The Chemical Age, Vol. 54, No. 1398

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hä? .losirwiti I tevc»t«d • to;.iii(lustrjair ¿nd : 4 o|m eerin| Chen»'-

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V OL. LTV

N o. 1398 SA TU RDA Y, A P R IL 13, 1946

REGISTERED AS A NEWSPAPER

8D. PER COPT Post Fr e e 8d.

A n interesting chemical available in bulk

CYCLOHEXYLAMINE

A powerful base, stro n ge r than amm onia and the ethanolamines,

it form s stable salts.

Completely miscible with water, benzol and alcohols. Volatile in steam.

S P E C I F I C A T I O N A m ine C onten t — 9 8 % min.

S.G. at 15.5° C. — 0.870-0.875 Boiling Range — I3 0 ° -I4 0 ° C .

Samples, prices and further particulars from the manufacturers

H O W A R D S & S O N S L T D. , I L F O R D , E S S E X

S T A I N L E S S

K E L V I N • B O T T O M L E Y ■ A N D • B A I R D • L T D .

H I L I I N G T O N G L A S G O W . - S . W . 1 .

C h e m ic a l

J e b / is e ê

THE CHEM IC AL A G E ^{Ap r i l} 1 3 , 19 4 6

W r i t e f o r f u l l y d e s c r i p t i v e lite ra tu re

AUDLEY ENGINEERING COMPANY LU NEWPORT. SHROPSHIRE

SPECIAL PURPOSE VESSELS

by OX LEY

the Chemical Industries

O x le y u n d erta k e th e m a n u ­ fa c tu r e o f p la n t for s p e c ia l p u r p o s e s , w h e th e r in w e ld e d or r iv e te d co n str u c tio n , in or s t a in le s s s t e e ls , to

OXLEY

E N G I N E E R I N G C O. LTD.

HUNSIÆT, LEED S. lO

Tel: L E E D S 32521 'G r a m s : O X B R O S , L E E D S

London Office :

W in c h e s t e r H o u s e , O ld B r o a d S t r e e t , L o n d o n , E.C.2*

Tel.: London W a ll 3731 'G ra m s,: “ Asbengpro, Stock, London

W46a

KESTNER LEAD LINED PU N T

Lead lining of all types by skilled craftsmen.

HOMOGENEOUS LEAD COATING SHEET LEAD LINING

LEAD ALLOY CASTINGS

Plant designed for special purposes, o r manufactured to clients’ o w n drawings.

m aking lead lined years, also castings in lead and regulus up to Stonsw eight.

Ap r i l 1 3 , 1 9 4 6 THE CHEM ICAL AGE

C C T K l C D ) C CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

I \ C J I IN IZBA J

S, G R O SV E N O R G A R D EN S, L O N D O N , S.W .I

A

THE CHEMIC AL A G E Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6

HOLLAND - S. L. M

Rotary Compressors and Vacuum Pumps

L O W M A I N T E N A N C E C O S T S : L O N G LIFE I N I T I A L E F F I C I E N C I E S M A I N T A I N E D O V E R Y E A R S O F S E R V I C E

The B. A. Holland Engineering Co., Ltd., 15 Dartmouth Street, London, S.W.i

T e le p h o n e : W h ite h a ll 2823 T e leg ra m s : P ictu ra b le , P ari, L o n d o n

W o r k s : T ra d in g E sta te , Slough, Bucks.

Technical O ffice: U N D O L O D G E , STANLEY A V E N U E , C H E S H A M , B U C K S . Telephone : Chesham 406

v tia v iiH v a i k v ju ij-m I ic iii. im & u ttivi , established a Century A c i d - r e s i s t i n g G l a s s E n a m e l * and a Half. 1795-1945

T. & C. CLARK & C° Lm

■TELEG R A M S: .

W O T V F K TT A 1V T P T O N

T E LEP H O N E

CLARK W OLVERHAM PTON X - t T 1 V A i > 20204/5

Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6 THE CHEM ICAL AGE in

ATHOLE G. ALLEN (Stockton) LTD.

