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New Plastic Family
φ Describes fully t h e complete line of ΤΤΊmount Instruments — Well Type, Fixed Scale U-Tube, Sliduxg S c a l e U - T u b e , I in clined, Service, a b solute Pressure a n d other manometers a.s w e l l as I n d i c a t i n g Flow Meters, Tank Liquid Level Indica tors, etc. Fully illus- | j trated — a real guid.e t o t h e user of maaometers. Write for your copy today.
A new name to add to the growing list of synthetic plastics is "compar", a group of coal-limestone-and-air derivatives notable for immunity to the new hard-to-handlo avia tion superfuels. The development of an almost endless chain of compar variations has been announced by the Resistofiex Corp., Belleville, N. J.
TRIMOUNT
The compars are described as "transparent, flexible, rubberlike plastic materials, five to twenty times more wear-resistant than natural rubber, and the most solvent-proof rubber substitute yet developed". Some compars are already in use in warplane fuel and hydraulic hose, naval Diesel engines, chemical warfare equipment, Sperry gyro pilots, and as protective gloves, aprons, and shoe coatings for workers exposed t o irritat ing petroleum solvents. The name "compars" derives from the words "compounded polyvinyl alcohol resin".
I NSTRUMENTCO. 630 O L D COLONY BLDO. CHICAGO 5, ILL,
Research on Clavacin Advances W H Y SHRIVER DIAPHRACM PUMPS - T A K E I T " 0 N o contact between fluid and p u m p mechanism. θ Positive, reciprocat ing double action. © N o packings — N o leakage. Θ Made of any metal; r u b b e r or p l a s t i c lined. 9 Easy to cloan.
If it costs too much i n repairs and main tenance, time loss and attention trying to keep your pumps operating o n fluids that easily clog or destroy pump parts, y o u will find in the Shriver Diaphragm Pump t h e e n d to your pumping troubles. ..It is built t o handle difficult materials at delivery pressures to 1O0 p . s. i., with, a suction lift as high a s 18 it. e v e n on heavy sludges, easily, efficiently at low operating expease. Capacities: 1 to 10O G. P. M. Write for Bulletin 112.
1770
Clavacin, derived from a common mold, Aspergillus devoatus* is now being investi gated by H. W. Anderson, University of Illi nois, who believes that i t may prove more useful than penicillin for certain types of diseases. The drug is said to kill all bacteria killed by penicillin as well as some others. Its bacterial properties were discovered by S. A . Waksman, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. It has been used to control plant diseases, but has not yet been tested on animals. The University of Illinois trustees have approved a three-year research project which, will endeavor to find a way to make penicillin synthetically. A grant of S7o,O00 is to be furnished by the Upjohn Co., Kala mazoo, Mich.
Blood Plasma Processins Another boost to the processing of blood plasma was in prospect with the completion by t h e Elliott Co., Jeannette, Penna., of two 4-stage steam jet ejectors for immediate de livery to one of the country's largest food and drug processing plants. These are the 18th and 19th such units sup plied by Elliott to upwards of a dozen con cerns using a high vacuum process for the desiccation of plasma.
CHEMICAL
Blood as collected by local Red Cross units must be processed within 7 2 hours and, con sequently, is promptly shipped to a process ing plant, where it is centrifuged t o remove the red cells. After centrifujging, the straw-colored liquid plasma is placed i n bottles which hold enough (about 300 cc.) for an average transfusion. I t is then frozen a t - 1 0 0 ° t o - 1 2 0 ° F. The freezing requires about 30 t o 45 minutes and forms a hollow shell of plasma in the bottle. Stoppers are withdrawn and the bottles containing the frozen plasma are transferred t o a drjdng oven from which the air is then evacuated almost to the point of absolute vacuum. I t is in this process that steam jet ejectors are used. Tb°se ejectors are able t o produce an absolute pressure of less than 0.5 mm. in the drying chambers. Under such high vacuum, moisture is drawn off in the form of vapor and the plasma dried t o within 1 per cent or less of complete dryness -while still being held in the frozen state.
Self-Scaling Tanks in War Planes A synthetic plastic reinforced with glass is playing a major role in the self-sealing gasoline tanks of certain types of U. S* war planes. The glass used as reinforcement is i n the form of glass cloth woven from yarns manufactured by Owens-Corning Piberglas Corp., Toledo, Ohio. When a bullet punctured the metal sur rounding the first self-sealing tank it some times caused the metal t o "flower", with the result that the jagged petals of the flower protruded into the self-sealing ma terial of the tank, making it impossible for i t to close the hole. To remedy this, a plastic reinforced with glass cloth and pressed into thin sheets was placed between the metal and the tank. The plastic and glass combination is ex tremely strong, light in weight, and unlike metal it does not flower. A bullet striking the tank makes a clean hole, with nothing t o prevent the self-sealing material from closing it.
Furnace Black Plant Construction of a furnace black plant for the manufacture of a new type black has been announced by Phillips Petroleum Co., of Bartlesville, Okla. The new plant, which will produce approximately 22 million pounds of the new type black per year, is being built a s a private enterprise adjacent to the govern ment butadiene manufacturing plant i n the Texas Panhandle. Pull-scale production is anticipated before the close of the year· Philblack is the result of years of intensive research t o develop a black particularly adapted t o the . manufacture > of synthetic rubber automobile tires. This new type carbon imparts t o the rub ber high tensile strength and good resistance t o abrasion.
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NEWS
