World-Wide Chemistry1 London M . D . C u r w e n , 625 G r a n d B u i l d i n g s , Trafalgar S q „ W . C . 2 R e s i n s U s e d for W a t e r Purification In answer t o those readers who have asked for further details of the use of synthetic resins for the purification of water, all licenses to use the process are issued by the Department of Overseas Trade, 16, Old Queen St., London, S. W. 1, to whom all communications should be sent. The English firm that has taken up the rights in England is the well-known United Water Softeners, Ltd. Several other companies, including Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd., are watching progress with considerable interest. The original paper on the subject by Morgan, Megson, and Holmes was read on December 3, 1934, before the Society of Chemical Industry. Copies may be had by writing to the Editor, 46, Finsbury Sq., London, E. C. 2. British Study Fuel Problems In the present state of European affairs, attention is being drawn in the press and elsewhere to the future supplies of fuel for automotive power. One authority in the British petroleum world now gives as little as 20 to 25 years as the life of existing wells. In this country, the government is so much concerned that already steps arc being taken to provide adequate storage of crude oil in case of European wars. As may be expected, therefore, progress in coal hydrogénation and low-temperature carbonization of coal is continually looked for in the news. I ittle is heard of the former process at Billingham, except that considerable quantities of petrol of good quality are regularly being made. The raw material is usually creosote. Of low-temperature carbonization we hear a great deal, although to date only one firm has proved itself to most people's satisfaction. This is Low Temperature Carbonisation, Ltd., which has been producing a good smokeless fuel for some years and fuel which is supplied to the Air Force and the Navy. Unique Production o f T h y m o l Is S t a r t e d A new company which is now in the early production stage is Coal & Allied Industries, Ltd. The process is not a normal coal distillation but uses as raw material a paste made from pulverized coal and a "crude" petroleum oil. The products are, therefore, quite novel for a low-temperature process. There are the normal gasoline and smokeless fuel and also a good white spirit. From a chemical point of view, tne greatest interest lies in the production of other materials, from the "waste 11 gases and the acidic products derived from the coal. The gases are highly unsaturated, containing propylene, butylène, and amylene, while from the acidic portion a range of cresols is obtained. About a year ago the writer suggested to this firm the production of thymol from the isopropyl alcohol and the metacresol produced. The first hundredweight of this valuable * Those interested in further details should address the correspondent whos*» name and address appear for each country, and enclose sufficient international coupon» to prepay the reply United State» stamps should not he Rent.
material has now been made. This manufacture can be said to be unique, since thymol has never before been made in a factory producing both raw materials. B r i t i s h Association Indicts Politicians The early part of September saw the important annual meetings of the British Association which, in discussing recent advances of science, always draw famous scientists from all quarters of the globe. Of considerable importance were the indictments that politicians, statesmen, and men of letters know little of the meaning of science and little of the impact of science on social and industrial problems. Especially, little attempt has been made to raise the standards of nutrition for the people in the light of present knowledge or t o organize agriculture and its attendant industries accordingly. N e w Process for Nickel Launched The famous Mond Nickel Co. is now pursuing successfully the production of nickel in which the ores are interacted with carbon monoxide under pressure. This method, which now supersedes the old one using normal pressures, gives greatly improved results. A new company, Sulphur Patents Ltd., has been formed to exploit the processes of a British and a Swedish company producing liquid sulfur dioxide or elementary sulfur from the sulfurous gases evolved in metallurgical works. One plant for the production of 20,000 tons of high quality sulfur is already in ot>eration in Ronnskar, Sweden, while another at Imatra, Finland, is producing 52 