T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y
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partnership in this Company in 1886, on the retirement of Mr. Lehn. I n 1910 Lehn & Fink was incorporated, with a capital of $600,000, and Mr. Plaut became President of the concern. The business structure a t 1 2 0 William Street was erected by Mr. Plaut in 1901 and the factory and general laboratory in Brooklyn were established by him in 1906. Mr. Plaut showed a keen interest in educational work. He served many years as trustee of the New York College of Pharmacy and was a t the time of his death First Vice-president and Chairman of the Committee on Instruction of that institution. In 1914 he founded the Isaac Plaut Travelling Fellowship, in memory of his father, to be awarded annually to the postgraduate student who had shown special aptitude for original investigation. The holder of the fellowship receives a stipend of $500 for a year’s study in some foreign university. Mr. Plaut also established an endowment fund of $5,000 for the Princeton Chemical Club in order to enable its members to enjoy the advantages of outside lectures on special chemical topics. During his lifetime he was a generous supporter of many
Vol. 7 , No. 8
other charitable and educational institutions in New York. He left a large estate which, after ample provision for his employees and numerous charitable bequests, is to be shared by his son, Edward Plaut, who succeeds to his business interests, and his daughters, Mrs. M. J. Falk and Miss Constance Plaut. The funeral services were held a t the Society for Ethical Culture Hall, and the interment was made in the cemetery a t Point Pleasant, New York. The honorary pallbearers were I. Frank Stone, President of the National Aniline & Chemical Co.; Thomas F. Main, President of Tarrant & Co.; Wm. J. Schieffelin, President of Schieffelin & Co.; William C. Breed, President of the Merchants’ Association of New York; Berthold Levi and Francis F. Holliday, representatives of the National Wholesale Druggists’ Association; Professor M. C. Whitaker, President of the Chemists’ Club; Frederick William Fink, former partner in the Lehn & Fink Corporation; Franklin Black, of Charles Pfizer & Co.; and F. L. Lavanburg. M . C. WHITAKER
CURRENT INDUSTRIAL NEWS By M. I,. HAMLIN
WORLD TRADE IN FERTILIZERS L’Institut International d’dgriculture has published in Rome (September, 1914) a pamphlet containing very complete data, chiefly in tables, of the production, movement and consumption of various classes of fertilizers. Those figures which concern the United States are the following, the amounts being given in metric tons (approximately equal to United States long tons) : 1912 PRODUCTION Natural phosphates: Extracted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,231,636 Sold. ....................... 3,146,573 Ammonium sulfate.. . . . . . . . . . . . 149,700 14,000 Calcium cyanamide(a). . . . . . . . . . 308,328 Sulfur. ........................ Copper sulfate., , . . , , , , , , . , , . 17,908 IMPORTS Guano. ....................... 19,467 34,704 Bone meal, etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44,07 1 Potassium sulfate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Potassium chloride.. . . . . . . . . . . . 218,751 Manure salts(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 694,133 444,134 Sodium nitrate.. 54,016 Ammonium sulfate.. . . . . . . . . . . . Synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers.. 2,339 Sulfur.. ....................... 27,315
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R r.. P -. .....n a r s
1913 3,202,636 3,020,905 176,900 14,000 316,575 24,643 19,411 35,173 40,172 217,191 600,168 635,876 59,670
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14,870
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1,388,362 Natural phosphates.. 1,225,824 708 620 Potassium chloride. 73,911 Miscellaneous fertilizers. 75,780 14,870 Sulfur.. 27,315 1,910 3,097 Copper sulfate., CONSUMPTION 6,169,736 Artificial fertilizers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,575,392 23 1,690 Potassium-containing 215,966 - products(c) . 589,187 Sodium nitrate.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441,047 Nitrogen fertilizers: 485 ,000 As sodium nitrate.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235,000 As ammonium sulfate.. ( b ) Min. 20 per cent KzO. ( a ) Capacity of plants. (6) Calculated on basis of pure potash.
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The pamphlet also contains tables showing market prices
at different times and places and concludes with an extensive bibliography.