S T O C K T O N - O N - T E E S

Telephones: D U R H A M

S T O C K T O N 6375 (3 lines) L 7 U I \ n m i

N O N M E M B E R S O F T R A D E A S S O C I A T I O N S

PR O D U C E

and can

D ELIV ER

O R T H O N I T R O T O L U E N E

F O R H O M E and E X P O R T

r -

' > - w'y ‘V r •

iv THE CHEM IC AL A G E Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6

S P E C I A L I S T S T A F F fo r

complete boiler house and central healing

installations, steam processing, repairs, maintenance and overhaul o f factory

plant.

It is possible to Increase b o ile r efficiency w hile cutting fuel co n s u m p tio n . T h e c o s t o f coal m akes eco n o m y plus efficiency essen tial. W e in v ite bu sin ess m en to c o n s u lt us on any p o in t re la tin g t o b o ile r en g in e e rin g .

47, VICTORIA STREET, LONDON, S.W.l.

T elep h o n e A b b ey 2817 and 13, Lewes Road, Eastbourne. Telephone : 544

A Ip h a r ■■■■■■ 11 ■... .. ...■■■■— — I I IN iw m — — I

J . B . J A C K S O N AN D P A R T N E R S

Fuel A dvisers and Combustion Engineers

A L D E H Y D E S a n d K E T O N E S

with

Benzaldehyde (Ketom ethylenes only) Dim edone (Aldehydes only) 2 : 4-Dlnitrophenylhydrazlne H ydroxylam lne hydrochloride p-N ltrophenylhydrazlne Phenylhydrazlne hydrochloride 4-Phenylsemlcarbazide hydrochloride Semlcarbazide hydrochloride

p-Thlocyanophenylhydrazlne hydrochloride Thiosem icarbazlde

T he p re p a ra tio n o f d eriv a tiv e s o f ALDEHYDES and K ETO N ES fo r c h a ra c te risa tio n b y .m e a n s o f m eltin g p o in ts is fully d esc rib e d in

“ O R G A N I C R E A G E N T S F O R O R G A N I C A N A L Y S I S ’

D em y 8vo JT j /St, Per copy

172 pages » / " Post free.

The book and reagents produced and distributed by

H O P K I N & W I L L I A M S L T D .

_________________16-17 ST. CROSS STREET, L O N D O N . E.C.I___________

INCREASED

10,000 g a llo n ta n k o f w elded construction 3 0 ' lo n g x 8' i " d iam ete r, fitted w ith branches and inte rnal supports fo r heating coils, w ith fabricated sup p orting cradles o f m ild steel, of w elded construction

Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6 THE CHEMICAL A G E

STAINLESS STEEL TANK r

& E N G I N E E R I N G C O M P A N Y L I M I T E D

W O R K S . W ID N E S . LA N C S.

LONDON OFFICE, BRETTENHAM HOUSE, W.C.2, TEMPLE BAR 9631

THE CHEM ICAL A G E Ap r i l 13, 1946

MADE IN C A N A D A

D CARBID E of C A LC IU M

A C E T Y L E N E BLA CK POLYVINYL ACETATE “ GELVA”

H IG H A N D L O W VISCOSITIES

POLYVINYL ACETALS “ ALVAR”

“ FORMVAR ”

MARLOW HOUSE, LLOYDS AVENUE, LONDON, E.C.3

Téléphoné : R O Y A L 6 0 12/3/4 Telegrams: " IG A N S H A W IN , FEN , L O N D O N ”

D o u b le W all ty p e w ith th e rm o s ta tic c o n tro l fo r te m p e r a tu r e s up to 120° C. A sbestos c e m e n t o u t e r case, c o p p e r in te r io r, enclosed heating ele m e n ts, vacuum relay p re v e n tin g sp ark in g , glass o r asb esto s d o o r.

M46I 12

x

¹⁰

x

10 in. inside £18 0 0 M462 14

x

¹²

x

12 in. inside £20 10 0 M463 16

x

¹⁴

x

K i n . inside £23 0 0 ; M464 18

x

¹⁵

x

15 in. inside £25 0 j )

Full details on application

J. W . T O W E R S & C O ., LTD.

H ead O ffice & W o r k i : W I D N E S

M ANCHESTER : 44, C hapel St., Salford 3.

LIVERPOOL : 134, B ro w n lo w Hill.

SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

Ap r i l 13 , 19 4 6 THE CHEMICAL AGE v ii

THERMAL LINKAGE

CUTS F A C T O R Y ’S FU EL BILL 3S°/0

N o t m e r e l y a f u e l - s a v i n g t h e o r y , b u t a p r o v e n f a c t .

T H E R M A L LI N K A G E Saves fuel, CUtS p ro d u c tio n co sts, increases ou tp ut.

T h e s e a r e f a c t s , p r o v e d b y experience.

T h e rm a l L in k a g e is n o new ex p eri­

m en t ; n o te m p o ra ry device to o v er­

co m e the fuel sh o rtag e . It is a proven prin cip le o f p rac tica l v alu e a lre a d y in use in m an y progressive plants.

S tated briefly, T h e rm a l L inkage m eans o v e rh a u lin g a n d in te g ratin g y o u r v ario u s h ea t-u sin g processes an d , as fa r as possib le, o p e ra tin g them as a single c o -o rd in a te d heat- using unit. In stea d o f h e a t being supplied in d e p en d e n tly to several s e p a ra te p o in ts o f c o n s u m p tio n , an d the su rp lu s g o in g to w aste, it is circ u la te d from p o in t to p o in t an d n o n e w asted w hile th e re is w o rk fo r it to do.

PU T THERMAL LINKAGE INTO PRACTICE W h a t t h e r m a l l i n k a g e d o e s in o t h e r p l a n t s i t c a n d o in y o u r s . I n c o n v e r t i n g o r r e c o n s t r u c t i n g d o n o t m is s th e c h a n c e t o in c r e a s e p l a n t e f f ic ie n c y a n d p r o d u c t i o n a t lo w e r c o s t b y a d o p t i n g t h e r m a l l i n k a g e . F o r g e n e r a l i n f o r ­ m a t i o n s e e F u e l E f fic ie n c y B u lle tin N o . 21 ( “ T h e C o n s t r u c t i o n o f a F a c t o r y H e a t B a l a n c e ” ) o r , f o r s p e c if ic a d v ic e a n d g u id a n c e , c o n t a c t y o u r R e g io n a l O ffic e o f th e M i n i s t r y o f F u e l a n d P o w e r .

J A R W A S H IN G T A N K

AVERAGE SAVING 35%

A J a m F a c t o r y u s e d a n a v e r a g e o f 7 t o n s o f c o a l w e e k ly to p r o v i d e a s t e a m lo a d o f 1 ,6 3 0 I b . / h r . a t 8 0 p .s .i.

A l o n g w ith t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f t h e r m a l l i n k a g e t h e f o llo w in g a d j u s t m e n t s w e r e m a d e to th e p l a n t . B O I L E R H O U S E : B o ile r e ffic ie n c y r a i s e d 3 % b y a t t e n t i o n to d e t a il . E x h a u s t f r o m b o i l e r fe e d p u m p p u t th r o u g h a h e a t i n g c o il in th e f e e d ta n k . E x c e s s t e m p e r a t u r e r e lie v e d b y i n t r o d u c i n g a s h u n t li n e to j a r w a s h in g t a n k . B O I L I N G P A N S : I n d iv i d u a ll y t r a p p e d a n d a ir - v e n t e d ; j a c k e t s la g g e d : b lo w - d o w n c o c k s c o n n e c t e d to j a r w a s h in g t a n k . S P A C E H E A T I N G : S te a m p r e s s u r e f o r s p a c e - h e a tin g r e d u c e d to 15 p .s .i. a n d t h e r m o ­ s ta t ic a lly c o n t r o l l e d t o 5 5 “ F . A ll c o n d e n s a t e f r o m h e a tin g a n d p r o c e s s u n it s r e t u r n e d to ih e b o il e r fe e d t a n k .

R E S U L T : S te a m c o n s u m p t i o n r e d u c e d f r o m 1 ,6 3 0 I b . / h r . to 1 ,2 0 0 I b . / h r . , cIT ectin g a n a v e r a g e f u e l s a v in g o f 3 5 % a n d a n a n n u a l c u t o f £ 3 6 0 in c o a l a l o n e . O u t p u t f r o m B o ilin g P a n s in c r e a s e d .