tons of liquid sulfur dioxide per day. A new method of producing activated carbon for gas masks from coal is reported as a result of work carried out by the Fuel Research Board and the chemical defense department of the War Office. W a r n i n g s of H y d r o g e n Sulfide a n d Isopropyl Ether Are Issued It is worth while broadcasting the following items of dangerous chemicals. It is too generally believed that sulfureted hydrogen is not a dangerous gas. Several deaths have recently occurred in this country through exposure to it and warnings have been issued. One authority has informed the writer that in equal concentrations sulfureted hydrogen is more dangerous than prussic acid gas. Professor Morgan, of the Government Chemical Laboratories at Teddington, has issued a warning regarding working with isopropyl ether. Several dangerous explosions nave occurred, because of the formation of peroxides on standing or during distillation. I n Praise of Famous Men It is pleasant to record the enthusiasm in British papers of two famous men—one, John Harwood or Harvard, born in England and founder of Harvard University, and the other, Sir Henry S. Wellcome, who formed the famous collection of scientific research institutions known as the Wellcome Foundation. There is perhaps as much written in the better journals here about the Harvard Tercentenary as there is in America. For Wellcome's work—especially on tropical diseases—this country, where he lived so long, is peculiarly grateful, and we are realizing, many of us for the first tin>e, that he was Amc»rican and that he aii hi* people wore of that wonderful 413
pioneer stock that went west among the Indians. Bactericide Offers G r e a t Possibilities In one of London's laboratories, work is being carried out on the fungicidal and bactericidal value of phenyl mercury chloride. The workers are reticent regarding this material, since investigations are still proceeding, nor are they conclusive, but in many experiments bactericidal results have been obtained at astonishingly low dilutions. It is stated t o be extremely poisonous and, what is also a great drawback, insoluble or almost insoluble in nearly all the well-known solvents. September 23. 1936
Czechoslovakia L . A. H e l w i c h , Prague X I I , Vocelova 3 A Critical S t u d y o f A l c o h o l Oasoline Motor Fuel Published J. Z. Schneider, of the Poly technical School in Prague, recently published the results of his comparative tests with gasoline and alcohol-gasoline mixtures of various compositions, which were undertaken to demonstrate the real practical value of both fuels for the motorist. He ran his tests with two small motors, "Praga," very popular in Czechoslovakia, one of the compression ratio 5.276:1 (older design 1930 to 1931) and one with the compression ratio 5.93:1. The engines were directly connected with dynamometric brake. The fuels tested were pure gasoline, 20 per cent alcohol-gasoline blend now in compulsory use, and blends with 25, 35, and 50 per cent alcohol. The factors compared are the power output in horsepower, fuel consumption in liters per hour, specific fuel consumption in liters per horsepower, and fuel costs for liters per hour and liters per horsepower. The first series of tests was run with the carburetor set for pure gasoline and gave results which are summarized as follows: E n g i n e o f Older D e s i g n The fuel consumption for the given r. p. m. does not change with the alcoholic content of the fuel. The power output decreases in the whole range of r. p. m. with increasing alcoholic content of the fuel. The specific fuel consumption increases. The fuel costs for the r. p. m. ordinarily used corresponding to car velocity of about 60 km. increase rapidly with the increasing alcoholic content of the blend. Engine of Newer Design The fuel consumption decreases slightly with increasing alcoholic content of the blend. The power output at higher r. p. m. decreases materially with increasing alcoholic content of the fuel, and at lower r. p. m. does not change up to 25 per cent alcoholic content. This complicated relationship influences the specific fuel consumption, which increases at higher r. p. m. with increasing alcoholic content of the fuel, whereas, at lower r. p. in., it decreases. The fuel costs for about 60 km. velocity for all alcohol-gasoline blends are higher than with pure gasoline and they increase, with the alcoholic content of the fuel, the specific fuel costs for liters per horsepower per hour more rapidly than the simple fuel costs for liter per hour.
