Nov., 1912
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D EiYGIlZ‘EERIhTG C H E M I S T R Y
At one alkali works in Cheshire, hoods have been erected for drawing off the vapors a t the time of drawing the hot saltcake from the furnaces, and it is suggested that the idea, which has proved quitesuccessful, might beappliedelsewherewith advantage; much fume may also be avoided in this operation by immediately covering the hot material with a little cold saltcake. The year mas a very active one in the cement industry. The INCREASING THE RESISTANCE OF ALLOYS TO CHEMICAL development of the later forms of kiln still continues, while the ACTION. earlier forms are steadily going out of use; this has been accompanied by a diminution in the proportion of fume given off Barth (Metallurgie, 9, 261) states that of the alloys of cobalt during working, a lessening in the formation of black smoke, and tin, those containing but small amounts of one or other of and the discharge of fuel gases, etc., into the air from a smaller the metals are more readily attacked by acids than the pure number of higher chimneys. Rotary kilns have attained a metals. An alloy containing 40 per cent. cobalt and 60 per great size and output capacity; of the six erected and started cent. tin is said to be highly resistant to acids, but to be brittle during 1911, all exceeded 150 feet in length, the longest being 230 and unworkable. Barth found that when this alloy is fused with four times its v-eight of copper, a yellow, malleable metal is feet. Further progress has been made in considerably reducing the obtained which is resistant to the action of dilute nitric acid. He also found that the addition of z per cent. of cerium to alumi- proportion of dust and fume present in the gases from smelting num greatly increased the malleability of the aluminum, in- works, and in preventing the escape of an undue proportion of creased the solubility in dilute nitric acid, but did not affect the acid gases. In three works calcining zinc blende, the sulphurous gases evolved are successfully utilized in the manufacture of solubility in alkalies or hydrochloric acid. sulphuric acid. There was a n active and general demand for sulphuric acid during the year, and consequently the works of THE PURIFICATION O F BOILER-FEED WATER. this class were kept busy. I n some cases, excessive escapes of I t has been pointed out by Cribb and Arnaud (Analyst, 30, acid gases were due to difficulties associated with working the Z Z ~ )as, the result of studies on the action of slightly alkaline chamber process during the unusual heat of the summer. Exwaters on iron, that water containing more than a certain protended adoption of the “intensive” system of working the champortion of alkali does not rust iron. I n the case of artificially ber process occurred during the year; one process in which the softened waters, these investigators found thatwithsmall amounts manufacture is carried on in towers only, that of Opl as pracof alkali, however, the action was equal in intensity to that of tised a t Hruschau for about three years, was put into operation the unsoftened water. These results induced the view of Archtoward the end of the year, with apparently successful results, butt that it is possible after all that carbon dioxide is the chief a large saving in the area of ground required for a given procorrosive agent, the action of which ceases when a sufficient duction of acid and in the first cost of construction being effected excess of alkali has been added. Heyn and Bauer (Jtitt. Konigl. by its adoption. Mechanical burners for pyrites, spent oxide, Material@rujungsamt, 26, I ) showed that the presence of a etc., were also more extensively introduced. I n South Wales considerable amount of sodium carbonate in water retards the and Monmouth, new types of packing are being largely used in rusting of iron, although alkali carbonates are not always proboth Glover and Gay-Lussac towers, and in several districts a tective. Basch (Chem. Ztg., 36,’769) now points out that the further increase in the use of fans to secure steady draught of conditions which obtain in boilers are much more complex than chamber gases is reported. The steam jet blower originally those uhder which the above experiments were made. Sodium used in the Kessler concentrating plant is being displaced by chloride prevents the protective influence of sodium carbonate mechanical blowers, and the employment of silica vessels, where on iron, and water which has been treated with “permutite” concentration is effected in plant of the “cascade” type, has (see THISJOURNAL, 4, No. 4) has a tendency to froth in the considerably extended; “tantiron” basins have also been found boiler, owing to the presence of alkali, and