WILLIAM S. HILL Member, Examining Corps, United States Patent Office
pentine, etc., may be used. To reverse the process, agents such as that sold commercially as "Emulsol 480" are used. The separated salts must be further purified.
IS proposed to review regularly in this column I Tsome of the recent chemical patents which may be
of interest in the field of chemical education. The form followed will make it possible for anyone to refer to the original patent for further information, should he desire. Only United States patents will be included.
Method for Producing Chlorine Dioxide. No. 2,335,808. Edward C. Soule, assignor to the Mathieson Alkali Works, Inc., New York City. A metal chlorate reacts with sulfuric acid in the presence of a persulfate at a temperature not exceeding 50 0 e. The reaction is represented by the following equation:
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Recovery of Sodium Sulfate. No. 2,333,138. Charles D. Adams, Pomona. California. There should be no shortage of washing soda. This is an interesting method of recovering very pure sodium sulfate from the California deposits. A shallow basin is scooped in the deposit and is flooded with a salt water solution whose concentration may be from 2 to 4 per cent. Use of the natural brine of California's Salton Sea is contemplated. This mixture of sodium sulfate and salt water, contaminated with calcium sulfate, clay, and other impurities, is pumped into a settling tank where the clay is allowed to settle. Additional gypsum may be added if more is needed to help settle the clay. From the settling tank the clear top liquid is pumped through a refrigerating apparatus which brings the temperature down to about 50°F. at which temperature rapid crystal growth occurs. The crystals are filtered out, washed with very cold water containing a little sodium sulfate, and dried. The salt solution is refrigerated as many times as necessary for complete recovery and is finally sent back to the sulfate deposit to be used over again. Patentee claims production of sodium sulfate of about 99 per cent purity.
2HCIO.
+ H,S,O,
- 2H,sO.
+ 0, + 2CIO,
This allegedly produces a product substantially free of chlorine and allows almost 100 per cent conversion of the chlorate. ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Hydrogenation of Ketones. No. 2,334,100. Vladimir N. Ipatieff, et ai., assignors to Universal Oil Products Company, Chicago, Illinois. This describes the hydrogenation of ketones by subjecting the ketones to hydrogen in the presence of a specially prepared catalyst comprising essentially copper J zinc, and alumina.
Production of Aliphatic Aldehydes. No. 2,335,238. Henry Dreyfus, London, England, assignor to Celanese Corporation of America. Ethylene oxide or ethylene glycol vapor is passed through a heated reaction zonc containing as catalysts such acid-reacting salts as zinc chloride or aluminum Separating and Recovering Potassium Chloride and. orthophosphate. The reaction is carried out at temBorax. No. 2,333,334. Edward P. Pearson, peratures of 200 to 600°C. Trona, California, assignor to American Potash and Chemical Corporation, Trona, California. Process for the Production of Acid Halides. No. This is an ingenious flotation method of separating 2,335,259. William S. Calcott, assignor to E. I. potassium cWoride and borax as they occur naturally in du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, the famous Searle's Lake brines. A solution of both Delaware. . salts is treated by known methods to crystallize a One example given in the patent specifies the use of a mixed crop of the two salts. Following crystallization paraffin base mineral oil free from olefinic and other and separation from the mother liquor the mixed unsaturated constituents of certain types. The oil is crop is subjected to froth flotation. Suitable flotation placed in a cooled opaque reaction vessel. A low temreagents are selected to render either one of the two perature neon vapor lamp is immersed in the hydrosalts hydrophobic while the other remains hydrophylic. carbon as a photocatalyst. A gaseous mixture of 242 Tbe air or gas bubbles attach themselves to the un- parts by weight of sulfur dioxide and 152 parts by wetted hydrophobic particles, carrying them to the weight of chlorine is passed through the hydrocarbon top. To float the borax and not the potassium chlo- for one and one-half hours. The main product is a ride, flotation agents such as oleic acid, xylene, tur- hydrocarbon sulfonyl chloride. J
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JOUR
Proces; for Making Plastic Polymeric Materials Which Comprises Polymerizing Butadiene in the Presence of Selenium or Tellurium and Product So Made. No. 2,333,403. Mortimer A. Youker, assignor to E. 1. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Delaware. The title is sufficiently descriptive of the process. The product is described as a rubber-like material which is plastic and easily processed, thus overcoming many of the objections to this type of synthetic rubber, which is tough and strong but usually very difficult to process and utilize.
Polymerization of N-vinyl Lactams. No. 2,335,454. Carl Schuster, et al., vested in the Alien Property Custodian. An N-vinyllactam such as N-vinyl-alpha-pyrrolidone may be polymerized in the presence of hydrogen peroxide by heating at 110°C. for three hours in a pressure-tight vessel. The product is described as viscous. or even horny or glasslike. It is sometimes also brittle
and possesses a high softening point. Some of these polymers dissolve in water, some only in certain organic solvents. They are regarded as useful for sizes and adhesives, protective colloids, binders in lacquers, and other industrial applications. GENERAL
Method and Composition for the Treatment of Air. No. 2,326,672. Guy S. Paschal, New Rochelle, New York, assignor to himself and John T. Adams, New York City. You can cook onions or fish for dinner and entertain the same evening without social embarrassment. This one is already being widely advertised and marketed. It discloses the use of chlorophyll activated with formaldehyde to remove undesirable odors from the air and give it "freshness." The proportions used are about 3 parts chlorophyll to 16 parts formaldehyde in 40 per cent commercial solution. Method of Sterilizing Air. No. 2,333,124. Oswald H. Robertson, et al., Chicago, Illinois. This one should prevent the spread of communicable diseases of the respiratory tract in theaters, schools, etc. It uses glycols such as ethylene or propylene glycol vaporized either by heat or bubbling air, and blown into the enclosed space containing the bacteria. "Vhen used in proportions as low as one gram of propylene glycol vapor to 10 to 15,000,000 ee. of air, all toxic bacteria are stated to be instantly killed. Suggested use is in the air conditioning systems of theaters and schools to prevent spread of diseases like pneumonia. Sandstone Product. No.2,333,151. James A. Campbell, assignor to Kewaunee Manufacturing Company, Adrian, Michigan. . The product is intended to he used as chemical
AL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
laboratory table tops, hoods, sinks, and the lik~ Quarried sandstone is baked to remove excess water. The slab is then impregnated with a mix-ture of furfuraldehyde, furfuralcohol, water, and sulfuric acid. The mixture is allowed to rcsinify in the slab. The product is said to be impervious and of markedly increased strength and heat resistance. Water Softening Process. No. 2,333,142. A. S. Behrman. assignor to Infilco. Inc. Note the similarity in idea here to the well-known "Pennutit" process although the exchange agents are radically different. The patent describes a new type of cation exchange material declared to be useful in removing bicarbonates and carbonates from water. The purifying substance is a sulfonated rubber. Motor Fuel. No. 2,334,006. Melvin M. Holm, as· signor to Standard Oil Company of California, San Francisco, California. As a substitute for the well-known lead tetraethyl, an antiknock agent in gasoline, this patent discloses the use of certain esters such as isopropyl formate. The type of motor fuel with which these esters may be used is that consisting essentially of branched-chain paraffin hydrocarbons. Sunburn Preventive. No. 2,334,348. John Mig!.· rese, assignor to The National Marking Machine Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. All sun tan addicts and all those afraid to come out from under the beach umbrella at the seashore will be interested in this patent. Use is made of certain basic dyestuffs, one example of which is g-ethyl 3-dimethyl amino carbazole. This compound fluoresces brilliantly, which indicates that it is a good absorber of ultraviolet light. Since it is the ultraviolet that bums the skin, this type oi compound is presumed to be efficient in preventing skin burn. The inventor states that it may be incorporated in vehicles such as miA-tures of ethanol and glycerol, vanishing cream, "Carbowax," talcum powder, or zinc stearate. He further asserts that it adheres well to the skin or hair only for a period of about 24 hours. It also remains on the skin as an invisible layer after the carrier is removed. Pest Control. No. 2,335,323. W. H. Tisdale, as· signor to E. 1. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Delaware. Do you have nematodes or eelworms in your victory garden? To supplant the laborious and expensive method of injecting chloropicrin into the soil at many points in order to control nematodes, this patent discloses the use of phenyl and furyl nitroethylenes. It also states that the compound may be applied by simply scattering before ploughing or harrowing, is effective in small quantities, and has a stimulating effect on plant growth.