414
INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
The second series of tests was run with the same engines and fuels, but with the carburetor set for the maximum power output for the respective fuel tested. The results for both engines were: Engine o f Lower Compression T h e fuel c o n s u m p t i o n increases m a r k e d l y with the increasing alcoholic content of the blend a n d increasing r. p. m . T h e power o u t p u t of t h e engine at certain r. p . m. increases slightly with t h e a d m i x t u r e of alcohol, as compared with t h e power outp u t a t t a i n e d w i t h pure gasoline. T h e specific fuel c o n s u m p t i o n increases with increasing alcoholic content more at higher r. p . in., less a t lower r. p . ni. T h e fuel c o s t s for 0 0 k m . velocity increase very r a p i d l y with increasing alcoholic content of t h e fuel, t h e alcohol-gasoline blend giving e q u a l or slightly higher power t h a n pure gasoline. Engine of Higher Compression T h e fuel c o n s u m p t i o n increases with increasing alcoholic content of t h e fuel, especially at lower r. p . ni. T h e power o u t p u t at higher r. p. in. d e creases slightly with increasing alcoholic content. At m e d i u m r. p . ni. the power o u t put is about c o n s t a n t u p to 3 5 per cent alcoholic content a n d then t h a t increases slightly. At low r. p. n i . t h e power o u t p u t increases w i t h increasing alcoholic c o n t e n t . T h e specific fuel c o n s u m p t i o n increases with increasing alcoholic· content in t h e whole range of r. p . m., most m a r k e d l y at low r. p. ni. T h e fuel costs for 60 k m . velocity increase materially w i t h increasing alcoholic content of the fuel.
i
Ç
» ('hrm
List;,, 30, 231 ι 1936»
of the liquid tested, as well as the presence of substances polarizing differently than starch, must be taken into consideration. Business S h o w s a n Upward Trend The index of total industrial production for the first half of 1936 shows a decided upward movement, as compared with the preceding years. The lowest point of the depression was marked in 1933, as shown in the figures for the first halves of past years (1929 equals 100). 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932
94 98 91 79 64
65 8 1 9 4
1933 1934 1935 1936
58 66 66 75
5 0 1 7
The economic situation may be judged roughly from the coal consumption of the industry. With the exception of gas lants and the porcelain industry, all ranches showed an increase in the first half of 1936 as compared with the same period of the two preceding years. The chemical industry, for instance, consumed 294,000 tons of coal as compared with 250,000 tons in 1936 and 217,000 tons in 1934. The total industrial coal consump tion according to official statistics in the first half of this year was 4,500,000 tons as compared with 4,000,000 in 1935 and 3,900,000 in 1934. This is also reflected in a higher coal mining output—12,900,000 tons in 1936 against 12,200,000 tons in 1935. The production of raw iron and steel is also increasing as is shown by the following figures for the first six months of each year:
E
k'EAR
III
New M a n u f a c t u r e s Are Started in Czechoslovakia The Dynamite Nobel Co., Bratislava, has introduced the manufacture of blanching earths for the vegetable oil and other industries which are to replace the products formerly imported. The Bant lin Chemical Works, Perecin, is manufacturing steel-hardening compounds made from charcoal and molasses according to a British patent of Houghton. The Apollo Mineral Oil Refinery, Bratislava, is opening a new modern cracking plant which produces high-grade cracked gasoline of high octane number. The product is already on the market under the trade name "Octane-Benzine." The Heissler Medical Works, Chrudim, are preparing opium compounds from the poppy wastes which are expected to cut down the imports of this drug and utilize the domestic poppy straw which was formerly discarded. The Svit Co., Batizovice, is soon to start the manufacture of synthetic wool (trade name "Svitna"). The product is said to surpass the natural wool with regard to weight and warming power, as was shown on fabrics, stockings, covers, etc., tentatively produced of this material, and is claimed to be cheaper. Its surface is like felt and resembles natural wool, and the compacted hairs do not straighten even when wet. The process is similar to the viscose rayon process, the preparation of the viscose and its chemical treatment being different. Engineers D i s c u s s t h e S y n t h e s i s o f Fuels At the recent meeting of the Society of Czechoslovakian Engineers at Moravska Ostrava, the question of synthetic fuels from coal was discussed, because of its prime importance in the economic position of the Ostrava black coal region. This is the largest mining district in Czechoslovakia, producing over 70 per cent of the coal output of the state, and still suffering from the depression. The method of lowtemperature carbonization was considered unsuitable, since there is no means of
disposing of the large quantity of coke as by-product. One of the hydrogénation methods, either the Bergius or the FischerTropsch process, would be better. Considering tne possibility of increase in employment in the district it was said, however, that to replace all the gasoline now imported by a synthetic product would require only about one-tenth of the present output of the coal and a capital of over one billion Kc. Reasons for starting the said manufacture are of course not purely economical, since the expenses are much higher than the costs of the imported natural product, but are mainly for self-sufficiency and national defense. Coal Hydrogénation P l a n t H a s Been Suggested The coal mining and industrial corporations of the Moravska Ostrava mining district have sent a memorandum to the government recommending the erection of a synthetic fuel plant working on some process of coal hydrogénation. The memorandum offers full analysis of this important question and outlines the possibilities and difficulties. The plant would manufacture motor and aviation gasoline, Diesel oil, propane, butane, and possibly paraffin. The output is planned at 25,000 to 30,000 tons. The capital required would be 120,000,000 Kc. The proposed output constitutes about 15 per cent of the total annual gasoline consum ption. The location of the plant would Çreferably be near some coking plant, "he quantity of coke required, according to the method employed, would be 110,000 to 175,000 tons. The manufacturing costs for 1 kg. of gasoline are estimated to be about four times as high as the gasoline mce at the state border. The difficulty ies in prohibitive taxes on coal and coke, amounting to 20 and 16 per cent, respectively, on their price. It is, therefore, proposed to exempt the coal necessary for the process from taxation. It was also stated that the import duty for gasoline is insufficient, being 11 Ko. for crude and 63 Kc. for the refined product, wliich is much lower, for instance, than in Germany. A possibility is also seen in making the use of synthetic gasoline compulsory to some extent. I m p r o v e m e n t Is Made in Cracking E q u i p m e n t A tentative cracking plant was designed and erected by the Vitkovicke Horni at Hutni Tezirstvo for the cracking of coal tars and heavy oils, which has solved the very important problem of keeping the cracking coils at constant and regular temperature. The coils are heated with superheated steam of about 130 atmosheres to a temperature of 500° to 600° C. 'his is superior to the system of heating with gases, as the gas never can guarantee the highest degree of stability of temperature, and overheatings, failures of coils and carbon formation are likely to occur. The superheated steam eliminates all such troubles, the temperature is easily controllable according to the material processed, and the gasoline output may thus be increased. (Hornicky Vestnik, 1936.) Polarimetric D e t e r m i n a t i o n o f S t a r c h Content R e c o m m e n d e d F. Herles 1 recommends the polarimetric method for the determination of starch content in commercial starches, flours, cereals, breads, etc. The sample is dissolved in hydrochloric acid at normal temperature, the liquid is made to constant volume, and after filtering the amount of starch is determined in the polarimetric 200-cc. tube. The possible sources of error in case of flours, cereals, etc., on account of influencing the volume
VOL. 14, NO. 20
H A W IRON
R A W STEEI.
Tons
Tons
290,549 .$74,«55 533,423
478,155 564.957 699,858
Economic Center o f Little E n t e n t e Established in Prague As announced from governmental places, a special organization is being established in Prague to improve the busi ness relations of the states of the Little Entente, which, in spite of political unity, are far from satisfactory. All leading Czechoslovakian industrial and financial concerns will participate and form a private corporation which is expected to show more initiative in improvement of industrial and business interstate rela tions than a similar official institute could do. Death of Form a nek J. Formanek, renowned worker in analytical chemistry, especially spectral, and professor at the Polytechnic School in Prague, died recently. In late years he also won recognition through his in vestigations of motor fuels and motor alcohol, in which field he was an authority. September 19, 1936
Du Pont Co. Sponsors Broadcast HOSE who are interested in drama and T music will welcome the announcement that "The Cavalcade of America" is again being broadcast in a fall and winter series. This broadcast is sponsored by du Pont, the only chemical company we believe which is now broadcasting, and is helping to have the public understand how better living is brought about through chemistry. It is interesting to note that to ensure accuracy all the material used in these programs is checked by a committee of noted historians, including D. R. Fox, president of Union College, and A. M. Schlesinger, professor of history, Harvard University.