F o r fu ll d e t a il s a n d c o m p l e t e d i a g r a m s o l th is a b b r e v i a t e d C a s e H is to r y se e N o . 30 o f th e F u e l E f fic ie n c y N e w s . d a t e d

O c t o b e r 1945.

Issued by th e M inistry of Fuel and Power-

THE CHEMICAL AGE A p r i l 1 3 , 19 4 0

I N T E R M E D I A T E P R O D U C T S A N I L I N E D Y E S

F A S T B A S E S F O R I C E C O L O U R S

B«nzol, N itro b e n z o l, B ln ltro b en zo l, N ltro n a p h th alc n e, B ln ltro n ap h th alen e. Xylol, N ltro x y lo l. B lnltroxylol X ylldlne, T o lu o l, O r th o & Para N ltro to lu o l, B ln ltro to lu o l (All G rad es)

P a ra 'N Itro O r th o T olu ld ln e , M eta N ltr o Para T oluldlne

O R T H O TOLUIDINE PARA TOLUIDINE

Extensive Range of O II_Colours, Acid C o lo u rs, Basic C o lo u rs, D ire c t C o lo u rs, P igm ent C o lo u rs, Azoic C o lo u rs fo r W o o l, also C o lo u rs su itab le fo r all T rades

META TOLUYLENE D'AMINE META PHENYLENE DIAMINE

J O H N W . L E I T C H & C O . , L T D .

MILNSBRIDGE CHEMICAL W O R KS

T e lep h o n e :» H I I H H F R F I F I h T eleg ram s:

189-190 MILNSBRIDGE n U U U C l \ J T I t L U LEITCH. MILNSBRIDGE

I N D I A S C O T L A N D C A N A D A

K hatau Valabhdas & C o., K irk p atrick & L auder Ltd.. P re s c o tt & C o .. Regd.

Vadgadl Bombay. 180, H ope S tr e e t, G lasgow , C.2 774, S t. Paul S t. W e s t, M ontreal

HOLMES-CONNERSVILLE

P O S I T I V E A I R B L O W E R S

# O n e of the m any H olm es-Connersville Blowers supplied to Chem ical W o rks Capacity of m achine illustrated, 120,000 cu, ft. per hour against a pressure of 3 lb s. per sq. inch. Speed 400 r.p.m.

d eliv er a p ositive, reliab le and oil-free su p p ly of Air eco n o ­ mically and efficiently.

A b sen ce of internal contact en su res lon g life, lo w main­

tenance and continuous op era­

tion o v er lon g p erio d s.

Many of these m achines are in su ccessful operation for the handling of G ases. O ver 1,400 have b e e n su p p lied already for such pu rp oses.

HE AO O F F I C E • T U R^N B R I D G E - H U D D E R S F I E L D

1 0 H 0 D N O F F I C E - 1 19 VICTOR IR ST. S WI * M ID L t JO S O F F I C E - F I BEN H ETTS HILL 8 1R M i H C H A H 2

T e l e p h o n e s : H u d d e r s f i e l d . 5 2 8 0 : L O N D O N . V i c t o r i a , 9971 : B I R M I N G H A M . M i d l a n d . 6 8 3 0

Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6 THE CHEM ICAL AGE ix

SPECIFY BTH

BTH ^{R U G B Y}

T H E B R I T I S H T H O M S O N ■ H O U S T O N C O M P A N Y L I M I T E D . R U G B Y . E N G L A N D T R A D IT IO N A L R E L I A B I L I T Y

ELECTRIC MOTORS

BTH M O TO R S AND C O N T R O L G EA R used in all industries

throughout the world.

THE CHEM ICAL AGE Ap r i l 1 3 , 194O

A Monument to Q uality

Brilliant filtrates from all types o f chemical liquids produced through the M etafilter are a m onum ent to th e high-quality filtration w hich it ensures. In addition to chemical liquids, the M etafilrer handles w ith equal facility and success synthetic drugs, bio­

chemical products, gelatine, syrups, and e x tra c ts; and it w ithstands the action o f acids, alkalis, oils, and organic—liquids

T H E M E T A F IL T R A T IO N C O . .L T D ., B ELG R A V E R O A D , H O U N S L O W ,

M ID D L E S E X .

T e lep h o n e: T e le g ra m s : H o u n slo w 1 1 2 1 / 2/3 M e ta filter, H o u n slo w .

