B y M. I.. H A M L IN A M M O NIU M CHLORIDE, A NEW BY-PRODUCT
OF GAS W ORKS, ETC.
An article with this title, which appeared recently in the Chemische Zeitschrift, 13 (1914), 117, explains why ammonium chloride, particularly, presents certain advantages today over ammonium sulfate as a by-product and describes the general method of manufacture.
Among the reasons for manufacturing the chloride rather than the sulfate, are, first, the fact that there is a market for the pure chloride, second, the fact that in the condensates from gas manufacture, ammonia is already present to, by far, the greatest extent as the chloride,’ and third, the possibility of an over- supply of ammonium fertilizer salts coming on the market in the future through the further development of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer processes.
In the manufacture of the pure product two chief results must be attained; the ammonia present otherwise than as the
chloride must be transformed, and impurities, chiefly organic, must be removed. For example, the liquor, containing perhaps 200 g. salt per liter, is acidified with hydrochloric acid and oxi
dized with an air current. Sulfur is filtered off and iron pre
cipitated with ammonia. Ammonium sulfate is decomposed by sodium chloride after filtration and neutralization of excess ammonia, and the solution is evaporated to dryness. The residue is now sublimed, the ammonium chloride being thus separated from sodium sulfate and chloride, a small amount of phosphates and most of the organic impurities.
Three fractions are collected in different parts of the apparatus:
1 -The residue consists chiefly of sodium chloride, sodium sul
fate and finely divided carbon. 2— On the cover of the apparatus is deposited pure ammonium chloride. 3— In the helmet is found a small amount of the salt contaminated with organic impurities. Fraction 2 includes 90-95 per cent of the salt pres
ent; while it is analytically pure, traces of organic s u b s t a n c e s
Sept., 19 1 4 T H E J O U R N A L O F 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
7 7 9 are present in sufficient am oun t to discolor it, and a recrystalliza
tion is necessary in order to obtain a pure w hite product of the highest grade.
The method is p aten ted and is controlled and being applied by the Berlin-Anhaltische M aschinenbau Aktien-G esellschaft.
STOCKH OLM GAS-W ORKS IN 19x3
The gas production of th e Stockholm Gas-W orks in 1913 was 44,720,880 cubic m eters (about 1580 million cubic feet)
—an increase of 7.54 per cen t on the previous year. T h e average gross calorific valu e w as 5150 calories (579 B. T . U .). There were carbonized 137,185 m etric tons of coal, 11,500 cubic feet of gas being produced per ton. T he gas consumption amounted to 44,649,180 cubic m eters, or 7.34 per cent higher than in 1912.
Of the whole am ount, 9.96 per cen t was used for public lighting, 84.94 per cent sold to consumers, 1.81 per cent used on the works, and 3.29 per cent unaccounted for. T he consum ption per head of the population w as 123.8 cubic meters (4372 cubic feet).
The meters in use increased b y 4609 to 80,602, of w hich 32.74 per cent were prepaym en t. T h e num ber of flat-flame burners in use was 36,425, and incandescents 106,928. These data appear in the Jour. Gas Lighting and Water Sup., 127 (1914), n o, which goes on to sa y th a t satisfactory increases were shown in all dom estic gas-consum ing apparatus, and gas-engines decreased in num ber, w hile increasing considerably in horse
power. T he price of gas is abou t §0.75 per 1000 cubic feet, w ith discounts of 5 and 10 per cen t for larger consumers.
CARBON M ONOXIDE AND NITRIC OXIDE FROM HEAT
ING AND LIGH TING BURNERS
The Journal jü r Gasbeleuchtung for the 27th of June and the n t h of J u ly contained a com m unication b y Dr. E. Terres on researches w hich he has carried out, w ith collaborators, at the Chem ical-Technical In stitu te of the Technical College at Carlsruhe. H e has in vestigated the proportion of carbon monoxide and nitric oxide in th e gas-flames of both lighting and heating burners, w ith th e o b ject of throwing further light on the hygiene of flam e m ethods of lighting.