N E W S EDITION
OCTOBER 20,19S6 Bergius o n Motor Fuel HE report concerning the use of alcohol in motor fuel in Germany, transmitted by the Department of Commerce and pub-
T
lished in part in t h e N E W S EDITION for
September 20 (page 373), was brought to the attention of Friedrich Bergius, the eminent German chemist who recently appeared on t h e general program of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY meeting at
Pittsburgh. Consul Redecker has stated that alcoholmotor fuel has never been popular in Germany a n d it is believed t h a t its discontinuance will be welcomed b y the motoring public. According t o Dr. Bergius, who was interviewed on t h e subject by members of the Farm Chemurgic Council, "Such a statement unfortunately is based on misinformation. T h e only reason for any decrease in the percentage of alcohol blend is the lack of adequate volume of certain surplus potatoes or of other starch and sugar crops for this purpose. If we had a surplus harvest in Germany such as you have in the United States, it is not at all unlikely that our alcohol blend could and would be increased t o 20 and 25 per cent/* Dr. Bergius also denied t h a t there is any decline in Germany in t h e use of ethyl alcohol as a motor fuel constituent. He discussed several factors that bear upon German economy and manufacturing programs a t the present time, including difficulties that now attend on foreign trade. Upon being a«*ked whether the hydrogénation of coal for the production of synthetic gasoline was not also interfering with the production of alcohol from farm products for motor fuel, he replied: "The production of synthetic gasoline in Germany is steadily progressing, but this does not interfere with t h e use of alcohol-blended fuel, by reason of the pronouncedly advancing demand for motor fuel, in general. "On the contrary, a proper blend of ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol, benzene, and gasoline, which t h e chemist knows how to make with complete certainty, bears promise of supplying t h e world with the ideal motor fuel which will result in increased efficiency of internal combustion engines, eliminate many aggravating motor troubles, such as pre-detonation, carbonization, etc., b u t best of all, reduce the dangerous carbon monoxide content of the exhaust gases to t h e vanishing point insofar as a n y harm t o human beings residing in congested areas is concerned."
Patent' Patent System and Patent Courts
M interested a n d active in patent matters a n d who h a s served on numerous AXIMILIAN T O C H , who has long been
committees of scientific bodies interested in improvements in our patent system, was recently invited b y President Roosevelt t o discuss with him t h e advisability of revising t h e patent system a n d patent courts of t h e United States. This was indeed a compliment t o t h e grasp of t h e situation which Dr. Toch h a s , and he in turn was greatly impressed by t h e knowledge possessed b y t h e President on this subject. H e found him favorably inclined toward t h e rational revision of t h e patent situation. There are four principal points around which Dr. Toch presented his discussion to the President: 1. There should be a patent court. 2. Judges should have technical or scientific advisers on the bench.
415
3. It is advisable to allow the public use of patents that have not l>een in operation for two years. 4. Patent examiners leave the Patent Office to start in practice or take more lucrative positions with corporations. This can be prevented only b y giving efficient examiners a higher and more reasonable compensation, so that they will not be e n ticed away.
FRANK
D . K L E I N , J R . , formerly
super
intending chemist of t h e Varnish Di vision of Berry Brothers, Detroit, Mich., has been appointed technical director in charge of all t h e developing labora tories. CHESTER O. LANDES has left the Fitchburg
Paper Co. and is now with the Technical Service Department of t h e American Cyanamid Co., Stamford. Conn. CHARLES H. L A W A L L , d e a n of t h e Phila
Personnel C h a n g e s a t Georgia School of Technology
Ί
^ Η Ε Georgia School of Technology an. nounces t h e following changes in t h e personnel of t h e Department of Chemis t r y and Chemical Engineering: F. M. H A W E S has resigned t o l>ecome head of the Chemistry Department, Armstrong Junior College, Savannah, G a . H. G. SHAW has gone to t h e Chemistry Department. Oglethorpe University. W. F. GRESHAM has returned as assistant professor, after a leave of absence spent at Harvard University, where he received the P h . D . degree. DILLON E V E R S . formerly of Rock Island Arsenal, is instructor of metallurgy. The following graduate students have teaching fellowships: CARL HORDENCA, Howard College; A. F. CHAPMAN, University of Georgia; E. C. Fies, Missouri School of Mines; C. B. HOLDER, Transylvania College; JAMES HOLMES, University of Virginia; J. W. SANDERS, J R . , Clemson College; H E R MAN SEELIG, Arkansas University.
Personalia HERBERT
A.
BAKER
has
been
J O H N S. Z I N S S E R ,
presi
ALAN R. MCCÎARVEY, who was graduated
from the University of Pennsylvania in 1936, is now doing development work in the Rubber and Floor Division, Central Technical Laboratories of t h e Armstrong Cork Co., Lancaster, P a . D. R. MACINTYRE is affiliated with the Pittsburgh Crucible Steel Co., Midland, Pa., in the capacity of research chemist. Li LA MILLER has been awarded one of the Rack ham Post-doctoral Fellowships by the University of Michigan and has left t o work in t h e Carlsberg Laboratory, Copenhagen. HAHLEY J. M O R R I S has resigned as assist-
ant professor of chemistry, Allegheny College, to accept a position a s research chemist for the Viscose C o . of America, Meadville, P a . President
elected
CHARLES I I . BROOKS has completed his
graduate work a t the University of Michigan and is now employed a s a development engineer by the Sun Oil Co., Marcus Hook, Pa. The Chemical Society of France has awarded the Lavoisier Medal to J U L I U S VON BROUN, professor of chem
istry and applied chemistry a t the University of Heidelberg. J. E. CAVELTI, formerly associate professor of chemistry a t Wesleyan University, is now serving as professor of chemistry and head of t h e department a t Alle gheny College, Meadville, Pa. G. C L A R K E
t h e college.
dent of Sharp & Dohme, Inc., was elected a member of t h e board at the September semi-annual meeting.
JAMES A. N E W LANDS was appointed
president of t h e American Can Co., S>w York, N . Y., to succeed C. E. Green, who has resigned because of ill health. Mr. Baker was formerly chief chemist of the American Can Co., and for the last three years has been vice president and manager of sales.
RICHARD
delphia College of Pharmacy and Science, who has served on t h e college faculty for over 3 5 years, was recently reelected to the Board of Trustees of
has accepted
an
instructorship in chemistry at Allegheny College, Meadville, P a . SIMON COLLIER has been transferred from
Bartow
to
AMERICAN CHEMICAL
represent SOCIETY
at
by
the the
dedication of the Chemistry laboratory, Trinitv College, Hartford, Conn., on October 9, 193Ô. J. O. PAGE h a s left St. Louis, Mo., to accept a position as research chemist with the Upjolin Co., Kalamazoo, Mich. J E A N P E R R I N , professor of physical chem-
istry at the University of Paris, has lK»en appointed undersecretary of state for scientific research t o succeed M M E . IRENE JOLIOT-CURIE. JOSEPH ROSSMAN, p a t e n t counsel of the
Marathon Paper Mills, Rothschild, Wis., will deliver a series of lectures on United States patent requirements as they apply t o pulp a n d paper-making a t the Institute of Paper Chemistry during the week of November 16. R O B E R T V. SANDSTROM h a s left t h e Good-
year Tire & Rubber Co. t o become chief chemist for the Collord, Inc., Detroit, Mich. President Bartow h a s appointed E L I S E C. SHOVER as the representative of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY on t h e
the Waukegan Factories to t h e New York office of Johns-Manville, to take charge of t h e Inspection and Control Department a t headquarters.
occasion of the Centennial Celebration of t h e Chartering of Wesleyan College for Women t o be held in Macon, Ga., Friday, October 23, 1936.
R. CLARK D A W E S is now research chemist
JOHN TARAS has joined t h e staff of t h e
for the Pittsburgh Crucible Steel Co., Midland, P a . H E R B E R T S. K A R C H , formerly chief chem
ist of t h e India Tire Co., is now chief chemist of t h e Lima Cord Sole and Heel Co., Lima, Ohio. CHARLES S. K E E V I L , for t h e past six years
head of the Chemical Engineering De partment, Oregon State College, has recently accepted t h e position as head of the Chemical Engineering Depart ment of Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pa.
Michigan College of Mining a n d Technology, Houghton, Mich., t o replace CARL
DENISON,
who
is on
leave of
absence, working toward t h e P h . D . degree a t t h e University of Wisconsin. E. A. VAN VALKENBURGH has been working for the past few months with Foster D. Snell, Inc., a s a special consultant on rubber problems. S. R. W I L K E S is a freshman at t h e Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, 111.
