February 10, 1931
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING
CHEMISTRY
37
World-Wide Chemistry Belgium C. MATHY
15 Avenue Beau Séjour, Brussels Coking the Shale from Washing Coal I n a paper presented recently before the. Belgian Society of Engineers and Manufacturers, H. Hardy, an expert in the treatment of fuels, outlined a process of reclaiming finely pulverized fuels in the form of rich and poor coal dust. The agglomeration preliminary to distillation is effected without the addition of tar, since the price of this binder appreciably increases the cost of production. The principle of the process may be described as follows: In heating a coal which contains from 18 to 34 per cent of volatile matter up to the point of viscous fusion, the coal is changed into more or less spherical globules composed of a mixture of coal and of tar which is exuded from the coal. The shale in Belgian mines has an ash content of 60 to 70 per cent, and contains as much as 8 per cent coal with a maximum of 8 per cent ash. In the heat treatment of this shale Hardy has converted the coal that it contains into a globular state. Three methods are possible for separating the coal from the shale. The author, who has tried each of these methods, describes all three, but this discussion will be devoted principally to two of the methods. The shale does not enter into the globular state of the coal. Only the particles of coal coalesce. Coal in the globular state floats in water; it can, therefore, be easily separated by washing, the heavier shale sinking in the washer. Advantage has also been taken of the spherical form of the coal particles t o separate them from the shale by successive screenings. By passing over a series of appropriate screens, the product may be made progressively richer in coal, for the coal remains on the screens while the flat shale goes through. Finally a dust is obtained which contains particles of globular coal. This coalesces under simple compression when heated without the addition of a binder. The resulting balls or briquets are then distilled at high or low temperatures according to whether it is desired to obtain semi-coke or coke of measured value. The author suggests that, inasmuch as the residual shale is free from adhering coal, it might be made into ordinary bricks or even cement. The cement plants could thus produce, besides the cement, the gas necessary for heating the furnaces. The manufacture of cement would then become extraordinarily economical since, in addition to the economy of fuel, it would require expenditures only for the preparation of the substances to be treated. Statistics of Production The director general of foreign commerce (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) has just published his annual report, "Economic Position of Belgium, Year 1929." As usual, this report appears very late, but the figures which it furnishes have been carefully checked and correct the figures which certain foreign publications printed earlier. However, the data are fragmentary; certain of them, especially those relating to chemical products, are concerned only with the movement of exports and imports. During 1929 the 106 mines in operation produced 26,932,000 tons of coal; the 44 coke furnaces, 5,991,100 tons of coke. In addition to metallurgical coke, the coke factories furnished in 1928: small coke. 211,280 tons; grésil, 207,860 tons; gas not used in manufacture, 641,621 cubic meters; ammonium sulfate, 86,230 tons; benzene, 44,770 tons; tar, 196,280 tons. The production of cast iron was 4,095,940 tons, and of steel, 4,011,180 tons, representing 165 and 166.5 per cent, respectively, of the 1913 production; crude zinc, 201,380 tons; lead, 86,260 tons (1928). The production of lead remained stationary in 1929. In 1929 the 33 Belgian plants manufacturing artificial Portland cement produced 3,630,000 tons, and the exports reached 1,908,800 tons. The annual production capacity of our cement plants now exceeds 4 million tons. The production of 1929 was 2.42 times greater than that of 1913. The export of Belgian cement to the United States, which amounted to 54,605 tons in June, 1929, dropped to 670 tons in June, 1930. Since then it has ceased, as a result of the new American import tariff. It is easy to imagine the effect this bas had upon our cement production. Mechanical glass works produced 53,205,730 square meters of glass. For the first time these statistics give no information on hand-blowing plants, which have now completely disappeared. The prosperity of the Belgian glass industry depends particularly on exports, since the home market absorbs only 5 per cent of the output.