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TOLERANCES IN TESTS OF PERMISSlBLE EXPLOSIVES At the invitation of Van. H. Manning, Acting Director of the United States Bureau of Mines, a number of the prominent manufacturers of permissible explosives used in coal mines met in conference a t the Bureau of Mines offices in Washington, June 7th, to discuss the tolerances that may be permitted in tests of field samples or manufacturers’ samples of permissible explosives. At the request of Mr. Manning, Dr. Charles E. Munroe, consulting explosives chemist of the Bureau of Mines, presided at the conference and explained its objects. Addressing the
manufacturers he said: “Today there are 133 different explosives on the permissible list. There have been others admitted to the list and later removed. In all, over 150 explosives have been tested by the various methods and the results carefully recorded in the archives of the bureau. It was found that the bureau could not rest content with simply testing the original samples submitted and saying that hereafter that was a permissible explosive provided it was used in the manner described by the bureau. It was felt that in order that the bureau might know that the explosives were of the proper kind, samples should be obtained in the field and that such samples should be tested by the same methods. When this was undertaken, the question came up as to how nearly the tests should conform t o the results of the tests made on the original samples. It is well known that it is physically impossible for a man to exactly duplicate results in two tests. After a large amount of data had been gathered, a committee was appointed by the Director to consider the problem; the committee has been working on the matter for a long time, the data have been tabulated, and have been thoroughly investigated by the members of the committee. The results were set forth in a report to the Director, a copy of which has been sent to all manufacturers of permissible explosives and you are here to discuss that report today. The committee felt it was necessary to determine these tolerances before proceeding with the investigation of explosives in the field and before saying that they did or did not conform to the requirements. We should have complete agreement between the manufacturers and the Bureau of Mines in regard to this retesting of explosives.” The questions submitted by the committee of the bureau were taken up in detail and the tolerances recommended and agreed upon a t the conferences are as follows: In order to define moSe exactly what is meant by the phrase “similar in all respects” in the definition of a permissible explosive, viz.: “An explosive is called a permissible explosive when i t is similar in all respects to the sample that passed certain tests by the United States Bureau of Mines, and when it is used in accordance with the conditions prescribed by this bureau,” the following tolerances are recommended for field samples or manufacturers’ samples of explosives, beyond which such lot of explosives can not vary and still be considered permissible for use in coal mines: Provided, that where the Bureau of Mines finds a sample which does not come up to the tolerance limits, the bureau shall simply declare that particular lot of explosives not permissible, and a copy of the notification t o the
Aug., 1 9 r j
T H E JOl-RS.1L OF I S D C S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
consumer or owner shall be furnished the manufacturer, the notification to state that the explosive did not meet the tolerance requirements for moisture or ingredients. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
MOISTURE, to be fixed by a sliding scale of from 1.5 per cent a t zero to 4 per cent a t I O per cent of moisture in original sample, this tolerance being on total percentage of moisture in the ex-
plosive. OTHER INGREDIENTS (or their equivalents) in quantities not exceeding 60 per cent, according to attached curve. For ingredients in quantities of 60 per cent or more, the tolerance shall be plus or minus 3 per cent: Prozided, that the ingredients of a permissible explosive shall be considered to be those substances reported as found by the Bureau of Mines in the original sample of that explosive submitted for test as to its permissibility; and Pvozided further, that an equivalent shall be considered to be a substance which would not materially alter the properties of the explocive and which would produce the same result as the original substance. PRODUCTS OF CoRfBGsTIoN (determined by Bichel gauge test) : The volume of poisonous gases from 680 grams of the explosive including its wrapper must be less than 158 liters, except that in case the first test yields 158 liters or more of poisonous gases per 680 grams of the explosive (including its wrapper), the average result of three tests agreeing within j per cent of each other shall be taken and no explosive shall remain permissible when this average for poisonous gases exceeds the above standard limit. PHYSICAL TESTS
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Powder Company, Wilmington, Delaware. The bureau was represented by Van. H. Manning, $cting Director, Dr. Charles E. Munroe, consulting explosives engineer, George A. Hulett, consulting chemist, S. P. Howell and C. G. Storm, explosives chemists. THE RISE IN PRICES IN THE GERMAN CELLULOID INDUSTRY According to the Berliner Tageblat, because of the rise in cost of the raw products of the celluloid industry towards the beginning of November, especially of Japanese camphor and Chili saltpeter, the manufacturers were forced to raise their prices considerably. While synthetic camphor offers a substitute for the Japanese article, unfortunately the manufacture of synthetic nitric acid has not progressed to a point where it affords the necessary supply. The celluloid manufacturers were caught entirely unprepared, with the result that they bought up all the available raw products on the market, forcing prices still higher. Although i t was known a t the outbreak of the war that these raw products would be liable to seizure by the government for the army, exact information on this point was not to be had, and this also affected prices. While some qualities could have stood a slight rise in price, the hundred per cent increase demanded was out of the question for most consumers, and many canceled the orders they had already given. Since celluloid is chiefly used in the manufacture of luxuries rather than necessities, economic conditions also tended to cut down the demand for it. The great falling off in demand must eventually bring down to some extent the price of the raw materials.
