Feb., 1922
THE JOURXAL OF INDUSTRIAL A N D EiYGIhyEERING CHEMISTRY
167
PARIS LETTER BY CHARLESLORMAND, 4 Avenne de I'Observatoire, Paris, France
Although the question of naval disarmament, coupled with the Pacific question, seems to occupy a leading place a t the Conference in Washington, one cannot neglect the matter of land disarmament, from the particular point of view which appeals to us chemists. There has just been organized in Germany a Union for the defense of the interests of the German chemical industries. One of the first manifestations of the Union has been a complaint of the wasting away of chemical industry in Germany. It is evident that all the allied and neutral nations which were clients of Germany before the war have had to establish their own chemical industries. There has resulted a t the present time a world over-production of chemicals, and Germany, who even in 1920 held second place in export of chemical products, finds her exports, and consequently her production, reduced in 1921 to 50 per cent of what i t was in 1914. Further, the German chemical industry blames the import tariffs for this paralysis. Formerly, many German chemical products were exported to Switzerland, from which they were finally shipped to the various consumers. Exports t o Switzerland in 1920 were 290 million marks, of which about half were chemicals, but Switzerland has just quadrupled her import duty, thus practically stopping the export of German products. Under these conditions, and in spite of the fact that the low value of the mark should a t the moment aid the German chemical industry, the complaints of the directors of this industry, who go so far as t o say that Germany cannot meet her obligations to the illlies on account of this economic situation, are explicable. These arguments might have some weight, did one not feel a back thrust a t Mr. Francis Garvan and Dr. Herty, as well as a t Mr. Victor Lefebure, gas officer in the British army. The last mentioned is a t $resent conducting a campaign in England in which he is demanding severe control of German chemical factories, from the point of view of gas manufacture; it is this control which the Germans wish to avoid a t any cost.
THEFUELSITUATION I have already mentioned several times a contest for a national fuel, with the object of finding a better formula for a motor fuel containing alcohol. Mr. Marillier has just reported to the A c a d h i e des Sciences t h e solution of the problem. Absolute alcohol is miscible with gasoline, but 95 per cent commercial alcohol is not miscible. When 95 per cent alcohol is mixed with gasoline two layers are formed, and on account of the partition factor the water in the alcohol is almost entirely in the lower layer, while the upper layer contains gasoline with 10 per cent of anhydrous alcohol. This layer serves as a basis for the fuel, to which it is sufficient to add small quantities of benzene, methylene, and ether.
I have also frequently noted the prospecting for petroleum in various parts of France. At present, the boring a t Vaux (Ain) is becoming industrially important. Three test borings were made in 1920 and the beginning of 1921. A fourth boring, ended in October, is yielding now steadily 90,000 cubic meters per day. The gas is to be used for lighting the town of Amberieu. It contains 80 per cent of methane, 12 per cent of different hydrocarbons, higher homologs, the remainder consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. The calorific power is 9500 calories. CARBONIZATION OF COAL In the same field I have mentioned the recent discoveries of Mr. Charpy on the carbonization of coal. This problem has found a special application in the case of the Sarre coals, which give a coke too friable for use in the large blast furnaces. Mr. Charpy has studied carefully the conditions of the oxidation of the coal, and the mixtures of fat and lean coals. He has arrived a t the conclusion that to obtain a good metallurgical coke it is necessary, in addition to making a judicious mixture of the coal, to conduct the carbonization in two stages. In the first step, the coal must be raised instantly to a temperature of 450" to 500"; then, in the second step, th; temperatzre must be raised extremely slowly to between 700 and 900 . These theoretical considerations have been tested out industrially in the basin of the Sarre, with good results. 1922 MEETING OF THE SOCI%Tl$ The success of the meeting of the SociCt6 de Chimie Industrielle last October has led to plans for the 1922 meeting, which will be held in Marseilles, July 2 to 6. It will cover principally the chemistry of fats and the chemistry of vegetable products from the colonies. The meeting will take place a t the same time as the interallied colonial exposition. December 10, 1921
I have just met Professor Moureu as he was returning to his laboratory a t the CollPge de France. He gave me his impressions on his sojourn in the United States and recounted the unforgettable welcome he received. Katurally, Professor Moureu is very discreet in regard to the work of the Conference, but he told me enthusiastically of the reception which he received in various chemical fields, official, university, and industrial. He believes that the United States is making a great advance in chemical research and in the creation of a great industry, mineral as well as organic. This industry will be the most powerful in the world and, with the high idealism of the American people, it will be a guarantee of peace. For us Frenchmen it constitutes one of the best elements of our security. January 6, 1922
PERSONALS Mr. Ernest H. Hartwig resigned as assistant in chemistry a t Purdue University in order to accept a position as instructor in the chemical engineering department a t the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis Miss Henriette C. Liebe recently received her B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin and has accepted a position with the Acme White Lead and Color Works of Detroit, Mich., where she is an executive research chemist in the research division. Mr. Raymond L. Stehle recently resigned as assistant professor 3 f physiological chemistry in the School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania to become associated with the faculty of medicine of McGill Cniversity, Montreal, as assistant professor of pharmacology. Mr. Merrill C. Hart, who was chemist to the pharmacology department of the University of Minnesota, working on the synthesis of phenolic alcohols on funds granted by the U. S. Interdepartmental Board for Social Hygiene, is associated with t h e Upjohn Company a t Kalamazoo, Mich., as research organic chemist.
Mr. W. H. Rodebush has been appointed associate professor in charge of the division of physical chemistry, Universit) of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. Mr. Rodebush was formerly national research fellow a t the University of California. Mr. Harvey T. Kennedy, formerly a student in chemistry a t Cornel1 University, Ithaca, N. Y., has become chemist in the 11Zunicipal Testing Laboratory, Rochester, N. Y.
Mr. James H. Ransom has changed his position as research chemist with the Michigan Smelting & Refining Co., Detroit, Mich., t o head of the department of chemistry in James Millikin University, Decatur, Ill. Mr. Gerhard K. Rollefson resigned as assistant in chemistry a t the University of Wisconsin to accept a position as teaching fellow in chemistry a t the University of California, Berkeley, Cal. Mr. F. Arthur Patty, instructor in chemistry and pharmacy a t the University of Washington, Seattle, Wash., accepted his present position last August with the Campbell System, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., as research chemist.