in addition causes satisfactory. corrosion. Basch states that while boiler-feed water is softened, Mechanical devices for the removal of manufactured superit can not be said to be purified by treatment with “permutite” phosphate from the “den,” and for the simultaneous rapid as the salts which produce incrustation are merely replaced by removal of excessive moisture, are being more widely adopted; sodium carbonate and sulphate. Upon evaporation, the water of late the acid effluent leaving the wash-towers has been utilized becomes rich in these soluble salts and must be removed periodiin some cases for the preparation of an alkali silicofluoride, which cally. I n this way, much heat is lost and the cost of treatment has a ready sale. is increased. The relative proportion of ammonium sulphate from gas works, as compared with the total production of gas, is becoming THE ALKALI INDUSTRY I N GREAT BRITAIN DURING 1911. less, owing partly to the greatly increased production of gas per According to the Forty-ezghth Annual Report on Alkali, etc., ton of coal carbonized, arising from changes in methods of gas W o r k s by the Chief Inspector (Proceedings during the year x p r x , manufacture, and partly to the rapid growth of processes for etc.; J . SOC.Chem. I n d . , 31, 715), recently issued, the number of the recovery of by-products from coke-oven gases and from works registered in the United Kingdom was 1463, including producer gas. The “direct” method of ammonia recovery (see 167 works in Scotland; of these, 82 are “alkali” works, 8 being J . SOC.Chem. Ind., 30, 890) was brought into further use, alin Scotland. I t is reported that there is again a reduction in though not to the extent which might have been anticipated. the acidity of gfses of “all chimneys,” this acidity being equivaAt one works in which the process has been applied successfully, lent to 1.192 grains of sulphuric anhydride per cubic foot. Op- a reduction of 7 5 per cent. in the effluent r a s reported. Attenerations continued acti1.e throughout 1911 in the alkali and wet tion has been directed to methods by which the ammonia present process copper works. A new form of furnace, for the calcinain crude gas may be recovered without the provision of sulphuric tion of burned cuprous pyrites with sodium chloride, was put acid, hydrogen sulphide from the gas being utilized instead, and into operation during the year (see Ramen and Baskow, J . SOC. the Burkheiser process of producing ammonium sulphate in Chem. Znd., 29, 1459), and another form of mechanical furnace Chem. Znd., 28,359) is being experimented this manner (see J . SOC. has been under trial. I n fact, there has been an extended adap- with a t one works. I n view of the somewhat rapid deterioration ta tion of mechanical appliances to various chemical processes. of the brick depositing chamber in the Claw sulphur recovering was announced that a process was being exploited by the Paparoa Iron Ore Co., of Taranaki, New Zealand, for the extraction of a “hitherto unknown white metal, having similar properties to platinum” from a certain type of iron-sand found in large quantities about Taranaki. Inquiries addressed to this firm failed to bring forth any response.
T H E JOCR.VAL OF
INDUSTRIAL A N D E S G I S E E R I - Y G C H E J f I S T R Y .
process, especially a t the kiln end, a sheet lead chamber has been introduced a t one works, and has been found a marked improvement. As regards the waste gases resulting from the distillation of ammoniacal liquors, experience continues to show that when using oxide of iron purifiers, the heap form is to be preferred, and that the low broad-based heap has advantages over the high conical heap with comparatively restricted base. A further installation for the manufacture of -bleaching powder in a mechanically wrought plant was put into operation during the year, and is favorably noticed as minimizing nuisance from dust, escape of chlorine, etc. I n view of the present over-production of the carbide industry, the attention of manufacturers is drawn to a possible new outlet for chlorine in the preparation of a series of compounds starting from the parent substance acetylene tetrachloride. (In the United States manufacturers are making inquiries concerning a commercial process for making hydrochloric acid from chlorine and hydrogen; and the possible commercial production of chlorine substitution products of methane occurring in natural gas is under investigation.) I t is reported that the employment of coke towers in the production of chlorine for bleach manufacture is being given up in certain English districts, as they lead to reactions taking place which are detrimental to the formation of high-class bleach. SULPHUR DIOXIDE FROM IRON PYRITES.