The products of com bustion exam ined included those from both inverted and u p righ t incandescent gas-burners, the pe
troleum lam p and the candle, and heating gas-burners. The work on the in verted burner is especially interesting, as it has not hitherto been in vestigated from this standpoint. T h e general conclusions a t w hich the auth or arrives are:
1 A ll flames give a v e r y trifling proportion of carbon monoxide of approxim ately the sam e order as to qu an tity in( all cases, Vlz-' 0.002 to 0.004 volum e of carbon monoxide per volum e of carbonic acid. W ith insufficiency of prim ary air, this figure may rise to 0.017 to 0.020 volum e.
2 AH flames likew ise give a quite uniform, but quite trifling, proportion of n itric oxide, viz., 0.0006 to 0.0017 volum e of nitric oxide per volum e of carb onic acid.
3 T he products of com bustion w ith town gas containing the usual q u an tity of sulfur w ill have 0.00025 to 0.0012 volume
° f sulfur dioxide per volum e of carbonic acid.
The concentration of all these gases, even if the carbonic acid reaches 1 per cen t b y volum e of the air, is, therefore, far below the lim it w hich authorities on hygiene regard as likely to be injurious to health. Experim ents in a room of 1700 cubic feet capacity w ith o u t special ventilation showed that, owing to natural ven tilation, a proportion of 0.5 to 0.75 per cent of
;arbonic acid could on ly rarely be attained in a dwelling-room lighted b y gas.
OIL IN AUSTRALIA
Considerable atten tion is being paid to prospecting for oil deposits jjj goHth A u stralia, and to radioactive ores. Licenses
to search for oil have been granted, and bores are being p u t down in the southern p art of K ang aroo Island, the southw est of E yre Peninsula, and in the southeast. [Engineering (London), 98 (1914), 71.] T h e G overnm ent has offered a bonus of $20,000 for the first 100,000 gallons of crude petroleum containing n ot less than 90 per cent of products obtainable b y distillation.
CANADIAN COAL
According to Engineering (London), 98 (1914), 64, the coal of the B ellz R iver form ation and the E dm onton form ation in Canada grades between lignites and bitum inous. T he coal which belongs to the B ellz R iv er horizon is found over an area of about 25,000 square miles; of this area 5000 square miles are estimated to contain 13,000,000,000 tons of coal. T h e amounts of coal contained in the tw o provinces of A lb erta and Saskatchewan have been estim ated a t 10,000,000,000 tons and 3,000,000,000 tons, respectively. T he principal coal-m ines within this area in A lb erta are near Lethbridge T ab er and Lund Creek. T h e coal of the Edm onton form ation is generally lignites, bu t in the foothills it grades up to bitum inous. T h e total area of workable coal has been estim ated a t 12,800 square miles, w ith a probable coal content of 71,000,000,000 tons.
The principal coal-mines w ithin this area are near Edm onton.
The coal-fields of Saskatchew an are situated in the southern portion of the province, and extend from the boundary of A lberta on the west to the M anitoba boundary' on the east. T h e area underlaid b y coal is estim ated a t 5,500 square miles, containing in all about 18,000,000,000 tons of lignite.
BRITISH COAL EXPORTS IN THE FIRST HALF OF 19 14 The exports of coal from the U nited K in gd om in the first half of this year— the expression "c o a l” including coke and patent fuel— am ounted to 36,146,907 tons, and when to this is added coal shipped for the use of steamers engaged in foreign trade, the aggregate for six m onths becom es 46,329,064 tons.
[Engineering (London), 98 (1914), 123.] C oal has accordingly been leaving England this year a t the rate of 92,658,128 tons per annum. T he corresponding m ovem ent in the corresponding period of 1913 was a t the rate of 94,270,348 tons per annum, and in the corresponding period o f 1912 a t the rate of 70,445,222 tons per annum. T he principal exports to June 30, this year, were: Russia, 2,009,789 tons; Sweden, 1,800,093 tons; N o rw ay, 1,247,501 tons; D enm ark, 1,389,551 tons; G erm any, 4,202,651 tons; France, 6,818,125 tons; Spain, 1,756,681 tons; Ita ly , 4,533.077 tons; E g y p t, 1,636,842 tons; and the A rgentine R e public, 1,825,940 tons.
THE ALTIOR PROCESS OF DIE-CASTING The N ational A lloys, Lim ited, Ilford, London, E ., h ave re
cently brought ou t an im proved process of die-casting for alum i
num alloys, which possesses several interesting features. I t is described in a recent issue of Engineering (London) 98 (1914), 131. T he process is for use w ith aluminum alloys of a specific g ravity of 2.85. T h e alloy recomm ended is ivanium , which has a tensile strength of 12 tons, and 6 per cent elongation on 2 in. This alloy is guaranteed n ot to disintegrate, and it is not affected b y sea-water, etc. T h e casting m achine has a gas-heated m elting-pot lined w ith refractory m aterial and pro
vided w ith a cover. E xtending from the cover to w ithin a short distance of the bottom of the pot is a tu be of refractory m aterial connecting w ith a neck-piece fixed above th e cover and surrounded b y a burner. A bo ve this neck-piece is fixed a plate, to which the bottom half of the die is fastened. T h e plate, which is hinged and can be throw n b ack b y a worm and spur-gear, also carries the standards and cross-fram e for a large vertical quick-pitch screw, to which the upper p a rt of the die is fastened. Betw een the lower die-plate and the neck is a
780 T H E J O U R N A L O F 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 V o l. 6, No. 9
A N E W B E A R IN G M E T A L
A n account of a new a lloy for bearings appears in The Engineer for Ju ly 3, i 9 i 4 . I t is com posed of 65 parts of copper, 30 of lead and 5 of tin. I t w as tested on the bearings of a tender of a Pacific type locom otive for 50,000 miles, after w hich it showed a w ear of >/„ inch, while the other bearings, of w hite m etal, had to be renew ed six tim es. In other applications it proved tw ice as durable as phosphor bronze.
slot, in w hich w orks a sprue-cutting bar. T h e action is as follows: after fixing the dies the sprue-cutting bar of hardened steel is pushed over, so th a t com m unication betw een the inside of the pot and the die is prevented. A n inert gas is th en a d m itted to the p ot above the m etal, and a high pressure m ain
tained inside the pot. W hen the m etal is m elted and the sprue- cu tter pulled over so as to bring a hole in it fair w ith th e hole com m unicating w ith the die, m etal is forced ou t of the pot up the tube and neck into the die. T h e cutter-bar is then pushed over, cu ttin g off the connection, and the upper half of the die raised b y the quick-pitch screw. T h e casting is rem oved a u to m atically, and the die is returned to its original position. T he piece of a lloy is punched out of the cutter-bar, and on pulling the bar over again a fresh su p p ly of m etal is forced into the die.
It is claim ed for th e m achine th at the m etal is k ep t hot right up to the tim e of entering the die, w hile the dies them selves, being m ounted on the pot, are also alw ays kep t a t a suitable tem perature. T h e whole cover w ith the die-frame m ay be sw ung back, if necessary, b y bevel and w orm gears. T he pot is provided w ith plungers for m ixing the m etal and w ith a filling- hole, while it is surrounded b y a casing of refractory m aterial.
per cen t being interest on invested funds and contributions from other sources. T h e average contribution per week received from each m em ber w as $1.54. T h e total funds of the unions on D ecem ber 31, 1912 w as abou t 828,000,000, showing a de
crease of approxim ately $3,500,000 during the year; this de
crease in funds w as due to the coal strike, and applied mostly to the funds of the m ining group of unions. T aking the six unions a t th e top of the list, we find th at, in round numbers, on D ecem ber 31, 1912, the A m algam ated Society of Engineers had total funds to th e am ount of $3,900,000; the Amalgamated A ssociation of O perative Cotton-Spinners, $2,000,000; the A m algam ated S ociety of R a ilw a y Servants, $1,890,000; the D erbyshire M iners’ Association, $1,200,000; T h e United Society of Boiler-M akers, $1,200,000; and the A ssociated Society of Locom otive Engineers, $840,000.
A U T O M A T IC E Q U IP M E N T F O R P L A C IN G P O W D E R S IN B O T T L E S O N N E T W E IG H T B A S IS
T he accom panying illustration shows modern methods for placing hepatic, brom o and other saline preparations of a
pow-E N G L IS H T R A D pow-E U N IO N S IN 1 9 1 2
T h e C hief R egistrar of F rien d ly Societies (G reat B ritain ) has issued his R ep ort on T rade Unions for the y e ar ending Decem ber 3 1, 1912, statistics from which are quoted in En gi
neering (London), 98 (19 ,4 ), 1 ,9 , D uring the year 1912 th irty- nine unions were added to, and thirty-six were rem oved from, the register; of these latter, tw en ty-three furnished notices of dissolution, eight were am algam ated w ith other unions, and in five cases the certificate of registry w as canceled a t the request of the unions. There accordingly remained on the register on D ecem ber 31, 1912, 6S3 unions, of w hich 576 were registered in E ngland and W ales, thirty-one in Scotland, and seventy-six in Ireland. T he 683 unions in question had a m embership of 2,597,772. In 1903 the unions num bered 742, w ith a m em ber
ship of 1,5 7 5 ,3 7 5 ; these figures show a decrease of fifty-nine unions, and an increase of o ver one million in membership.
Am ong the unions show ing the largest increase in membership during the year 1912 we m ay mention the N ational A m algam ated Union of Shop A ssistants, W arehousem en, and Clerks, w ith an increase of 42,694; the A m algam ated S ociety of Engineers, 22.529. the A m algam ated Society of Railway' Servants, 15,486;
and the A m algam ated S ociety of Carpenters and Joiners, 12,600.’
On the other hand, three unions show ed a decrease in m em ber
ship, as follow s: T h e London C arm en’s T rad e Union, a de
crease of 18,405; the D ock, W harf, R iverside, and G eneral W orker Union, 14,771; and the Lancashire and Cheshire M in ers’ F edera
tion, 9326. T a k in g the unions having the largest m embership in th e y e ar under review (1912), we find the A m algam ated So
ciety of Engineers w ith 143,998 members; the D urham M in ers’
A ssociation w ith 136,966; the A m algam ated S ociety of R a il
w ay S ervan ts of England, Ireland, Scotland, and W ales, w ith 132,002; the South W ales M in ers’ Federation w ith 114,208;
the Y o rksh ire M iners’ Association w ith 99,632; and the N ational U nion of G as-W orkers and G eneral Laborers w ith 82,135. T h e total income of the unions in 1912 was, in round num bers, about
$19,000,000, 90.4 per cen t of which w as contributed b y the m embers, 4 per cen t b y other trade unions, the remainder, 5,6
dery nature in bottles. N e t w eight legislation covering drug and food products has made im perative measures necessary, and to accom plish the desired accu racy in handling a large out
Sept., 19 14 T H E J O U R N A L O F 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 7 8 1
put, special automatic apparatus is now being installed in several laboratories. Empty bottles are conveyed to weigh
ing device where each bottle is held until prescribed amount is placed in container and while in this position a shaking process takes placc also which settles material into bottle, when same is released and passes down to corking table for stopper. Net weight discharges arc placed in bottles at the rate of 25 per minute.
These methods insure a strictly sanitary output. The lay-out as shown is furnished by the Automatic Weighing Machine Company, Newark, N. J.
A M E R IC A N R A IL R O A D S
The railroads of the United States, with annual traffic revenues exceeding $100,000, comprised 242,657 miles of line last year, as compared with 238,220 miles in 1912 according to figures in Engineering (London), 9 8 (1914), 123. The traffic receipts in 1913 w e r e $ 3 ,125,135,oooas compared with $2,826,958,000 in 1912.
T h e working expenses in 1913 were $2,169,968,000, as compared
with $1,959,094,000 in 1912. Thenumberof passengers carried last year was 1,033,679,000, as compared with 994,372,000 in 1912.
The quantity of freight carried was 2,058,035,000 tons, as com- ' pared with 1,818,795,000 tons. The number of locomotives owned was 63,375, as compared with 61,276; and the number of cars was 2’445,5o8, as compared with 2,368,942. The aggregate number of persons employed upon the lines last year was 1,815,239, as compared with 1,799,931. The average rate of dividend last year upon outstanding stocks was 4.28 per cent.