Chemical Production 1929 1913 Tons Tons 101,230 Ammonium sulfate 48.000 740,000 Sulfuric acid 580.000 435,000 (1928) Superphosphates 498,000 232,895 Sugar 283.672 17.944 Glucose 10,783 49,317,446 (kg.) Margarine 13,349,000 (kg.) 1,474· Matches 1.01O* Distilleries (low wines a t 50°) 500,878 hectoliters ° Millions of boxes of 50 matches. PRODUCT
Finally, the production of Belgian silk reached 7300 tons in 1929, an increase of 500 tons over the amount produced in 1928. Most of these figures show a significant increase over tho>se for 1928. The year 1929 was one of great activity. Unfortunately, 1930 will fail to give the same result, for our industries share in the general depression which continues to prevail. Poisonous Fog Still a Mystery American newspapers, among others, have written of an event which has caused great commotion not only in Belgium but in all Europe—the numerous deaths caused in a few hours in tlie neighborhood of Liege by a fog. In Belgium the alarm is far from being quieted. Here are the facts in a few words. During the nights of December δ and 6 a fog of unusual density envel oped Engis and Flémalle, small cities but highly industrialized, situated several kilometers from Liege. The fact in itself presented nothing extraordinary, for in winter this region traversed by nie Meuse is frequently covered by a dense fog. But in a few hours this fog caused the death of some sixty persons and a large number of domestic animals. Those who had breathed this fog and who were not killed declared to inquirers that they had had the sensation of inhaling fire. The occurrence was unique and at once caused intense alarm. Several boards, composed of hygienists, chemists, and engineers, went to the spot to study the cause of "the phenomenon. At present it still remains inexplicable. Numerous opinions have been expressed, especially in foreign countries. During the first few days after the occurrence a well-known French professor fornrulated two hypotheses: first, the existence of an asphyxiating gas plant in the neighborhood, a rash or badly carried out experiment; second, the explosion of a reservoir of ammonia in a neighboring factory. In the atmosphere from a factory containing fumes of acid, ammonia gas may, indeed, produce a dense fog, bluish in color and very poisonous. The two hypotheses have no foundation in fact; there is no factory of asphyxiating gas in the region affected, and no explosion has been recorded in a synthetic ammonia plant. On the other hand, Professor Trillat, of the Pasteur Institute of Paris, supposes that it is simply a question of poisoning from a fog carrying the products of toxic gases. Under certain atmospheric conditions—saturated humidity, temperature, barometric depression, viscosity, and ionization of the atmosphere—tlie moisture is changed into a n infinite number of particles whioh dissolve toxic gases. The English correspondent of a Paris newspaper wrote as follows as early as December 8: "Doctor Owens, an English aerologist, declared that now all the factories discharge their gases at high temperatures, but it may happen, for reasons of economy, that these gases are discharged at lower temperatures and remain suspended." All this proves nothing. It is true that the cities affected are in an industrial region, filled with numerous chemical and metallurgical factories, zinc factories, roasting furnaces, sulfuric acid plants, etc. It would be surprising if the residents of the district were never affected by this, and it should be noted that these factories are under the strict surveillance of an inspector of labor. Furthermore, most of the factories, suffering from the industrial depression, are curtailing operation and certain of them are completely closed in this region. I t is incontestable that the funxes were much denser in this region two years ago, for example, when all the chimneys shot out torrents of fumes from factories which were working at full capacity. The Belgian boards of investigation are now carrying on a thorough scientific investigation - It is a problem especially for chexnists to find out the causes of the catastrophe. The commission does not expect to announce the result of its work for a month. The results of the autopsies have not yet been disclosed. In Belgian scientific circles the mystery still remains unsolved. Everyone in Belgium, as well a s in foreign countries, awaits ixnpatiently the explanation of a phenomenon which has caused such sorrow in the entire country. December 30, 1930
NEWS EDITION
38
Vol. 9, No. 3
Delaware Section Officers
Florida Section History
Ernest M. Symmes, chairman of the Delaware Section for 1931, i s a native o f Massachusetts, bora a t Winchester, April 1, 1889. T h e Winchester High School w a s the stepping-stone t o the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which granted h i m a B . S . in 1911. After a few m o n t h s a t the U. S. Bureau of Standards, h e went with E . I. d u Pont d e N e mours & Co., first a t Gibbstown, then a t Kenvil, N . J., until t h e reorganization in 1913. H e then r e m a i n e d with the newly formed Hercules Powder Co. at Kenvil, and from 1915 t o 1917 w a s
T h e .Florida Section of t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY was
granted a charter on January 19, 1924. Townes R. Leigh, head of t h e Department of Chemistry of t h e University of Florida, had been working since 1920 to secure a charter, but it was not until 1924 t h a t there were enough members within the state t o grant a c h a r t e r . Others who were instrumen tal in securing the charter were W . J. Husa, of the C o l l e g e of Pharmacy, and A. B . Black, of the Depart ment of Chemistry of the University of Florida.
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Ernest BA. Symmes
a s s i s t a n t superintendent of the B a c c h u s · , Utah, plant, and from 1917 to date lias been employed in t h e Chemical Department at the Wilmington officeHe i s a member of the AMERICAN CHCEMICAL SOCI-
Leland J. Lewis
Officers WES* ^ ^ ^ S
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ETY, American Institute of C h e m i c a l Engineers, a n d Arthur L. F o x Electrochemical Society. Arthur L. F o x was bora in Chicago, April 25, 1899. H e later moved t o Glerxcoe a n d attended the N e w Trier High School. I n 1917 h e entered t h e University of Illinois, which he attended until Thanksgiving o f t h a t year when he withdrew and entered the Army. H e spent I S months in France and on returning reentered the "University o f Illinois, receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees on June 11,1923. Incidentally, he was married that afternoon-. He then spent one year in the Bureau of Chemistry i n the U . S. Department of Agriculture in N e w Orleans. H e entered Northwestern University i n 1924, obtained his degree as doctor of philosophy i n 1927, and has since been employed by E. I . du P o n t de Nemours & Co. a s a research chemist. In January, 1929, he -was elected secretary of t h e Delaware Section and w a s reelected in January, 1930, to serve until May, 1931. He is a member o f Alpha Lambda Upsilon, Sigma X i , t h e Chemical Society (London), and the A M E R I C A N CHEMICAL SOCIETY.
N e w Yorik Chemists t o Hold Joint
Meeting
The joint meeting of t l i e N e w York sections of the Electrochemical Society (in charge), t h e ARIERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY,
the Society o f Chemical Industry, a n d t h e Société de Chimie Industrielle, w i l l be held o n Friday, February 13, 1931, a t 8:15 p. M., a t The Chemists' Club, 5 2 East Forty-first St., N e w York, Ν . Υ. Before the meeting the members of the four societies a n d their guests are invited t o an informal dinner a t T h e Chemists' Club at 6:30 P.M.; $1.75 per cover. Ladies are invited both t o t h e dinner and to the m e e t i n g . The meeting will b e addressed by the* president of the Electro chemical Society, Louis Kahlenberg, of the University of Wis consin, who will t a k e f o r his subject " T h e Electrometer i n Chemistry." Doctor KaJhlenberg is internationally famous for his original experiments a n d h i s unconventional interpretations of the behavioar of electrolj'tes.
Leland J. Lewis, chairman of the Florida Section, w a s born in Custer County, Nebr., and received his first training in chemistry in Grand Island C o l l e g e , Nebr. The M.A. degree was received from t h e University of Nebraska i n Barton J . Otte 1912, and t h e P h . D . degree from Columbia University i n 1921 H e h a s been in his present position, head of the Department of Chemistry, Florida State College for "Women, for seven years. Barton J . Otte, secretary of t h e Florida Section, was born in Northfield, Minn., January 21, 1897. H e received t h e A . B . degree from Carleton College (Minn.) i n 1918. He assisted Doctor Leigh, head of the Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, then a t Carleton, with smoke screen research in 1917, and served with t h e Charcoal Production a n d Research Division of the Chemical "Warfare Service from April, 1918, to February, 1919. He took [ one semester of graduate work at Carleton College in 1919; and taught chemistry and physics in Wadena High School, Wadena, Minn. For five years M r . Otte w a s engaged in raising pure bred cattle and swine o n the old homestead i n Northfield, Minn. In 1925 h e went to t h e University of Florida a s curator of the Department of Chemistry. From that time until 1930, when he was awarded t h e degree of master of science, h e was enrolled as a graduate student. He i s now curator a n d assistant professor of chemistry. Mr. Otte is a member o f Gamma Sigma Epsilon, honorary chemical fraternity, a n d Phi Kappa Phi, also a national honor fraternity. His chief interest, aside from t h e duties of his position, i s in research work on turpentine oleoresin.
Activities of the Philadelphia Section
b y the New York S e c t i o n of t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
The following have been elected Councilors t o represent the Philadelphia Section for 1931 : L. M. Henderson, J . B. Hill, W . J. Kelly, H. S . Lukens, H . S. Miner, H . C. Porter, 0 . L. Shinn, and Wm. Stericker. The Philadelphia Section has again arranged a series of lectures on a general topic of interest to its members. Last year Martin Kilpatrick, Jr., of t h e University of Pennsylvania, lectured t e n evenings on a "Survey of Physical Chemistry." The attendance of approximately fifty showed that there was a demand for such courses. This year a series of the same number of lectures has already been started by William Marias MalisofT, of the Atlantic Refining Co.'s research staff. Doctor MalisofT has taken as his topic "Foundations of Modern Chem istry/' It appears that there will be sufficient demand to warrant a third series o n "Colloid Chemistry" later in the year.
at a meeting schcdtaled f o r March 1 3 in t h e auditorium of t h e Engineering Societies Building, 25 West Thirty-ninth S t . , N e w York, N". Y., a t 8 : 3 0 p. M. T h e meeting will be preceded by dinner at X h e Chemists' Club at 7 p. M .
Herbert A . M a y h a s been appointed assistant to t h e presi dent of the Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co., and will h a v e headquarters in t h e Grant Bldg., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Nichols Medal Award The Nichols Medal will be awarded to John Arthur Wilson