RATE OF DETONATIOS (the average of three trials with Mettegang's recorder) : plus or minus 15 per cent. UNIT DEFLECTIVE CHARGE (the average of three trials with the ballistic pendulum) : plus or minus I O per cent. GRAMS OR WRAPPER per 100 grams of explosive (average of four determinations): Plus or minus 2 . 0 grams; Provided, that the manufacturers shall submit samples of all different sized cartridges, to be considered as part of the original sample, the amount of wrapper to be determined for each size of sample; and, Proaided further, that the tolerances as suggested shall be made in comparison with the various diameters as 'submitted with the original sample. APPARENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY of cartridge, by sand (average of four determinations): plus or minus 7.5 per cent; Provided, that actual density shall be determined on cartridges of the same diameter as the standard, and, Provided further, that manufacturers shall be required to submit samples of all sizes. GAS A N D DUST, GALLERY NO. I . No ignition must be obtained in each of one or more trials. Note: In the retesting of permissible explosives by tests I , 3, and 4, the charges of the explosives fired will be reduced I O per cent in weight from the weights originally used in order to eliminate any likelihood of a failure being due to the natural variations in the gallery conditions. PENDULUM FRICTION TEST: Each explosive must pass a test of ten trials under the same conditions as originally tested, except that the height of fall of the wood fiber shoe will be reduced by I O per cent in order to eliminate any likelihood of a failure being due to the natural variations in test conditions. The following persons were present a t the conference: John H. Feeman and Willard Young, Atlas Powder Company, Wilmington, Delaware; G. R. McAbee and C. T.Crone, McAbee Powder & Oil Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.; W. H. Blumenstein, W. H. Blumenstein Chemical Works, Pottsville, Pa.; W. C. Anderson and J. S. Burton, Burton Powder Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.; A. M. Comey, E. I. du Pont de Nemours Powder Company, Wilmington, Delaware; and Herbert "alley, Hercules
ENGLAND'S TRADE IN MAY, 1915 The British Board of Trade report for the month of May shows imports into the British Isles of $358,022,000, against $299,950,000. Exports were $198,090,000. compared with $21o,255,000 last year. The increase in the value of imports was due largely to gains in food, drink, and tobacco, amounting to $40,580,000; cotton, $13,685,000; manufactured iron and steel increased $1,395,000. Other metals and their manufactures increased $3,14g,ooo. The largest decreases in exports were $II,IOO,OOO in manufactured cotton, $7, j80,ooo in machinery, $4,490,000 in coal and coke, and $ 4 , 2 r o , o o o in iron, steel, and the manufactures thereof. England's imports and exports by months during the past year compare with one year ago as follows: IMPORTS EXPORTS 1915 1914 1915 1914 May ... .... , , . 871,604,400 €59,990,000 E39,618,000 €51,421,577 April.. , . , . 73,678,288 61,626,830 42,126,787 50,736,066 Mar.. . . . . . . . . . 75,982,845 67,339,845 39,829,000 54,171,870 65,265,744 62,050,744 36,405,778 51,490,778 Feb... . . . . Jan ............ 67.401.006 68,005,009 35.143.057 57,403,108 1914 1913 1914 1913 Dee. . 67,100,000 71,111,857 36,055,000 53,055,443 Nov . . . . 55,900,918 68,480,918 32,606,807 52,/56,807 Oct. , . . 51,562,000 11,732,893 38,158,000 56,178,843 45,056,086 61.359.086 33,527,877 49,277,877 Sept.. . . . . . . . . Aug , . . . . . . . . . . 42,362,034 55,975.704 28,631,104 52,261,228 July. . . . . ,.. 59,383,792 61.i83.683 52,231,296 55,475,551 June. . . . ,. 58,272,042 58,309,519 48,626,410 51,377,685
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AMERICAN STEEL RAILS The American Iron'and Steel Institute reports that the production of steel rails in the United States declined last year to I , 9 4 5 , 0 9 5 tons-the smallest production for any year since 1908. The contraction of the output in 1914 as compared with that of 1913 was no less than 1 , 5 5 j , o o o tons, or 44 per cent. The yearly production has been as follows during the decade ending with 1914 inclusive:
