World-Wide Chemistry1 the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, was chosen as head of the Canadian Chemical Association, the coS. J. C o o k , 140 Broadway Ave., ordinating agency which binds the local Ottawa chemical associations in Canada into a national organization. S e l e n i u m and Tellurium New T r e a t m e n t for Produced in Great Q u a n t i t y Silicosis Is Described Selenium is concentrated along with What is described as "the most outother metals in the slimes from electrolysis standing contribution in the history of of the copper anodes at the Ontario silicosis research" was presented in an Refining Co.'s plant. Subsequent roastofficial report to the Academy of Medicine ing and leaching and further furnacing at Toronto recently. The research work produce Dore bullion containing the has been under the direction of Sir Fredprecious metals present in the original erick Banting, discoverer of insulin and slimes, together with slags rich in selenium. now head of the Research Institute which Leaching of the slags yields alkaline bears his name. selenium solutions, which are added to By mixing metallic aluminum dust acid selenium liquids from the scrubbers with the silica dust in the mines, it is and electrical precipitators. Sulfur hoped to prevent the dread effect of dioxide is passed through the hot acidified silica dust alone on miners lungs. It filtrate to precipitate metallic selenium, was explained that silicosis is caused by which is washed, ground, dried, and the chemical action of the silica in mines screened for market. The product attains and other quartz dust in solution in the a purity of 99.7 per cent or better. lungs. The effect of the metallic aluA higher tellurium content in the minum dust added to the silica dust is Noranda products treated by Canadian to reduce the solubility of the silica, it Copper Refineries, Ltd., necessitates a was stated. slight change in flow sheet. The mud No test have been made on human left after the filtration of the neutralized beings. They have so far been chemical slag leach liquor is acidified, passed and on laboratory animals. By chemical through the tellurium furnace, and experimentation it has been shown that leached. Tellurium is precipitated from the presence of the metallic aluminum in the leach solution by the addition of sulfur solution does definitely reduce the soludioxide and salt. bility of silica and stop the development Production statistics show that in 1935 of fibrosis in the lungs of laboratory Canada was the world's largest producer animals in the first stages of silicosis. of selenium, with an output of 306,425 Research o n Carbon in pounds. In 1936, the output fell slightly L u m i n o u s F l a m e s Reported to 350,535 pounds, but tellurium reChemical reactions taking place in the covery rose from 16,425 to 52,724 pounds. luminous flames which are used in the Chemical Production production of carbon black have been S h o w s a n Upward Trend studied by Pidgeon of the National Re"Official reports give Canada's chemical search Council. In a paper presented production for 1930 a value of $125,702,recently on this work, experiments are 725, an advance of 6 per cent over the described covering the effect on carbon figures for 1935. Improvement was formation and its properties of gas componoted in 13 of the 14 groups, the only sition, flame shape, and flame temperature. one showing a slightly lower figure being It is shown that high-temperature flames heavy chemicals at $18,926,291, as against produce finely divided carbon; the reasons $19,012,615 in the previous year. Capital for this and the factors controlling the investment in the 743 factories in operatemperature of flames are discussed. tion was reported as $149,135,904, and Dr. Pidgeon has also published several there were 19,770 employees on the rolls, or 4.4 per cent more than in 1 9 3 5 . Salaries studies on carbon black in the Canadian Journal of Research. and wages rose 6.3 per cent. Canadian Journal o f Research Imports of chemicals were valued at Reflecting Scientific Progress $31,971,047, up $2,000,000, and exports During 1936 there were published in increased to $17,749,628 from $16,372,476 the Canadian Journal of Research issued in 1935. by the National Research Council, | Canadian Chemical Convention original contributions (449 pages), coverHolds I t s Meeting in Vancouver ing a wide range of work in the field of For the first time the chemists of fundamental chemical research. Canada this year held their annual conAttention has been repeatedly directed vention in Vancouver on the Pacific to the papers by Manske on the synthesis Coast. Nearly 100 chemists from eastern of indolyl acetic acid and the effect of Canada made the long transcontinental certain indol acids on plant growth, parjourney to attend the meeting. En ticularly in relation to root formation. route, the special train stopped at such Jack Pine May places of interest as the International Be Used for P u l p Nickel Co.'s plant at Copper Cliff, and the great plant of the Consolidated MinWhile the economic factors involved ing and Smelting Co. of Canada at Trail, at this time may be adverse to the emB. C., for inspections. ployment of a sodium bisulfite process for" the production of sulfite pulp from At the annual meeting of the Canadian jack pine, the practicability of the process Institute of Chemistry, held during the has been demonstrated in work carried convention, H. E. Bigelow, professor of out in Canada, according to a paper prechemistry at Mount Allison University, sented by (). Brauns before the Technical Sackville, N. B., was elected president. Section of the Canadian Pulp and Paper R. H. Clark, professor of chemistry at Assignation. Development of a satis* Those interested in further details should factory method for the recovery of the address the correspondent whose name and adsodium base is considered an essential dress appear for each country, and enclose sufficient international coupons to prepay the reply. first step towards utilization of jack pine in pulp making. Jack pine wood occurs United States stamps should not be sent. 311
Canada
abundantly in certain areas in Canada where other evergreen species are not so plentiful as they once were. Highways Offer New Use for Salt Salt and calcium chloride have proved valuable improvers to the bonding agents used in the construction of low-cost, secondary highways, the surfaces of which consist essentially of a clay bond in admixture with coarse minerals, so proportioned and graded as to give maximum density under the compressive effect of traffic. Experimental work in this field, carried on first in Nova Scotia, was developed in the laboratory of the National Research Council and at McGill University, and the practice spread to the United States. During the past three years considerable mileages of saltestablished roads have been built in Ontario, Quebec, and in the United States. Investigators claim that the salt has two major effects. It retards the evaporation of moisture when the road is first laid, and the growth of salt crystals as the road eventually dries out tends to diminish shrinkage and cracking of the clay bond. R a d i u m Industry Receives Recognition Silver plaques, suitably inscribed, have been presented by the Eldorado Mining Co. t o the Deputy Minister of Mines and the President of the National Research Council in recognition of the assistance and cooperation given to the company in the development and maintenance* of this great new industry. Production of the first ounce of radium from Canadian ores was accomplished on November 16, 1936. Discovery of the important deposit of pitchblende associated with rich silver ore, at Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, was made in 1930. The mine is 1450 miles beyond the end of the railway line. The refinery is at Port Hope in Ontario, 3000 miles from the mine. Despite these great distances, the economic as well as the technical difficulties have been overcome and the industry is well established. Assisted in its technical development by the Mines Department, the industry now sends its output of radium to the National Research Council for measurement. A paper on the romance of radium by (G. C . Laurence, who is in charge of the radium section of the National Research Laboratories, was presented at the 1937 annual meeting of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and will be published in the Proceedings. J u n e 24, 1937
Rumania Developing a Chemical Industry WITH the view to greater self-sufficiency and preparedness in event of national emergency, and following the trend of other Central and Southern European countries, Rumania is devoting serious attention to the development of a domestic chemical industry, according to reports reaching the Commerce Department's Chemical Division. A number of chemical projects have been started or completed during the past year and, according to unofficial reports, the trend has been considerably influenced by German, Czechoslovakian, and Italian participation.
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London M . D . C u r w e n , 174, Grove E n d G a r dens, St. John's Wood. London. N. W. 8 Grass Drying Shows R e m a r k a b l e Increase The notes given in a previous issue [ N E W S E D . , 15, 75 (1937)] brought some inquiries from readers in the United States. Full particulars regarding yields and quality of milk and butter obtained from cows fed on dried grass can be secured from the Agricultural Research Council, 6A Deans Yard, Westminster, London. Information is also available regarding the type of oil-burning equipment that is sometimes employed. The latest figures of the numbers of plants in use are: 1935, 12; 1936, 46; 1937,100 (estimated). P e r m a n g a n a t e Is S u g g e s t e d a s Fertilizer a n d M o s s R e m o v e r Another agricultural note of importance is that given in a paper by Greening before the Royal Horticultural Society. The author has conducted research work on the effect of various oxidizing agents as soil fertilizers, more particularly of potassium permanganate. This salt has been used with considerable success in growing radishes, lettuce, and other vegetables. Furthermore, the same material is effective in removing moss and earthworms from lawns, suggesting its use for the maintenance of golf-course greens. It is supposed that the action is to convert organic nitrogen to nitric acid with the ultimate formation of nitrates. Paper Mill Evolves N e w T r e a t m e n t o f Effluent A recent visit by one of the scientific societies to the famous Croxley Mills of John Dickinson & Co., Hertfordshire, has exposed an original method of treating the company's effluents. This has resulted from a separate scientific investigation of each effluent (there are about six different ones) instead of the usual method in this country of considering all effluents as one. For example, on examination, it was found that washings from digested esparto and from digested rags have a high B. O. D . (biochemical oxygen demand) while the sludge from the bleach liquor preparation plant was an oxidizing agent. B y mixing these to neutralize one another and adding a third effluent which contains calcium carbonate, considerable advantages in the entire treatment were obtained. An application for a patent has been taken out in conjunction with the Dorr-Oliver Co. An excellent description of the process has been published in the May issue of The Industrial Chemist. Chief Alkali I n s p e c t o r Advises o n Acid P r o d u c t i o n Recent happenings such as the rearmament scheme have encouraged the opening of new sulfuric acid works and the reopening of a plant that has been shut down. The Chief Alkali Inspector (Mr. Damon) has noted that escapes have been high in acidity, a condition that generally reigns if care is not taken during the initia) periods. In his report (Alkali Report 1936, His Majesty's Stationery Office, Aldwvch, London, 1 shilling) he gives useful indications as to the proper procedure and regards 24 hours as the period in which the whole plant should be under complete control. Especially useful to manufacturers is his advice on the luting of chamber and tower buttons with acid of the proper strength, maintenance of stock of nitrous acid, admission of gases into the Glover tower, control of the ammonia oxidation plant, rate of introduction of pyrites into the burners, regulation of steam admission, etc.
Neojp r e n e E n t e r s t h e British Market Imperial Chemical Industries. Ltd.. has recently held an exhibition ot products made from Neoprene, the rubberlike compound highly resistant to oils that has been the result of such excellent research work by the du Pont organization. T h e new "rubber" has been heartily welcomed by industry in Great Britain, the I. C. I. organization deserving much credit for displaying and discussing the material with great ability. The "rubber" was rather solemnly declared to be incompetitive as regards uses, with natural rubber. The writer has not vet encountered many cases where it would not be extremely competitive. In many instances the price question is no longer important. Plastics Forces Increase in Manufacture o f Phenol The amazing growth of the plastics industry has created j^some uneasiness regarding the immediate supply of phenol, since capacity of production is for the present limited. For the first time since the War, synthetic phenol is being manufactured on a large scale to ease the situation. The producers, Monsanto Chemicals, Ltd., propose installing a second plant in the near future. B y the end of the year some 1500 tons of synthetic phenol will have been consumed. N o increase in phenol production from coal tar can be' anticipated, but it is hoped t h a t cresylic acid from low-temperature tars, which are available in large quantities, will be adopted by the plastics industry. At present, the latter looks askance a t cresylic acids, and it is hoped that firms such as Low Temperature Carbonisation, Ltd., will conduct researches to discover catalysts which will effect polymerization of cresylic acids and formaldehyde at a rate more suitable to the molding industry. W o o d Preservatives Report Is Published A comprehensive report b y Richardson is published by the Forest Products Research Board (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, 16 Old Queen St., Westminster, London). After discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the oldest and widest used preservative, creosote, the report proceeds to examine the value of many of the more recent innovations. Water-soluble salts, such as zinc chloride, are used under conditions of high humidity such as in cotton mills and in mines. Fluorides, such as the sodium salt and magnesium sUicofluoride, are also used effectively, the drawback of t h e latter being the ease with which it attacks metal and glass. Water-soluble salts, obviously, have their disadvantages, so that the use of zinc metaarsenate is interesting. This salt is insoluble in water but soluble in acetic acid; it is therefore applied dissolved in this acid which afterwards evaporates, leaving a toxic insoluble salt. Another new process involves the use of dichromates, but results are not yet to hand. The use of metal soaps such as oleates, naphthenates, is growing. Special uses have been found for copper and zinc naphthenates and their combinations; they are stated to be efficacious even against the white ant. They are relatively insoluble in water, the copper salt being more soluble than other metal combinations. Naphthenates of the rare elements have been suggested to increase resistance to water of wood so treated. Tetrachlorophenol, a highly toxic material, is also being employed a s a wood preservative. It is expensive b u t by e m ploying as solvents very cheap waste sump oils, the final product is rendered marketable.
VOL. 15, N O . 14
Italy Raffaele S a n s o n e , Via G . B . D ' A l b e r t i s 5 / 4 , G e n o a (15) Efforts to regain foreign markets have been continued. Italian commerce, including that with the colonies, for the first trimester of 1937 was 121 per cent more than in 1936 and 68 per cent more than 1935. Stabilization of the lira has helped materially in bringing about this improvement, while proper control has prevented sharp increases in wholesale prices or in living costs. Since September, 1936 (when the lira was stabilized), the wholesale price index has risen 12 per cent in Italy, 31 per cent in France, and 16 per cent in England. Utilization of By-Products Studied The Chemical Corporation is studying utilization of by-products of wine culture, and the possibility of utilizing the mash, expressed seeds, and scrapings of barrels for the extraction of alcohol, edible and lubricating oils, cattle feed, etc., according to experiments in the Tuscan Agrarian Stations; development of the production of dried grapes and improvement of fresh grapes for table use; a program of research to develop special products (a motion was carried placing these laboratories under more strict control); and partial substitution of malt by grape mash in the manufacture of beer. In this connection, the corporation examined the work done by Professor Mazzei of the Agrarian Institute at Conegliano. Tariff T a x S y s t e m Revised The tariff tax system is being revised to permit development of the national economy and making of commercial agreements on the basis of the present changed status of the country. The Undersecretary for the Tariff Commission has formed four subcommissions t o study rates on domestic animal and vegetable and food industry products; textile, fashion, and tannery products; mechanical and metallurgical products; and mineral products, glass and ceramics, precious metals, rubber, etc. The commission will consider excise taxes as well as tariff questions. T o supplement the efforts of industry to increase export trade, the Fascist Federation of Industrialists has increased its foreign trade service, extending the systematic collection of trade information to a greater number of countries. The Tariff Commission is in position to furnish exhaustive information on foreign tariff rates and regulations, shipping and parcel post regulations for all goods, taxes and surcharges (foreign), tariff laws and their application, marks such as certificates of origin, sanitary regulations, etc., and rules governing commercial imports. Imports Regulated Permits to import zinc phosphide on a quota basis will h e granted only to those having import permits for zinc phosphide in the corresponding 1934 period. Firms wishing to obtain permits for the second semester are obliged to file a request for each article to be imported, with the Fascist Federation of Dealers. Products admitted on a quota basix are natural corundum (from Greece only); corundum products (from Czechoslovakia only); kaolin, argil, refractory earth, and molding sand; nonmetaUic minerals and earths, not specified; refractories; optical glass; cut glass; asbestos; graphite; mica; worked bone and horn, not specified; "dum" palm bark and seeds; arsenic acid.
JULY 2 0 , 1937 All requests for oil quotas for the second semester must b e filed, with each article itemized and quantities and actual values of prodiacts specified, with the Federation of Dealers in Oils. The products admitted o n a quota basis are fresh olive oil, peanut oil for food use, colza cottonseed oil, crude and edible olive oil, sesame and soybean oils for food products. Decrete 597, April 22, 1937, adds the following; to t h e list of articles admitted on temporary import to be worked up and reexported: textile casein up t o a maximum of 4000 quintals for the production of "lanital (concession valid through June 30, 1938), minimum quantity 1 0 0 kg., t o b e r e e x p o r t e dwithin6 months; birch and elder woods t o be polistied and stained (concession valid through June 3 0 , 1 9 3 8 ) , minimum quantity 300 kg., to be reexported within 6 months; solid pertroleum bitumens for road building, valid to June 30, 1937, minimum quantity 100 kg., to be reexported within 1 year; tungsten, molybdenum, and nickel filament for electric light bulbs, etc., concession valid to June 30, 1938, minimum quantity 20 k g . , t o be reexported within o n e year; trunks and roots of mahogany, rosewood, ebony, ash, elm, maple, and o a k for packing cases, concession until J u n e 30, 1939, minimum quantity 100 kg. for each type of wood, to be reexported within one year. Concessions have been extended on plate glass or crystal t o be annealed, through June 30, 1938, minimum quantity reduced t o 25 k g . ; spruce for cornices, to April 30, 1939; empty glass bottles, to be filled with beer for export trade, limited t o not more than 6,692,000 bottles, and m u s t be shipped by October 31, 1937; cardboard boxes for packing alimentary conserves and cheese to April 30, 1938; temporary importation o f glucose for manufacture of candied and preserved fruit, marmalade, mustard, caramel, and sirups, extended t o include t h e manufacture o f torrone (a hard candy with embedded nuts). Combustible Oils A r e Studied At a meeting of t h e technical committee on liquid fuels in the offices of the Minister of Corporations, asphaltic shales, the utilisation of lignites, and distillation and hydrogenation for development of Italian lignites were considered. Through the Azieoda Generale Italiana Petrolii (General Italian Petroleum Co.) the Italian petroleum industry has reached a high state of efficiency. T h e recent war called for large quantities of petroleum products, which were furnished in uuiliamted quantities exclusively by this company:
NEWS EDITION The Liquid Gas Corp. has increased its capitalization from 1 t o 7 million lire, by issuing 60,000 new shares of 100 lire par value which are offered t o stockholders on t h e basis of six shares for each one held. T u s c a n Soffioni Are B e i n g U t i l i z e d Tuscan soffioni are being utilized on a vast industrial scale t o produce electrical energy, borax, boric acid, etc. In addition, the Florence Experimental Institute has succeeded in producing high-quality optical glass, using borax and silica from these soffioni (hot springs). New soffioni started early in 1936 at Larderello give the Borax Co. of Larderello an available steam supply of over 1,400,000 kg. of steam an hour, enough t o generate over 70,000 kw. of electricity, which would save tens of thousands of tons of coal a year. Owing t o the greater supply of steam, the production of various chemicals was increased during 1936. A convention was recently held to coordinate the development of electrical energy by the Larderello Borax Co. and "Terni/' A new electric railway 100 km. long has been built with reserve power stations of sufficient capacity t o utilize completely the thermal springs of Larderello and the hydroelectric power of the "Terni." The administrative council intends t o increase the capital of the Larderello Borax Co., now capitalized at 16 million lire. Utilization o f Italian Products The Pirelli Co. is intensifying its efforts to replace imported raw materials with those of domestic origin wherever possible. Experiments continue unabated in many lines, including attempts t o replace cotton at least in part by white broom and rayon, copper by aluminum, and to produce and use synthetic rubber. Pirelli has set aside 6 million lire t o establish a special laboratory t o study the problem of rubber substitutes, and 6 million for research on cable, etc. Scholarships Are A n n o u n c e d The commission appointed t o judge theses has announced scholarships in memory of Arnaldo Mussolini: one each for students of Genoa University, students of the University of Pisa, and the faculty of the Department of Agrarian Sciences of the University of Fisa. and eight scholarships for fascist students of this university who have returned from East Africa. T h e Minister of Education has announced 8 scholarships, of 6000 lire each, for graduate students for study in Italy, and 16 prizes of 11,000 lire each for foreign study. Translation by A. W. CONTIERI June 12,1937
Shipments, tons: 1926, 30,000; 1932, 250,0005 1937,600,000. Area of deposits worked, sq. m.: 1926, British Indian Railways 60,000; 1 9 2 9 , 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 : 1 9 3 2 , 310,000: Experiment with Dry Ice 1937, 500,000. Storage capacity, cu. m . : 1926, 2000; HE British Indian Government is in1929, 40,000; 1932, 70,000; 1937, 400,000. vestigating the use of dry ice in railCapacity, cu. m.: 1926, 10,000; 1929, way transportation of perishable goods, 40,000; 1932, 150,000; 1937, 700,000. according t o reports from Calcutta. One dry-ice plant has been established a t BomStudies are in progress t o replace bay, in anticipation of demand from this gasoline and naphtha, now imported, source, and Indian suppliers of equipment by e t h y l and methyl alcohols, charcoal believe that it will be necessary t o erect gas, naphtha from bituminous shales, and two or three more units in Western India electeric power wherever available. I t if railway authorities find the use of dry will b e necessary to encourage the manuice practicable. facture of cars designed t o use domestic fuels, particularly g a s generators, as it has beem shown that the question of motor fuel comild be answered completely by utilizing such fuels as propane, butane, and «timer gaseous hydrocarbons liberated in the refining of petroleum.
T
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Scandinavia C. A . Robak H o r t e n , Norway Finnish Mining I n d u s t r y Progresses The largest mining enterprise in Finland is the mines of Outokumpu belonging t o the Finnish Government. The copperbearing pyritic ore so far has been exported in the form of a copper concentrate, but as the smelting works at Imatra have been completed recently, the copper is now to be extracted in the home country. T h e annual production is estimated at some 1200 metric tons of copper, with which Finland will rank among the more prominent copper-producing c o u n t r i e s of Europe. T h e production of the Outokumpu mines has increased continuously during the last ten years and is now about 300,009 tons of crude ore annually. The known deposits are calculated to last for about 40 years at the present working rate. Another mine, at Orijârvi, is now producing about 30,000 tons annually of copper- and zinc-bearing ore. The visible deposits here are estimated at about 600,· 000 tons containing about 2 per cent of copper, 3 to 4 per cent of zinc, and some lead. In the Petsamo nickel ore fields the deposits recently have been found to be of considerable extent, the quantity being estimated at some 5 million tons of ore containing about 3 per cent of nickel and 1 per cent of copper. The Petsamo mines are exploited by a large foreign company that has already expended substantial funds for investigations and for building roads and accommodations for workmen and officials. Death o f Peter Klason Reported With Peter Klason, who died on January 1 this year at the age of 88, Sweden has lost one of its most prominent chemists. Born in 1848, he received the d e gree of Dr. Phil, at the University of Lund, Sweden, in 1874 where he worked as an instructor in chemistry till 1890, when h e was called to the Swedish Technical University of Stockholm. Here he served a s a professor in chemistry and chemical technology from 1890 to 1913 when he retired on account of age. From 1915 t o 1924 he served as an instructor in chemistry at the Swedish institute of forestry. After retiring from teaching, he continued to work in his private research laboratory at the Technical University of Stockholm until a few months before his death. A great many Swedish chemists and chemical engineers who have been his pupils cherish his memory. B y the chemists of other countries Peter Klason will be remembered especially for his outstanding pioneer work on t h e analysis of wood a n a cellulose lyes, particularly the determination and description of lignin. Turpentine Exanthemas in H o u s e P a i n t e r s Have B e e n S t u d i e d In a recent article in the Teknisk Tidskrift Erik Thrysin reports investigations that have been carried out for the Swedish Government on t h e causative relation of turpentine to certain occupational diseases occurring in painters. The abnormally high percentage of exanthema cases among painters is considered to be due t o the handling of turpentine. N o definite conclusion was reached as to which components of the turpentine are the specific cause of the supersensitivity of the skin. However, it was found that the pure gum turpentine is less dangerous than t h e socalled sulfate turpentine, which is a b y product in the manufacture of sulfate cellulose, and the charcoal turpentine produced by the destructive distillation of
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wood in the charcoal furnaces. Thrysin also points out that a great portion of the material sold under the name of turpentine is adulterated with petroleum distillation products of a much lower technical and commercial value. He therefore recommends the introduction of regulations to protect honest manufacturers and merchants as well as consumers against such adulteration. D a n i s h Chemical Exports during 1936 During 1936 the industrial exporting business of Denmark was brought face to face with new and serious difficulties. As in previous years there were exchange restrictions, import quotas, and export premiums to contend with, and in 1936 in addition several markets closed down almost completely. However, the improved trade in many countries helped to counterbalance the decline in the trade with other countries, so that the total value of exports slightly exceeded that of the preceding year. For comparison export figures for a number of the more important products for 1935 and 1936 are given in the following table:
Condensed milk and cream V e g e t a b l e oils Animal oils Feedstuffs from the oil industry Superphosphate Cement Bricks Cryolite Ball flint Stone, c l a y , and lime-worki n g machinery Beer
1935 1«.W6 Strtrte t*>r,s 18.44.Î 16.776 71.12!» 58.572 L".M48 26,016 160.627 11.031 3(11,728 5,i»7t> 11.608 8.!»75
12!».725 4,6!»4 331,025 8.126 13.327 10.3U2
7.27λ 5.832
«».2i»8 6.206
M e t h o d for Briquetting of Charcoal Is Developed Two Swedish engineers and a Swiss engineer have separately worked out a method for the production and briquetting of charcoal, which recently has been patented in Sweden by the "Liealit" Internationale Holzkohlen-Brikettierungs-Holding, A.-G., of St. Gallen, Switzerland. According to the patent description the process is characterized by the following principal features: After being cut to suitable size, the wood is dried by being conveyed through a channel heated by the waste gases from the plant, and is then carried to the top of a continuously working shaft kiin where the destructive distillation is carried out by direct heating with circulating gas. The charcoals are discharged at the bottom of the kiln and cooled to a suitable temperature. The gases from the kiln are passed through a washing apparatus where the tar is recovered, and are then partially burned to produce the heat required for the destructive distillation and drying of the wood. The cooled charcoals are crushed and mixed with adequate amounts of the tar. The mixture is kneaded thoroughly in the mixing apparatus and is afterwards briquetted in a press. The raw briquets are carried to a separate distillation furnace where they are hardened by heating to a temperature at which most of the tar is again distilled off and recovered. After cooling, the briquets are ready for distribution. They have a specific weight of at least 0.8 kg., a volume weight of 450 to 500 kg. per cu. m., and a crushing strength of 60 kg. per sq. cm. or more. They are free from smoke, gas, and tar, and have a calorific value of about 7700 Cal. per kg. Owing to their high volume weight and crushing strength, these briquets are particularly well suited for use in gas producers for automobiles. The cost of production is estimated at 35.00 Swedish kroner per metric ton, exclusive of the cost of the wood.
1936 Statistics of (Chemical Industry In the April issue of the Svensk Kemisk Tidskrift are published the annual statistical reports on the production, importation, and exportation of the Swedish chemical industry during 1936 and the 5 preceding years. Generally speaking, the figures for 1936 differ only a little from 1935. There are, however, some exceptions. For instance, the importation of calcined sodium sulfate, which has grown rapidly during the last couple of years, shows' a further increase from 124,400 metric tons in 1935 to 146,900 tons in 1936. The domestic production of aluminum sulfate also shows a substantial increase, from 30,000 tons in 1935 to 38,500 tons in 1936, and accordingly the exportation increased from 13,200 tons in 1935 to 21,900 tons in 1936. The exportation of crude methanol increased from 1S9 to 6S1 tons, a record figure. On the other hand, the exportation of formaldehyde decreased from 302 to only 88 tons, which is also a record in the other direction. As for crude turpentine oil, 3X00 tons were exported as against 2200 tons in 1935. The corresponding figures for liquid resins were 12,700 and H400, also a considerable increase and a record exportation figure. The importation of soybeans increased from 100,800 tons in 1935 to 136,000 tons in 1936. Accordingly, the importation of cattle cakes and fodder meal shows a decrease from 200,400 to 160,000 tons and the exportation of these products increased from 64,100 to 75,000 tons. The exportation of cellulose reached a new record figure, 1,965,000 tons dry weight, as compared with 1,789,000 tons in 1935. The exportation of news print decreased from 207,300 tons in 1935 to 180,100 tons in 1936. However, all other kinds of paper show an increase, so that the total figure for paper, 5X7,600 tons, is nearly equal to that of the preceding year. Only 5102 kg. of gold were produced as against 6803 kg. in 1935 and 7853 kg. in 1934 which was a record, because a specially rich ore body was worked at the Boliden mines that year. May 31, l937
