1I 3 4
T H E J O U R N A L O F I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y V O ~ 1. 2 . NO.
While these War Trade Board statistics would be valuable in themselves, their value will be further enhanced by the publication by the United States Tariff Commission of a census of dye imports during the same fiscal year, using the Norton 1914 import census as the basis. An interesting comparison will be afforded by these two censuses of imports. Such import statistics as are regularly collected and made public by the Government through the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce of the Department of Commerce do not approach the detail desired, and such statistics as the Commission proposes to publish are not elsewhere available. While the Tariff Commission is being discussed it might be interesting to note that Commissioner Culbertson in a speech recently delivered before the Southern Tariff Congress a t New Orleans declared t h a t the development of the American dye industry “reads like a fairy tale” of achievement. Dyes, of course, are far from entitled to occupy the center of the chemical stage a t all times, but to an ordinary layman it is somewhat surprising to find that the Government is conducting experiments with dyes as a possible cure for tuberculosis, under the direction of Dr. McCoy of the Hygienic Laboratory. Dr. McCoy is working in cooperation with Dr. Paul Lewis, of the Phipps Institute, Philadelphia, who also is engaged in conducting experiments along this line. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION COMPLAINTS
Recent complaints issued by the Federal Trade Commission include charges of bribery of employees by the United States Color & Chemical Co., Inc., Boston, Mass., and the Seymour
II
Chemical Company and Alexander S. Mann, Providence, R. I., textile finishing materials. NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
Bids for the construction of a h’aval Research Laboratory to be established a t Bellvue, D. C., were opened recently by the Navy Department. Bids will be opened later for supplying of laboratory equipment which will be desired. The laboratory is for the purpose of testing and experimentation on ordnance and ordnance materials and supplies and other articles, and other naval uses calling for laboratory research. The laboratory is to be established out of an appropriation of $I,j00,000 given by Congress in 1917. Because of the wording of the appropriation, some of this fund has been used for other purposes, so that there is now available about $I,OOO,OOO for construction of the plant. T H E D Y E BILL
While little or nothing is being done in Washington a t present -for obvious reasons-by supporters of the dye bill, the bill retains the same parliamentary status a t the coming session of Congress in December as when that body adjourned last session. There is no doubt but that strong efforts will be made to have definite action taken by the Senate a t this session. It should be borne in mind, however, that, in case of failure of the measure to get final action by Congress, both Senate and House, before adjournment of next session, i t will lose all advantage it now has as a bill already passed by the House, and will have to go over the same steps which it began so many months ago. O c t o b e r 16, 1920
PARIS LETTER B y CHARLES LORMAND, 4 Avenue d e l ’ o b s e r v a t o i r e , Paris, F r a n c e
Signs of scientific and industrial activity are beginning t o reappear. The annual industrial exposition held a t Lyons (the Lyons fair) has just opened. This covers a district important in the chemical industry. Owing to its proximity to the Alps and the Cevennes, the region of Lyons is particularly fortunate in possessing numerous waterfalls. The chemical works accomplished a great deal during the war, and since that time have adapted their manufactures to new needs. The pyrite mines of Saint-Bel, which are in this district, produce annually 2 7 0 , 0 0 0 tons, thus providing also for the development of all the industries dependent on sulfuric acid. Exhibits a t the Lyons fair by the different firms of the region include notably fats, stearin, glycerol, and gelatin. One company alone produces monthly-150 tons of oleic acid, 30 tons of glycerol, and 1,000 tons of soap. Also to be noted are tanning extracts and natural coloring matters, IOO,OOO tons of which are annually produced in the region. All the large industries of the district which use illuminating gas are recovering the benzene from the gas, in order to provide raw materials for the manufacture of dyes. Considerable effort has been made along this line. The production of dyes during the past year was 1391 tons in the Lyons district alone, while in 1913 all the French industries togethei produced only 1000 tons. Mention should also be made of the exhibit of photographic and pharmaceutical products by the well-known scientists, MM. Auguste and Louis LumiPre, and also of the active efforts in the manufacture of textiles and artificial silk. Professor Grignard now occupies the chair of organic chemistry of the Faculty of Sciences a t Lyons, and he is actively engaged in promoting the necessary liaison between science and industry. NICKEL PLATING O F ALUMINIUM
The French Society of Civil Engineers has just held its opening meeting of the seaqon. An interesting paper was presented by M. Leon Guillet, professor a t the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers, who discussed the problem of the nickel plating of aluminium. This is not a new question, but all the patents dealing with this subject have not given satisfactory results.
I
The problem is that of developing the use of aluminium for coatings and obtaining a metal which is not attacked b y different liquids, particularly sea water. Good results are not obtained with perfectly polished aluminium. Neither should there be a too pronounced scouring. M. Guillet has obtained excellent results by a cleaning with jets of sand under light pressure (600 g.), followed by a nickel plating of 0.06 mm., then a copper plating of 0.012 mm , and finally a second nickel plating of 0.06 mm., the nickel and copper plating being effected in baths by the ordinary procedure. Pieces thus prepared have been perfectly successful. Tests of stamping, of folding, and of burnishing, as well as the action of caustic soda, have proved the good quality of the nickel plating obtained. The process has not been patented, and R/I. Guillet is quite ready to give further explanation to those interested. His sole interest is only to facilitate and popularize the use of aluminium SUGAR
NI Paul Kestner has recently installed in Saint-Gaudens (Haute-Garonne) and in Belgium, in the region of the Sambre, two large factories for the sugar fields. I n the factories he is preparing “whole” sugar. This sugar is incompletely defecated, leaving in the juice These products certain nitrogenous products of the beet. have a food value and until now have been discarded in the residue and used as fertilizer. The sugar obtained by M. Kestner is slightly brown in color and can be used in the manufacture of chocolate and candy. ARMAND GAUTIER
Professor Armand Gautier, one of the deans of French chemistry, has recently died a t the age of 83. To him is due the discovery of nitriles, carbylamines, and ptomaines. He studied also the normal state of arsenic in the human body, and opened the way to the medical application of arsenical derivatives. He also carried on investigations on mineral waters and petroleum. O c t o b e r 7 , 1920
INDUSTRIAL NOTES
Experiments conducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry of the U. S. Department of Agriculture have proved the superiority of European seed-flax varieties for the north-central states.
The University of Buffalo has received a gift of $400,000 for the erection of a chemistry building, as well as anonymous gifts of $250,000 towards endowment and a library building.
