M A Y 10, 1939
NEWS E D I T I O N
329 exporters shall deliver t o the government foreign exchange realized. In accordance with t h e international tin quota Bolivia will supply during the present year about 1750 metric tons of tin shared among t h e three main producing groups (Patino, Hochscnild, and Aramayo), and the medium and small-size producers to which was reserved 77, 13, and 10 per cent, respectively. The quotas of all groups were reduced, with the exception of Hochscnild which was increased oy 7 per cent. T h e ore reserves at Monserrat are estimated at more than 250,000 tons, containing about 5 per cent of tin, 14 per cent of zinc, 2 per cent of lead, and 0.05 per cent of silver.
T h e w o o d peart these attention was concentrated. After complete examination of some dozens of fibrous raw materials sent from South Africa to the laboratories of the Sindacato CeUulosa Pomilio in quantities sufficient for semi-industrial tests, attention was paid principally to wheat straw of the Transvaal, wood of Pinus patula, Acacia moUissima (wattle), and Eucalyptus saligna (gum tree), and the South African grasses ffyparrhenia JUipendula Stapf and Hyparrhenia aucla. Geduld uses principally wheat straw from the farming district of Brits, about 70 miles from the factory, and Pinus patula wood from the forest district of the Northern Transvaal, in the Pilgrim's Rest and Graskop areas. In the last 20 years vast areas in South Africa have been afforested and the increase of the most varied species of trees has been rapid, owing t o the climate and the powerful solar radiation. The potential supply of timber from government and private areas is enormous, and the cost would be extremely low were it not for the somewhat excessive railway rates. Salt is obtained principally from a volcanic stratum of salt and carbonate of soda at Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria. T h e quality is of the best, containing only the slightest trace of alkali (no sulfates, lime, or magnesium) and it is therefore well adapted for electrolytic use. South African Pulp & Paper Industries, Ltd., are using 96 Giordani-Pomilio cells for soda and chlorine, each of 3000-ampere capacity. Lime for bleaching solutions and talc for the paper section are also obtained locally, so that the Geduld plant may be considered 100 per cent self-sufficient. Production a n d Consumption Figures T h e Geduld plant, which has cost over £500,000, can produce 24 tons of straw or grass pulp, 12 tons of wood pulp, 4 0 to 50 tons of various types of paper, and 4 t o 5 tons of cardboard per day of 24 hours. The production of paper is, therefore, over 15,000 tons per annum, which may seem excessive for a country with a scanty white population. It does not, however, even come up to the local consumption of the Rand, which, exclusive of newsprint, absorbs over 25,000 tons of other types of paper per annum. T h e Government Printing Office at Pretoria alone consumes 10,000 tons of paper annually; by law the country is bilingual (English and Afrikaans) and therefore all official printing is done in both languages.
South. American Mineral Resources C. £ . Nafeuco d e A r a u j o , J r . , Caixa P o s t a l !>70, R i o d e J a n e i r o , Brazil Argentina ALTHOUGH largely unexploited, the A - mountains in the province of Jujuv are known, to contain deposits of lead, golci, silver, tin, and other minerals. Copper deposits remain undeveloped because of their inaccessibility and the present price of copper. Good oil pools are beuog exploited by the government company, the Y P F . Near Jujuy, in Catamarca and in Cordot*a and San Luiz, tungsten mines are worked, largely by the Minera Argentina S. A . , controlled by the Williams Chemical Co- Argentine tungsten production for 1957 shows an increase over any year since 1917. Exports totaled 731 metric tons during 1937, of which about 60 per cent went to t h e United Kingdom, less than 20 per c e n t to the United States, about 10 per c e n t to Belgium, and the balance to Sweden, Germany, and France. It is understood, however, that most of the exports t o Belgium were destined for Germany, a n d that a small part of the tungsten ore going t o the United Kingdom was re-exported to Germany and Sweden. Of minor importance are the tin mines, located i n .Abra Pampa, near Pirquitas, operated b y British and Argentine capital. Borax mines are also exploited by Argentina, and exports to Brazil were recently increased. En the Oro de Guahlan, province of S a o Juan, veins and impregnations containing pyrite and copper, lead, and zinc sulfides with quartz and calcite occur. Alum shales nave been recently found in Rodeo a n d Barreal, as well as iron sulfates in Aicaparrosa. Bolivia Bolivia possesses enormous deposits of "tin o r e s , and the metal represents the most important export of the country. Recently a technical committee, appointed b y the government, stated that the reserves and productive capacity of the Pafano group are on the decline and that the Hochscnild group had large reserves ancl increasing productive capacity. Based o n this report the government established oew export quotas for Bolivian tin producers a n d fixed the rates at which
Chile Activity in the Chilean copper mines continues to improve. Of the electrolytic copper exported during this period, 66 per cent went to Great Britain and Belgium, and only 7 per cent t o the United States. However, the United States took most of the standard copper exports, including blister and fire-refined, followed by Great Britain. Efforts are now being made by Chilean authorities t o develop manganese production, in order t o compete in the world market. The first shipment of manganese ore from the Antofogasta district (505 metric tons) was made in May, 1938. Experimental shipments to Europe were also made during the second half of 1938. Chile also produces gold, one of the chief centers of gold production being Andacollo, near Ovalle. Production during 1937 amounted t o 3124 kg. of crude gold, and no figures are yet available for 1938. T h e gold purchased varies from 850 t o 950 fine, the average being approximately 900. Beach deposits containing gold and platinum occur on the island of Chiloe, off the coast of Chile. T h e black sands consist of quartz, olivine, zircon, garnet, and other silicates, with magnetite, ilmenite, and hematite as the heavier constituents. The proportion of black sand on the various beaches varies from a trace u p t o 50 per cent of the deposit. Samples of the richest streak of sand indicated a value of 20 t o 30 grains of platinum per cubic meter, the clean metal containing about 10 per cent of iridium. A vein of cuprous pyrite is being worked at TocopUla, Antofogasta region. T h e oxidation zone extends t o a depth of 260 meters. In the sulfide zone covellite and chalcocite occur. The average copper content is 4 per cent. Graphite occurs in the coast cordillera of Colchagua province, but it forms only 5 per cent of the whole rock. Colombia Iron ore deposits are said t o exist near the city of Medellin and are estimated to total more than 300,000,000 metric tons containing 2 8 t o 30 per cent of iron. Limestone deposits and large quantities of scrap iron are also reported to exist in the Medellin district. Arrangements were recently made to exploit these iron deposits commercially. Uruguay An Anglo-Uruguayan consortium is interested in the development and exloitation of mineral resources in Uruguay, n 1936 the government granted to the Usinas Electricas y Telefonos del Estado the right t o investigate and initiate exloitation of the mineral resources in Uruguay. Those rights were, however, canceled by the new government which took office June 19, 1938, and the juris-
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INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
diction over mineral deposits was returned to the Instituto de Geologia y Perforaciones, which will include work on petroleum. During recent years the reported mineral production of Uruguay has included lead, talc, chalk, sand, granite, and in a minor proportion manganese, gold, and amethysts. Venezuela Venezuela possesses magnesite reserves in the island of Margarita, estimated at about 450,000 metric tons. There is no domestic market at present for this product. The deposits were first worked in 1907, but only now the Venezuela Government is considering the control of their exploitation. The magnesite is taken from quarries over a narrow-gage railway to the port of Manzanillo. About 95 per cent of magnesium carbonate can be obtained from Venezuelan magnesite, the other components being silica, alumina, and iron oxide. It is suitable for Sorel cement, stucco, plaster, and imitation stone and marble.
F. W . Freriehs W. FRERICHS, noted chemical engineer, F • died at his home in St. Louis, Mo., on April 30 after a long illness at the age of
90. Dr. Frerichs was born in Germany and received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Gattinsen in 1874. From 1880 to . 1886 .fie was employed at the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works in St. Louis, and from 1886 to 1926 was director and vice president of the Herf & Frerichs Chemical Co. He had taken out manv patents, both in this country and abroad. Dr. Frerichs had been a member of the
VOL. 17, NO. 9
active in the organization of the International Society of Soil Science, and organized the First International Congress of Soil Science in 1927 in Washington, D. C. He served on important committees of the National Research Council and the American Society of Agronomy. For several years he was editor of Soil Science. In 1929 he received one third of the first Nitrogen Research Award of the American Society of Agronomy, which he contributed to a special fund to assist foreign students at the New Jersey Experiment Station. Dr. Lipman was a member of numerous scientific societies, and held honorary degrees from several universities. In 1935 he received the Chandler Medal of the New York Section of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, which he joined in