PACKINGS

FOR TOWERS

Replacem ents are less frequently required when towers are packed w ith

" NOR! "

ACID-RESISTING WARE

You are invited to investigate the exceptional physical properties o f this material, w hich is now widely used in the leading chemical plants. L iterature giving technical data on request. Please send your enquiries for all plant com ponents in acid ware.

ACCRINGTON BRICK & T I L E CO.,

A C C R I N G T O N Tel.: 26 8 4 Accrington

I M P E R I A L C H E M I C A L I N D U S T R I E S L I M I T E D NOBEL H O U S E , L O N D O N , S.W . I

Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6 THE CHEM IC AL A G E

destroyed by

‘ G A M M E X A N E’ DUST D.034

T h I S new insecticide pow der n o t only kills th e a d u lt flea b u t rem ains effective long enough to d estroy th e tin y m aggots as they em erge in search o f food. c G am m exane ’ w ill elim inate existing infestations an d prev en t fleas becom ing established in clean

prem ises.

I t is invaluable in laundries, in dustrial change-room s, p u b lic baths, etc.

I t is safe to use and does n o t in ju re fabrics.

Available in lim ited quan tities in 5 6-lb. an d 1-cw t. packages.

S m aller q u an titie s are repacked, an d sold by retailers.

T H E

‘G am m exane’ is the registered trade m a rk n a m e o f the gam m a isom er o f benzene hexachlorid

THE CHEMICA L AG E Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6

CHEMICAL AND CAS EN GIN EERIN G CONTRACTORS

SPECIALISTS IN THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF COMPLETE PROCESS PLANT E EQUIPMENT

F O R a t ••

*ptO DUCIIO H , COOUH6 t PUWHCMWH Of

• * 3 ? “

4 CMMWl PR0CŁSS1H0 oł 6KSŁS

4 RIHH1HG & M DR0GEHM10H 4 of OILS & fMS P - duc,n^

S è S S S

4 CMOHMIOH ol g f DOLOMUt & MKGHESUt

4 DUSI REMOVAL S> RtCOVtW

CORPORATION LTD

S T O C K T O N - O N - T E E S

F O R S U C C E S S F U L A N D E C O N O M IC A L O P E R A T IO N O F M A N Y P R E S E N T - D A Y IN D U S T R IA L P R O C E S S E S T H E G E N E R A T IO N A N D M A I N T E N A N C E O F A H IG H V A C U U M IS IM P E R A T IV E A N D T H E C L O S E R T H E A P P R O A C H T O A N A B S O L U T E V A C U U M IN M A N Y O F T H E S E P R O C E S S E S T H E M O R E S U C C E S S F U L T H E O P E R A T IO N .

T h e M IR R L E E S W A T S O N C O M P A N Y have specialised for many years In the manufacture of equipm ent to meet the needs of Industry In this direction progressively m odifying and Im proving their products until to-day they are supplying vacuum creating S T E A M E J E C T O R A IR P U M P S capable of successfully maintaining vacua w ithin 5 mm. of A bsolute In large scale industrial processes.

T H E C O S T O F M A I N T E N A N C E O F S U C H E Q U IP M E N T IS N E G L IG IB L E A S T H E R E A R E N O M O V IN G P A R T S T O G O W R O N G — JU ST W H A T T H E M A I N T E N A N C E E N G IN E E R IS L O O K I N G F O R !

E ngineers and In d u strial C h e m ists are Invited to w r i te fo r in fo rm a tio n re g a rd in g th e ir especial p ro b le m s w hich will rec eiv e o u r e x p e r t c o n s id e ra tio n and w e shall be p leased to advise acco rd in g ly .—

W e also m a n u fa ctu re R e cip roca tin g and R o t a r y A i r P um ps. These have their special applications.

MIRRLEES mXSON

SCO.TLAN D S T — I G L A S G O W

Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6 THE CHEMICAL A G E ^{x iii}

T h e I o n E x c h a n g e r

H e is M A S T E R O F ALL TR A D ES, am azingly v ersa tile , and ready to assist in solving your p roblem s.