B o n e G l u e Cartel Reorganized THE old Czechoslovakian bone glue cartel which was liquidated in October, 1935, has been reorganized under two basic cartel agreements. The revived cartel, which has sales and control offices at Prague, regulates joint sales terms and prices of bone, and the production of leather and chrome glue and gelatin of every description, as well as all sorts of by-products and intermediates of the glue industry. Germany Establishes Water Softener Standards W Ι Τ Η the view to promoting a more economical use of soaps in order to conserve the national supply of fats and oils, Germany has established official norm sheets which give the particular type of softener suited to waters found in different parts of the country. I t a l y A u t h o r i z e s S u g a r for Glycerol Manufacture T Η Ε Italian Government has authorized 1 the sale of 1000 metric tons of sugar, free of manufacturing or excise tax, for the manufacture of glycerol, provided the sale is made before September 30 of the current year.
VOL. 15, NO. 14 Asphalt in N e w Jersey
S as the man who introduced tobacco to a waiting world and covered a mud IR WALTER RALEIGH
is
remembered
hole with a cloak that a queen might pass dry-shod. Few realize that many of our present mud-free roads are made from material closely related to another of Sir Walter's discoveries. In 1595 he discovered the asphalt lake on the Island of Trinidad and used the material to calk his leaking ships. The current six-cent stamp of Trinidad and Tobago commemorates this event. Petroleums, which upon distillation yield an asphaltic residue, are found in many parts of the world, but those proc essed in New Jersey come chiefly from the United States (Texas, Arkansas, and other southern midcontinent states), Mexico, and Venezuela. Stills of very complex design are used for the refining of petroleum, and the properties of the residue obtained from asphaltic oils can be readily controlled by the manner in which the still is oper ated. The hardness of the asphalt re sulting after the gasoline, kerosene, and fuel oil have been driven out depends on the length of time the oil remains in the still and the temperature to which it is subjected. Asphalts for certain uses are produced by blowing air through a tank filled with a hot asphaltic material from which the gasoline and kerosene have been removed. The air causes fundamental changes in the chemical composition of the heavy hydrocarbons. Road building is one of the oldest and most important uses for asphalt. The first city pavement in the United States using asphalt was laid in front of the City Hall in Newark, N. J., in 1870. During 1934 over 15,000 miles of state highways were surfaced with bituminous materials. The manufacture of roofing for appli cation to both commercial and residential buildings consumes, at the present time, a large quantity of asphalt. Waterproofing of foundations, base ments, tunnels, subways, etc., has always been a problem facing the architect and builder. The application of the correct type of bituminous material under the proper conditions has proved to be one of the most satisfactory solutions so far proposed. Very recently mattresses made of as phalt and mineral powders have been laid down on the bed of the Mississippi River near New Orleans in an effort to retard or prevent erosion of the levees. The unusual flood conditions arising early this year will subject this protective ex periment to a severe test. The great stone jetties at Galveston, Texas, have been bound and cemented together by means of a hot mixture dumped right into the sea water. The pounding during storm periods to which these jetties are subjected has been un able to dislodge the huge stones held together by the asphalt ic mixture. When the cookie, salt, breakfast food, or other manufacturer wants to retain the moisture present in his product or prevent the entrance of water from the outside, he uses a carton the cardboard layers of which are separated by a con tinuous film of asphalt. Asphalt in some form may be found in automobiles, bat teries, refrigerators, dolls, shoes, coffins, imitation linoleum rugs, certain kinds of paint, electrical tape, and cables. NORTH JERSEY SECTION, A. C.
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