Vol. 8, No. 21
NEWS EDITION
4
Decision in Case of Monsanto vs. Jaeger and Bertsch * In t h e United States Circuit C o u r t of Appeals for t h e T h i r d Circuit, on· appeal from t h e District Court of t h e United States for t h e Western District of Pennsylvania, t h e following decision h a s been rendered in t h e case of t h e M o n s a n t o Chemical Works vs. A, O. Jaeger a n d J . A. B e r t s c h : The issues in this case grew o u t of a controversy which arose over certain agreements called option and purchase agreements wherein t h e defendants gave options t o the plaintiff to purchase certain new processes and contact masses for the manufacture of sulfuric acid and phthalic anhydride. The learned District Judge in a very careful and comprehensive opinion disposed of the issues involved without error and we affirm the decree on his opinion, except as to costs, as t o which the decree is modified. Plaintiffs shall pay one-third and defendant two-thirds of the costs.
Director Wanted for Fuel Research Institute The Government of t h e Union of S o u t h Africa invites applica tions from suitably qualified research chemists for a p p o i n t m e n t t o the post of director of t h e Fuel Research I n s t i t u t e , Union of South Africa. T h e salary attached t o t h e post is £1000 per a n n u m ($5000), increasing t o £1200 per a n n u m (S6000), a n d applicants m u s t b e p r e p a r e d t o sign a c o n t r a c t for a n initial period of t h r e e years. Applications, giving full information, including applicant's age, academic qualifications, a n d previous experience, a n d accom panied by certified copies of academic certificates, testimonials, etc., m u s t reach t h e C h a i r m a n , Fuel Research B o a r d , D e p a r t m e n t of Mines a n d Industries, Pretoria, S o u t h Africa, o n o r before J a n u a r y 15, 1931. F u r t h e r information m a y b e o b t a i n e d from t h e S o u t h African Legation, 1607 Twenty-second S t . , N . W., W a s h i n g t o n , D C .
N . Y. Section of A. E. S. Announces Meeting T h e regular a u t u m n meeting of t h e New Y o r k Section of t h e American Electrochemical Society "will b e held o n Friday, November 2 1 , a t 8 P. M. in 309 Havemeyer Hall, Columbia Uni versity. T h e nearest s u b w a y station is a t O n e H u n d r e d a n d Sixteenth S t . on t h e Broadway-Seventh Avenue line. T h e public is invited. Beverly L . Clark, of t h e Bell Telephone Laboratories, will p r e sent h i s methods a n d results in regard t o " P o t e n t i o m e t r i c T i t r a tions i n Non-Aqueous Solvents." Dwight Κ . Alpern, formerly of S w a r t h m o r e College, will give a n experimental lecture o n " P h o t o - Voltaic Cells." These novel electrolyte photoelectric cells will be d e m o n s t r a t e d , their striking practical uses shown, and their operation compared with ordinary photoelectric cells. Columbia University has extended t o t h e society t h e privi leges of t h e Faculty Club a t One Hundred a n d Eighteenth S t . a n d Morningside P a r k West, where a n informal dinner a t 6:45 p. M. will precede t h e meeting. M e m b e r s of t h e American Elec trochemical Society a n d their guests a r e invited—one dollar a n d a half p e r cover.
Reduced Subscription Rates to I. R. I. Transactions An a r r a n g e m e n t has been m a d e between t h e committees of t h e Institution of the R u b b e r I n d u s t r y a n d t h e R u b b e r Division of t h e A M E R I C A N C H E M I C A L S O C I E T Y , w h e r e b y m e m b e r s of b o t h
societies are enabled t o subscribe to each o t h e r ' s journal a t r e duced r a t e s . M e m b e r s of t h e R u b b e r Division m a y receive t h e I. R. I . Transactions a t $4.00 a year, instead of t h e regular price of $6.50. Specimen copy will b e sent on r e q u e s t t o W . F . V. Cox, Secretary, Institution of t h e R u b b e r I n d u s t r y , F a r a d a y House, 10 Charing Cros* Road, London, W. C . 2, E n g l a n d .
Leather from Fish Skins
W h e n this process for the synthertic production of gasoline from low-grade coal-dust of t h e Ruhr, u-msuitecl for fuel purposes, w e n t into production, i t was announced that -the plant would produce 30,000 metric tons of gasoline ann-ually. While it has been u n able to meet i t s program, the Gerrruan dye trust is producing a b o u t 100,000 metric tons of synthe-tiegasoline a n n u a l l y b y the c a t a l y t i c hydrogénation of lignite t a r .
Odorless Garnish A R T H U R J. ENFORTOI*
General Plastics, I n c . , Notrth Tonawanda, Ν . Υ. C h a n g e s in t h e materials employed in construction work h a v e been m o s t remarkable during t S i e p a s t t e n years. Lighter, stronger, and more durable produces are b e i n g used i n all t y p e s of work. T h e phenolic resins and tmeir m o l d i n g compounds h a v e played a tremendous p a r t in this cfcnange, giving not only stronger a n d m o r e lustrous products but a-llowing materials to b e m a d e with high electrical properties and "«with a. p e r m a n e n t finish, which is difficult to duplicate b y t h e use oif paints and varnishes. A t first this work was confined t o small pieces molded u n d e r h e a t a n d pressure, b u t with, the development of a laminating process, b y which large p a n e l s of t h i s material can b e m a d e , t h e uses h a v e expanded into building s.nd furniture trades. D u r i n g the past year t h e use of laminated stock for hotel paneling, desk tops, radio panels, window decorataon, a n d similar work h a s been quite common a n d on t h e increase— Refrigerator manufacturers h a v e been particularly anxious, a n d have been working for t h e last t h r e e or four years t o obtain a p r o d u c t of t h i s t y p e because of the desirable qualities of laminated board. The use of these m a t e r i a l s , however, was limited, s . s they were n o t satisfactory w h e n b r o u g h t into close proximity to foodstufTs, because of t h e slight residual traces of p h e n o l o d o r which were readily a b s o r b e d b y a l m o s t any t y p e of fatty p r o d u c t , such a s butter. T h e n e w odorless Durez varnish of General Plastics, Inc., h a s contributed t o t h e solution of this proble-m a n d t h e use of lami n a t e d board is n o w possible for nnanufa-cturers of refrigerators a n d w o r k of similar nature. This varnish is made t o a definite viscosity which is sufficiently liigha to insure uniform coverage, a n d yet low enough to guarantees thorough penetration. T h e viscosity range is held within very «close l i m i t s , as is the available resin content. T h e laminators cam thus "be assured of a uniform consistently working productFiller sheets are impregnated affter the usual manner, dipping the p a p e r in t h e varnish a n d heat-treating it t o d r y off t h e sol v e n t a n d advance t h e resin t o a pc*»int wri-ere i t can b e molded t o best a d v a n t a g e . T h e h e a t t r e a t m e n t is generally done a t a b o u t 250 ° F., either in a tower or a contimuous t u n n e l operation. T h e treated paper, when pressed undesr standard conditions, should h a v e t h e resin so far a d v a n c e d thaft less t h a n 1 per cent of i t will squeeze o u t during t h e pressing operation. _
Non-Resident Lectureship appointments at Cornell T h e following have accepted ^appointment to the George Fisher Baker Non-Resident Lectur-eship i n Chemistry a t Cornell University for the n e x t four years: First term, 1930-31—G. Hevesy, UniversSty of Freiburg, GermanySecond term, 1930-31—N. V. Sidgwick, Lincoln College, Oxford, England. First term, 1931-32—W. L. Bragg, Uiiivesrsity of ^Manchester, England. Second term, 1931-32—Alfred Stock, Technisclxe Hochschule, Karlsruhe, Germany. First term, 1932-33—Cecil H. Desch, SlieS&eld, England. Second term, 1932-33—Otto Hahn, Katserr ΛνίΙΙιεΙπι Institut fur Chemie, Berlin-Dahlem, Germany. First term, 1933-34—V. M. Goldschinidfc:, Gôttingen, Germany. Second term, 1933-34—Robert Ro"binson„. Oxfor