-4 Mechanicsville, N. Y., paper concern, which uses large quantities of sulphur dioxide in its sulphite plant in the manufacture of sulphite fiber, is contemplating the erection of a plant for the production of sulphur dioxide from iron pyrites. The ore is to be obtained from Pyrites, Canada, and will be transported to Mechanicsville by barges; after treatment, the iron ore will be sold to iron furnaces. The obtainment of sulphur dioxide by the proposed plan is new in New I‘ork, but has been in use in Virginia for several years. I t is reported that sulphur dioxide can be produced from pyrites for use in paper mills a t a much less cost than it can be obtained by burning native sulphur. A HYDROGEN-SUPPLY FOR DIRIGIBLE BALLOONS. The “Elektron” works of the Chemische Fabrik Griesheim have laid a line of hydrogen supply pipes from their works to the airship-harbor at Frankfort-on-;Main. This line has a length of z3/,miles and is laid much in the same way as gas pipes. Most of the joints are, however, welded, in order to avoid risks of escape of the gas, and sleeve couplings are used in only a few places. The hydrogen is obtained as a by-product in the electrolytic production of sodium hydroxide and chlorine. At the present time about 1,000 cubic meters of hydrogen can be supplied daily under a head of I ,000 mm. of water. A hydrogen gas-holder of 6,000 cubic meters capacity has been constructed near the hangar, with which it is connected by several distributing pipe lines. “DUROBAX” GLASS. The Jena glass works have introduced several special glasses for water-gauges. I n 1891, this firm marketed “robax” glass; in 1900, “durax” glass; and quite recently “durobax” glass (Eng., 94, 330). Nearly all glasses for water-gauges can stand a pressure of 200-300 atmospheres in the cold. Exposed to the action of superheated steam, all glasses will likewise fail a t pressures of about 35-40 atmospheres, as the tensile strength of glass falls off very much a t about 250’ C. This may be determined in the Schott and Herschkowitsch apparatus, which also serves for the determination of the pressure a t which a glass under high pressure and temperature will fail when suddenly played upon by a jet of cold water. This apparatus consists of a strong iron pipe, bent to a loop, and provided with sockets and glands for fixing a water-gauge a t the ends; the pipe is further fitted with a pressure-gauge, a valve, and a cock for
Nov.,
1912
filling it with water. The whole apparatus is placed in a box and heated by a Fletcher burner. In front of the box is a small glass tube, through which cold water is kept flowing; this jet of water can, by turning the tube, be so directed that it strikes upon the water-gauge. This cold jet is repeated a t pressure intervals of z atmospheres until the gauge cracks. Ordinary gauge glass will, under this treatment, stand only 6-7 atmospheres; “robax” glass will stand 15 atmospheres; “durax” glass, 2 7 atmospheres; while “durobax” glass breaks only a t a pressure of 31 atmospheres. Thus the limit of resistance would in this respect almost be reached, for a t a pressure of 40 atmospheres the glass would fail simply owing to thermal stress. The resistance to water-sof tening agents was deduced from the loss in weight which the glass showed when kept for 24 hours C.) in solutions of sodium in steam a t 8 atmospheres ( 1 7 1 ~ carbonate and sodium hydroxide (0.j per cent.). “Durobax” glass lost 1.5 and 3.09 mg. per sq. cm. The loss in good feed water was I mg. in 31 days. “TRIPLEX” GLASS. “Triplex” glass, a French product, is said to be a perfectly transparent sheet or plate, which, when broken, does not fly into pieces, and which may be cracked but not smashed to bits. I t is made as follows (La Kalctre, August 17, 1912): Two sheets of glass are taken and one face of each is covered with a thin layer of gelatin; the sheets, gelatin faces opposite, are placed together, with a very thin sheet of celluloid interposed. The whole is then subjected to hydraulic pressure to render the combination solid. Ordinary sheets of glass are shattered t o fragments by a mass of two pounds falling 10-12 feet. “Triplex” glass is cracked, but it resists the shock and the pieces are not separated; the energy of the ball is absorbed in a much greater number of fractures, but the pieces remain adherent because of the layers of gelatin between them. Such glass may be of great service in carriages, automobiles, public conveyances, etc., and the invention should be of considerable interest t o accident insurance companies. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF CHEMICALS. The imports and exports of chemicals and fertilizers, including raw materials for chemical manufactures, in the United States for the seven months ended July 31, 1912, follow. Exports include re-exports of foreign materials. Imports. Cofifier sulphate in pounds.. , , . ,
.. . Bleach in pounds., . . , . . . . . , , . , . . . Potash salfs in pounds. . . . . , . . . . . Soda salts in pounds, . . . . . , , . . . . . . Acetate of lime in pounds.. . . . . . . . . Phosphates in tons.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sulphur in tons... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pyrites in tons.. . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . ,Magnesite in pounds.. . , . , . , , , , , . . Ammonium sulphafe in pounds. . . . Arsenu in pounds.. ., . . . . . . , , , . . .
.... 41,520,981 374,784,300 7 I 187 I 205
.... .... 15,377 555,059 128,756,843 56,560,924 2,983,425
Exports. 5,504,879 400 1,710,625 300,808 45,777,383 702,767 24 944
.... 1,333,024 357,600 850
ACID-RESISTING ALLOYS. I t is reported that Borchers has produced alloys of iron which will resist entirely the action of acids, while the articles produced can be manipulated by the usual workshop methods. The new alloys are prepared by adding from 2 to j per cent. of molybdenum to an alloy of ferrochrome, which contains no carbon or very little, and not less than I O per cent. of chromium. An alloy which contained only 36 per cent. of iron, against 60 per cent. of chromium, was found to be insoluble even in boiling nitric acid, while it possessed all the usual qualities of iron and could be worked in the usual way. Not quite such favorable results were obtained by adding titanium and vanadium. I t is claimed in Metal Industry, Aug. 12, 1912, that if bismuth
