canvas (in our case old filter leaves). Care was taken that the canvas was pressed on the asphalt while the latter was still hot, in order to secure a close contact. Finally the canvas was covered with asphalt 0.25 in. thick. After 24 hrs. the tank was filled with water, held under water pressure for 72 hrs., discharged, filled again, and held under pressure again for 72 hrs. During this experiment not the slightest leaking could be observed. The total repair cost amounted to approximately $92, whereas a new tank was quoted a t $750. To put a new iron bottom in was impossible, owing t o the fact that the bottom ends of the mantel-pieces would not stand a new riveting. As your Journal, which I receive as a member of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIET:TY, often gives me helpful suggestions, I should like to help someone who is in trouble. C. FLURY FRENCH MINES TAIYUDONG, KOREA, JAPAN October 13, 1920
VAPOR COMPOSITION OF ALCOHOL-WATER MIXTURES Editor of the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: Under the above heading in THISJOURNAL, 12 (1920), 296 W. K. Lewis disposes of the writer’s earlier results on the same subject [THIS JOURNAL, 8 (1916), 2611 with the statement that “The work of Evans is obviously unreliable in view of the fact that he finds the composition of vapor and liquid identical a t 92 per cent by weight.” This statement of Lewis is incorrect, as the writer’s experiments did not extend beyond 91.1 per cent in the liquid, which corresponded to 91.8 per cent in the vapor. In correspondence Lewis says that he obtained the “92 per cent” by slightly extending the writer’s curves beyond the experimental regiongraphic extrapolation. I n view of the admitted experimental error of possibly 1 per cent and the absence of evidence of the character of the curves beyond this region, this is manifestly unjustified, especially as the writer expressly accepted 96 per cent alcohol by weight, as found by others, 3s the constant boiling mixture. Lewis’ results are not experimentally obtained by him, but are graphically extrapolated (again) by him from experimental results of Wrewsky, the extrapolation being for as much as 25” beyond the actual observations! Surely experimental confirmation of results obtained in this way might be expected, and would be more convincing than Lewis’ belief that they are “by far the most accurate available.” A comparison of the curves obtained from Lewis’ extrapolated and the writer’s experimental results, pIotting alcohol per cent against boiling point, leaves the probability in favor of the writer, as judged from the form of the curves, especially for boiling points between 90’ and 97’, where they most diverge, Lewis’ curve showing an improbable bulge in this region.
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Feb., 1921
THE JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
I n correspondence with the writer, Lewis claims that means should have been adopted to prevent any condensation in the top of the distilling flask and also to prevent any superheating of the vapor-a difficult matter. The conditions were intentionally those usually obtaining in a distilling flask in which a slow distillation of a considerable quantity of the mixture is taking place, and therefore easily duplicated in practice, and it is to such usual conditions that the results are still believed to appIy within the limits of error originally stated. P. N. EVANS P U K D U E UNIVERSITY INDSANA October 23, 1920
LdFAYETTE,
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Edztor of the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: Professor Evans desires experimental confirmation of the data as to vapor compositions of alcohol-water mixtures calculated by the writer. He will find such confirmation in the direct experimental determinations of Lord Rayleigh, to which reference should have been made originally. The average difference between the twelve determinations of vapor composition reported by Lord Rayleigh and the curves of the writer (based on the data of Wrewsky) is 2 per cent. Excluding two points, the deviations of which are 6 and 7 per cent, respectively, the average difference between Lord Rayleigh’s results and the curves is less than 1 per cent. The average difference between the results of Professor Evans and the curves is 3 . 6 per cent. The admitted failure of Professor Evans to provide against partial condensation of vapor in the top of the flask is probably the major source of error. This is especially serious in dilute liquids. Thus for liquids of less than 6 per cent alcohol, the average difference between the vapor compositions determined by Professor Evans and those read from the curve is over 9 per cent, while the deviations of the results of Lord Rayleigh from the curve within this same range average less than 1 per cent. Moreover, with the exception of two poi.nts in fortytwo, all vapor com>osition@determined by Professor Evans are higher than those read from the curves. This is to be expected where partial cooling of tche vapors occurs in the top of the flask. On the other hand, ten of the twelve points of Lord Rayleigh fall below the curve. The data of Wrewsky were used because they seemed accurate, and especially because no other data gave information on the important questions of change of vapor composition and of vapor pressure with change in temperature. When more accurate data become available, it is not improbable that the vapor-composition curve calculated from Wrewsky will be found too high rather than too low. W. K. LEWIS D B P A R T ~ EOF N TCHGMSCAL
ENGINEERSNG
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OB TECHNOLOGY CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS January 9 , 1921 1
I
Phil. Mag., [ 6 ] 4 (1902), 529.
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THE BRITISH DYE BILL
A Bill to Regulate the Importation of Dyestuffs Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: I-(1) With a view to the safe-guarding of the dye-making industry, the importation into the United Kingdom of the following goods, that is to say, all synthetic organic dyestuffs, colours and colouring matters, and all organic intermediate products used in the manufacture of any such dyestuffs, colours, or colouring matters shall be prohibited. (2) Goods prohibited to be imported by virtue of this Act shall be deemed t o be included among the goods enumerated and described in the Table of Prohibitions and Restrictions Inwards contained in section forty-two of the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876, and the provisions of that Act and of any Act amending or extending that Act shall apply accordingly. 2-(1) The Board of Trade have power by licence to authorise, either generally or in any particular case, the importation of any of the goods, or any class or description of the goods, prohibited to be imported by virtue of this Act. (2).For the purpose of advising them with respect to the granting of licences the Board shall constitute a committee consisting of five persons concerned in the trades in which goods of the class prohibited to be imported by this Act are used, three persons concerned in the manufacture of such goods, and three other persons not directly concerned as aforesaid. Such one of the three last-mentioned persons as the Board shall appoint shall be chairman of the committee. (3) For the purpose of providing for the expenses incurred by the Board in carrying this Act into execution, the Board may charge in respect of a licence a fee not exceeding five pounds. %Subject to compliance with such conditions as t o security for the re-exportation of the goods as the Commissioners of Customs and Excise may impose, this Act shall not apply t o goods imported for exportation after transit through the United Kingdom or by way of transhipment. 4-Anything authorised under this Act to be done by the Board of Trade may be done by the President or a secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Board or by any person authorised in that behalf by the President of the Board. 5-(1) The provisions of this Act shall continue in force for a period of ten years from the commencement thereof and no longer. (2) This Act may be cited as the Dyestuffs (Import Regulation) Act, 1920. EUROPEAN RELIEF COUNCIL Everybody in the country by this time knows of the work of the European Relief Council headed by Mr. Hoover, and the “Invisible Guests” which they are struggling to entertain until the next harvest. I am sure that everyone of the members of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY wants t o take part in this splendid work, but some may be so situated that they do not know where to send their contribution. I n case no local committee is functioning, such contributions may be sent to me a t 61 Broadway, New York, N. Y. At Mr. Hoover’s request, I am acting as chairman of the Chemicals Division in this city, and all such contributions would naturally be credited to the chemical industry. A word should be sufficient to bring a prompt response from any who have not already contributed to this magnificent work. WM. H. NICHOLS January 20, 1921
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WASHINGTON LETTER
THE FORDNEY TARIFF BII,L
Washington has been concerned of late with the amusing and not too difficult task of muddying the waters It is easy to muddy the waters, and who is to reprove a senator for doing so, especially if he has handy a semi-plausible excuse? There has been much fuss and feathers flung round the Fordney emergency tariff measure by various members of the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans, and that measure has been dignified with a favorable report from the Senate Finance Committee, the members of which sat for several days hearing pilgrims gathered t o the Mecca tell of their dire straits brought about by the squeezing pincers of economic forces. .. There was not any doubt that the bill would pass the House
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when it was reported from the House Ways and Means Committee, but in the Senate the situation is different, and there are few members of the Finance Committee who expect the bill to be enacted into law. The bowing of the representatives of powerful manufacturing districts to what they believe to be the dictate of the voting farmer is par excellence an example of the psychology of the lawmakers of the great United States. They know not wisdom, and principle is a word they wot not of. Force-the fear of defeat and the threat of defeat in votes-is understood. That is heeded. And the Senate committee throws to the American farmer the sop of a measure that it knows full well will never be enacted into law.