1898. He was the author of "Bacteria in Relation to Country life", "Laboratory Guide of Soil Bacteriology", and many technical papers. Dr. Lipman was particularly interested in the conservation AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY for 46 years, and was a charter member of the American and replacement of soil nutrients, and Institute of Chemical Engineers and of the conducted outstanding research on the St. Louis Chemical Society. He was utilization of nitrogen by plants, and the president of the institute in 1911 and treas- soil chemistry of sulfur, phosphorus, and Scientific a n d Industrial R e urer from 1911 to 1929. He was a mem- selenium. search i n N e w Zealand ber of the international Jury on Awards at the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904. He OR 11 years the Council of Scientific was the author of many scientific papers, and Industrial Research for New Zea- and had received a gold medal for his colA. R o y T i l l i n g h a s t land has been conducting research for the laborative work on the Sartorius analytical benefit of the industries of that Dominion balance, as well as a medal from the ROY TILLINGHAST, retired chemist, and the results have been publicized American Institute of Chemical Engineers • died April 29 in Danielson, Conn., at through 72 bulletins prepared from the for papers presented at its meetings. the age of 56. He was a native of Worcesscientist's point of view. The council has ter, Mass., and a graduate of Harvard now issued an illustrated bulletin dein the class of 1905. He entered the emscribing the main lines of research for the ploy of the Semet-Soivay Co. as a lime purpose of interesting the nontechnical C. F . H i r s h f e l d handler, and was later made district reader. This is a publication of 113 pages manager of Solvay plants in the Ohio F. HIRSHFELD, internationally known which, after an introductory section in• educator and engineer, since 1913 Valley after designing and building plants cluding a map showing the location of the for the production of smokeless powder various research institutions and field chief of research of The Detroit Edison ingredients. He also improved processes activities, describes what has been done in Co., died April 19, after an illness of several months. Dr. Hirshfeld was dis- for making TNT and developed methods the interest of the various industries of of liquefying and purifying certain gases New Zealand. Attention is given to the tinguished in numerous fields, his work military value. Before retiring in 103O research of associations formed in the in- including consulting practice in several of supervised experiments in England t o terest of the leather, pelt, and shoe asso- branches of engineering, many noted he ciations and also of the Wool Manufac- research activities, war service in 1918-19 increase mileage from gasoline. with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in turers' Association. the U. S. Ordnance Department, and the writing of many books and papers on engineering subjects. C h e m i c a l a n d R e l a t e d ProductsPhilippine Chemical Import Exports Lower T r a d e U p 22 P e r C e n t XPORTS of chemicals and related prodMPORTS of chemicals and related prodJacob G. Lipman ucts from the United 8tates decreased ucts into the Philippine Islands in somewhat in January due to smaller ship1938 increased 22 per cent compared ACOB G. LIPMAN, director of the New with 1937, with all leading classifications, Jersey Agricultural Experiment Sta- ments of most of the leading items making, except fertilizers, sharing in the gains, tion and dean of the College of Agriculture up this group, according to the Chemical according to a report to the Chemical of Rutgers University, died April 19 Division, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Department of Commerce. Division, Department of Commerce. Im- after a brief illness. Aggregate exports of such products durports of such products were valued at Dr. Lipman was bora in Friedrich$9,143,000 during 1938, compared with stadt, Russia (now Latvia), November 18, ing the month were valued at $10,815,000 $7,527,000 in 1937. The value of im- 1874, and came to the United States in compared with $13,643,000 during the preports from the United States aggregated 1888. He was graduated from Rutgers ceding month and $12,160,000 in January, 1938, preliminary statistics show. $6,812,000, or 74 per cent of the total College in 1898, and went to Cornell Among the items recording export gainstrade in 1938 against $4,897,000, or 65 University for advanced training in in January compared with the correspondper cent, during 1937. chemistry and bacteriology. There he ing month of 1938 were included coal-tar Imports of such products from Ger- was first graduate scholar and later Sage many, on the other hand, decreased 32 Fellow in Chemistry, receiving the degrees products, shipments of which increased u> per cent from the 1937 level and those of master of science in 1900 and doctor value from $566,700 to $1,081,400; vegetable tanning extracts, from $93,000 to* from Japan were 7 per cent lower. of philosophy in 1903. In 1901* he returned to New Jersey to $119,500; chemical specialties, from $1,establish a department of soil chemistry 891,300 to $1,956,000; essential oils, and bacteriology at the Agricultural from $165,500 to $180,000; soaps, from Experiment Station. In 1902 he was $190,200 to $219,000; and printing inks, appointed instructor in agricultural chem- from $65,700 to $74,000. istry at Rutgers College, in 1906 was made assistant professor, and in 1910 full professor. In 1911 he became director of the experiment station and in 1915 dean S. District Judge William H. Holly of the College of Agriculture. • at Chicago has handed down a deDr. Lipman lectured at a number of cision in favor of the Universal Oit universities in this country and abroad. Products Co. in its suit against the GlobeHe acted as special representative of the Oil & Refining Co. of Illinois in which United States at the International In- the infringement of Patents Nos. 1,392,620 stitute of Agriculture at Rome, was and 1,537,593 was charged.
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