STEAM P O W E R U S E D F O R G E N E R A T IO N O F E L E C T R IC C U R R E N T IN P R U S S IA
According to recent statistics, there were employed for the generation of electric current in Prussia steam engines, portable and stationary, with a capacity of 1,410,000 horse-power, and steam turbines used for the same purpose of 1,160,000 horse
power. As the total registered capacity of steam turbines amounts to 1,240,000 horse-power, it will appear that 95 per cent of the aggregate is used in the generation of electric energy.
Altogether, 2,570,000 horse-power of steam power are thus em
ployed in the generating of electricity, and although it is a very substantial figure, it must be looked upon as minimum, inasmuch as many steam engines used for this purpose are not included in the record. [Engineering (London), 98 (1914), 44-1 In addi
tion to the above, it must be remembered that a vast number of gas and oil engines are used for the same purpose, in addition
to water power; but of these there is no record. The largest total capacity of steam power used for generation of electric current is in the Arnsberg district with 389,898 horse-power, and the Düsseldorf district with an aggregate of 419,051 horse
power. Berlin-Potsdam comes next with 375,889 horse-power.
D ECR E A SE D A C T I V I T Y IN E N G L IS H S H IP B U IL D IN G It is interesting to note, in connection with industrial condi
tions in England, that a falling off of activity in ship building is reported. Engineering (London) gives the following statistics [98 (1914), 94] taken from Lloyd’s returns, just issued: In
cluding merchant and war ships, there are in course of construc
tion at the present time 567 vessels, aggregating 2,314,669 tons.
This is 8.8 per cent less than at the same date last year, not
withstanding that there is an increase in the number of warships now being built. The figures of work now in progress, with those of a year ago, are given in the accompanying table:
Increase Ju ly , 1914 Ju ly , 1913 or --- .--- - ,--- --- decrease N o. T o n s N o. T o n s P er cent Merchant sh ip s... 477 1 ,7 2 2 ,1 2 4 543 2 ,0 0 3 ,2 4 1 — 14 H. M. S. (private y a rd s ). . . . 60 306,030 57 273,149 4-12 Foreign w arships (p riv ate
yards)... 16 152.145 17 129,300 4 -17.6 553 2 ,1 8 0 ,2 9 9 617 2 ,4 0 5 ,6 9 0 — 9 .4 H. M. S. (d o ck y ard s)... 14 134,370 14 132,190 4- 1.5
567 2 ,3 1 4 ,6 6 9 631 2 ,5 3 7 ,8 8 0 — 8.8
D IE S E L E N G IN E S IN T H E IT A L IA N N A V Y The continuously increasing use of internal combustion engines of the Diesel type is shown by the news, appearing in the Zeitschr.
d. Verein deutscher Ing., 58 (1914), 1187, that the new Italian battleship "Cristofero Colombo” is to have its amidships pro
peller driven by such an engine. This vessel has 26,000 tons displacement and is fitted with eight heavy guns in four turrets and sixteen smaller guns. She has three screws, one of which, as mentioned, is to be driven by a Diesel engine and is to be used for cruising; the other two are to be driven by Parsons turbines. Oil fuel exclusively is to be used. The speed will be twenty-five knots.
Two small torpedo boats of 120 tons each are also being built to be driven by Diesel engines of 2,900 horse-power. They are expected to develop 32 knots.
C A LC IU M C A R B ID E , C Y A N A M ID E A N D N IT R A T E According to a French authority quoted by the American M achinist, the world’s output of calcium carbide last year ex
ceeded 350,000 metric tons. The autogenous welding of metals requires a large quantity— about 22,000 tons being consumed for this purpose in Germany, as compared with 28,000 tons for illuminating. The price for calcium carbide in Europe was maintained at about $55 per ton. The production and
ceeded 350,000 metric tons. The autogenous welding of metals requires a large quantity— about 22,000 tons being consumed for this purpose in Germany, as compared with 28,000 tons for illuminating. The price for calcium carbide in Europe was maintained at about $55 per ton. The production and