T H E JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGISEERISG CHEMISTRY
I 66
PROPOSED BEET-SUGAR FACTORY FOR CHILE Consul Alfred A . Winslow, Valparaiso, reports t h a t the cultivation of sugar bevts is receiving much attention of late in Chile, and a movement is on foot to interest capital for the erection of a beet-sugar factory. Sugar beets have been successfully raised a t several points in this Republic, yielding 15 per cent and more of sugar. As early as 1880 beet sugar was manufactured in a small way a t Nunoa, Chi’e, and again from 1885 to 1891 a t Los Guindos, and as late as 1901-1904 a t Membrillo. While production on such a small scale was not found profitable, it was demonstrated that a factory of a capacity of 700 or 800 tons of beets per day could be made to pay well a t the present rate of protection of 68.5 cents or 59.9 cents United States gold per IOO pounds on raw sugar, according to quality. The following table shows Chiles imports of the different classes of sugar: Pounds of sugar
Refined
1906 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,714.521 1907 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,989,207 1908 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 , 5 7 3 , 5 9 2 1909 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 , 2 6 5 , 0 4 6 1910. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 , 2 3 3 , 0 4 6 1911 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,797,045 1912 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 , 0 0 9 , 8 6 1
White Granulated Crude 1,449,363 95,567,956 1,994,740 2 , 1 7 4 , 7 4 4 108,258,612 1 , 9 4 2 , 5 8 9 9 4 , 6 0 7 , 9 4 2 1,134,760 2,659,778 2,353,340 136,874,188 2 , 3 1 3 , 4 1 0 1,678,732 143,935,352 1 , 6 8 4 , 5 9 5 4,050,464 154,984,306 2,559,510 3 , 2 6 2 , 1 1 6 136,327,268 1 , 7 4 9 , 4 4 0
Practically all of the crude sugar comes from Peru and is refined in Chile, since the duty on refined sugar is $1.64 or $1.09 United States gold per 100 pounds, according to quality. PRODUCTION OF PORTLAND CEMENT I N 1913
It is estimated by Ernest F. Burchard, of the United States Geological Survey, that the quantity of Portland cement manufactured in the United States in 1913 was approximately 92,406,ooo barrels, compared with 82,438,096 barrels in 1912, an in-
V O ~6. , KO. 2
crease of about 9,967,900 barrels or 1 2 per cent. The estimated shipments of Portland cement during 1913 were 88,853,000 barrels, compared with 85,012,556 barrels in 1912, an increase of about 3,840,400 barrels, or 4.5 per cent. On account of a large surplus of production over shipments, stocks of cement a t the mills apparently increased more than 45 per cent, or from 7,811,329 barrels in 1912 to 11,375,000 barrels a t the close of 1913. I n 1913 the relations between production and shipments. were the reverse of those for 1912, when shipments exceeded production. I t may be necessary to revise considerably the estimates of stocks, but it is believed t h a t these figures for production and shipments are very close to those that will be shown by complete returns from all producers. Although few definite statements as to selling prices are a t hand it is evident that the average value per barrel was appreciably higher than in 1912. Increases of I O to 25 cents a barrel are reported from several plants in the central and eastern states, but there were slight decreases reported from a few plants in the Rocky Mountain d strict. NATURAL GASEOUS MIXTURES RICH I N HELIUM According to the Journul of the Franklin Institute, the followmineral springs evolve gas containing a large percentage of helium. The natural gas from the springs a t Sautenay contains from 8.4 to 10.1 per cent of helium, that from springs a t Mai&res contains 5.9 per cent; from springs a t Grisy, 2.18 per cent; from Bourbon Lancy, 1.84 per cent; from NCris, 0.97 per cent; and from La Bourboule, only 0.1 per cent. The quantities are too large to be considered as nascent helium evolved immediately it is produced; and it is more probable that the immediate source is dissolved helium, evolved by the disintegration of minerals in which it has been absorbed. These sources are grouped in the neighborhood of Moulins, Dijon, and Vesoul, France.
NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE PURIFICATION OF WATER BY ADSORPTION. PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT Lead may be removed from water by shaking the water with fuller’s earth, or similar adsorbent, and then filtering through paper. A sample of water drawn from a lead pipe which contained 1.5 mg. lead per liter, and which was entirely free from turbidity, so that the lead was probably present in true solution, required 0.05 mg. earth per IOO cc. and exposure t o the earth for three minutes exclusive of the exposure incidental to filtering for complete removal of the lead. Lead was also removed from dilute solutions of lead acetate by meansof fuller’searth, powdered charcoal, powdered pumice stone, powdered talc, ferric oxide, and marine clay, but quantitative determinations have not yet been made. Of these substances fuller’s earth appears t o remove lead best. Bacteria are also removed from water by agitating i t with adsorbents and then filtering through paper. Water containing 24,000 bacteria per cc. was rendered entirely sterile by treating IOO cc. for 15 minutes with I gram PO dered charcoal. The same amount of fuller’s earth per 100 cc. water reduced the total count very much but did not remove all bacteria. Larger amounts of earth effected complete sterilization. The complete removal of bacteria by means of any of the substances, fuller’s earth, charcoal, or pumice, depends upon the two factors, amount of adsorbent, and length of time the water is treated before filtering. Fuller’s earth appears to serve best for removing lead, and charcoal for bacter a. Fuller’s earth imparts a decided taste t o water which cannot be removed by several previous extractions of the ezrth with water either hot or cold. It may be removed, however, by heat-
ing the dry earth, or by extracting the earth with concentrated hydrochloric acid containing a little nitric acid, and then with boiling water. The taste from charcoal is much less marked than t h a t from raw fuller’s earth, but charcoal is much more dirty to handle. Water treated with the sample of pumice used acquired only a slight taste, which can be removed hy heating the pumice first. Clay and ferric oxide both gave a strong taste. I n deciding whether a particular adsorbent gives a taste, it should be remembered that many varieties of filter paper, unless previously extracted for some time, will impart a slight taste to a solution passed through them. It is believed that treating with some adsorbent and filtering through paper, can be used to purify small amounts of water for drinking purposes, and may be adapted especially to the needs of travelers, and to household use during epidemics. We are ndebted to Dr. F. N . Whittier for assistance in making some of the bacteriological tests. The work will be continued. MARSHALL P. CRAM HENRYD. EVANS BOWDOIN COLLEGE BRUNSWICK, MAINE January 7, 1914 ~
NOTE ON CERTAIN UNPUBLISHED WORJC ON ELECTROLYSIS USING SUPPORTED MERCURY KATHODE’ I commenced work towards a commercial solution of the wet electrolysis of common salt in 1888 and my first efforts were devoted to the mercury kathode, the results obtained in hat year being what I propose to describe, At that time all the 1 Presented a t t h e 6th Annual Meeting of t h e American Institute of Chemical Engineers. T h e Chemists’ Club, New York, December 10-13, 1913.