T h is e n te rp risin g ch a ra c te r is al­

re a d y fam iliar to R esearch and In d u s­

trial C hem ists in th e “ D em in ro lit ”

J

irocess o f p ro d u c in g w ater equiva- en t in q u ality to distilled w ater.

D u rin g nearly six years o f w ar, ion exchangers h av e played an im ­ p o rta n t p a r t in new processes. T h ese in c lu d e th e p u rification o f solutions

by rem oval o f acids o r dissolved salts, an d re c o v ery o f valuable m aterials from d ilu te so lutions and from in d u stria l wastes.

U ntil the p re s e n t tim e th ese p ro ­ d ucts o f th e P e rm u tit C om pany L im ited h a v e b e e n confined to essen­

tial w ar w ork. T h ey are now at th e disposal o f in d u stry in general — and in ev e r in creasin g q u an titie s.

T h ese m a teria ls m ay im prove y o u r operatio n . Can we assist you ?

P e r m u t i t H o u s e , G u n n c r s b u r y A v e n u e , L o n d o n , W . 4 .

P e r m u t i t ^{Co. Ltd.}

M A N U F A C T U R E R S O F I O N E X C H A N G E M A T E R I A L S

x iv THE CHEM ICAL AGE Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6

P Y R B X B r a n d S c i e n ti f i c G l a s s w a r e i s s u p p l ie d o n ly th r o u g h L a b o r a to r y F u r n i s h ­ e r s , b u t i l l u s t r a t e d c a ta lo g u e a n d tw o tr e e c o p ie s o f ou r C h e m i s t ’s N ote b o o k w i l l be s e n t d i r e c t on a p p l i c a t i o n tO MS.

A sk fo r PYREX Brand and s e e t h a t you g e t it!

JA M ES A. JO B L IN G & C O . LTD.

W e a r G l a s s W o r k s , SUNDERLAND.

A C I D - R E S I S T I N G r = C E M E N T S = i

SAVE OIL

T H E IM P O R T A N C E O F F IL T E R IN G U S E D L U B R IC A T IN G O IL S O T H A T IT M A Y BE R E -U S E D IS M E A S U R E D N O T O N L Y IN jT E R M S O F D IR E C T C O S T S A V E D B U T A L S O IN T E R M S O F R E ­ D U C E D E N G IN E W E A R M A D E P O S S IB L E B efo re th e w a r, 10,000 u se rs had p ro v e d t h a t a S trea m -L in e f ilte r will save Its c o st m any tim es o v e r ev e ry y e a r.

T e ch n ica lly an d co m m ercially th e use o f a S tream * Line f ilte r by th e

ac tu al oil u se r has alw ays b ee n r ig h t : e x p e ri­

en c e g a th e re d d u rin g th e w ar has sh o w n it to be vital.

G O O D OIL DOES N O T W EA R O U T

STREAM-LINE FILTERS LTD.

London, S .W .8

AVAILABILITY O F SUPPLIES Every e n d e a v o u r will be m ade to m e e t p ro m p tly th e n eeds of u sers having reg u lar q u a n titie s of oil arising for tre a tm e n t.

V ________________J

P A T E N T A C I D - P R O O F N O N - S L I P F L O O R S

Consult

F. HAWORTH (

A C I c É m I n t I N G ) L T D .

RAM SBOTTOM ■ LANCASHIRE

P h o n e : G ram s :

R a m sb o tto m 3254. , , C c m e n ts ,'‘ R a m sb o tto m .

Gives longer service through its safety !

F ro m the finest introduction of heat-proof glass to this age of w orld-shaking discoveries, ou r technicians have been steadily im provin g and expe rim e nting in the realm of glass technology.

P Y R E X Brand Scientific G lass­

ware, with the re m arkably low co-efficient of expansion of '0000032, is im m u n e to the elfects ol sudde n heat and cold, and, as acids (except h y d ro ­ fluoric and glacial p ho sp h oric) have no effect u p o n its surface, this fam ous glassware, designed for every conceivable chem ical process, can claim a p re m ie r position as on e of the m ost dependable b ra nd s of glassware the craftsm an of the pre se nt day can produce.

M o re o v e r, by virtue again of the am azingly low co-efficient of expansion, the structure of P Y R E X Brand Scientific G lassw are can be made m o re ro b ust than that of o r d i n a r y laboratory glass, thus en surin g l o n g e r service, and saving a m u ch higher pe r­

centage of re place­

m e nt costs.

Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6 THE CHEM ICAL AGE

CHEMICALS IN INDUSTRY

Splitting the A to m finished the W a r, but full use o f the com plexity o f molecules is required to restore British trade.

OTHER C H EM ICA LS MADE BY STAYELEY : Sodium Hyp ochlorite Bleaching Powder U q u id Chlorine H yd ro c h lo ric A c id C a u stic 5o d a Sulphuric A c id s Aniline O il and Salt Sodium Chlorate

T H E S T A V E L E Y COAL & IRON CO. LTD.. C H E S T E R F I E L D

x v i THE CHEM ICAL AGE Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6

L A R G E U S E R S OF W A T E R

B erk c feld LARGE SUPPLY Filcers a re reliab le . . . e n d u ra b io . . . sim p le to o p e r a te . In p a tte r n T th e Im p u ritie s, tra p p e d by th e c y lin d ers, can b e cleaned aw ay In a few m in u te s — w ith o u t having to o p e n o r ta k e th e filters a p a rt. Ju st im ag in e h o w th is can b e of serv ice to y ou w ith all

to - d a y ’s l a b o u r d ifficulties. A nd, f u r t h e r m o r e , th e s e filte rs g u a r­

a n te e a c o n s ta n t s u p p ly , w ith an h o u rly o u tp u t of 250 gallons to S50 gallons acco rd in g t o th e size of th e filter.

For fu'l in fo rm a ­ tio n o n s i z e s , c a p a c i t i e s and p ric es, w r ite to

BERKEFELD FILTERS

BERKEFELD FILTERS LTD. ( D e p t. 61), S ard in ia H ouse.

K lngsw ay, L ondon

‘P O S T L I P ”

( N o . 6 3 3 M i l l )

ENGLISH

FILTER

P A P E R S

P ure Filterin gs fo r L a b o ra to ry W o r k , and in q uan tities fo r all Industrial

purposes.

Post lip Filterings are stocked by all the leading Wholesale Laboratory Dealers_______________

S ee re p o rt of T E S T S m a d e by th e N atio n al P h y sic al L a b o ra to ry , a copy of w hich will be sent on a p p lic a tio n to g e th e r w ith free

¡samples if re q u ire d .

EVANS ADLAHD& Co., Ltd.

P O S T U P M IL L S

W IN C H C O M B E . C H E L T E N H A M , E N G L A N D

PETER SPENCE & SONS LTD M A N C H E S T E R , 3

lONCOS OFFICE W 8'?B0 . W C 'sC R » -OUSE EC a m o r p h o u s S / U C A )

Un >q u e

ł ' f » ' - N £ S S Ł f , n e n e s s

’ " « e s r s . . . I

SWIFT

& C O M PA N Y P T Y . L T D .

Specialising in

IN D U S T R IA L C H E M IC A L S , S O L V E N T S , P L A S T IC S A N D M A T E R IA L S F O R M A N U ­ F A C T U R I N G IN D U S T R I E S T H R O U G H O U T A U S T R A L IA

A N D N E W Z E A L A N D O pen to extend connections w ith B R I T I S H M A N U F A C T U R E R S Head Office : 2 6/30, Clarence St., Sydney, N .S.W . and at M elbourne, Adelaide, P erth ,

Brisbane and W ellington, N .Z . Cable Address : S W IF T , SY D N EY Bankers : Bank o f N ew South Wales,

Sydney and L ondon.

Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6 THE CHEM ICAL AGE x v ii

LAPORTE

B LAPORTE Ltd. LUTON

G r a m s L a p o r t e L u to n

All c o n c e n tra tio n s now m a d e in In d u stria l and P u re G ra d e s . S u b m it y o u r o x id a tio n p ro b le m s to o u r Sales and D e v e lo p m e n t D e p a rtm e n t.

P E R C E N T A G E 6 V W E I G H T

V O L U M E S H i O a A C T IV E 0 X Y m t i

If i 3 I * 4

3 0 9 4 * 2

1 3 0 5 5 1 6 * 5

<939 410 90 42

PURE-STABLE-FAST REACTING OXYGEN

B

x v iii THE CHEM IC AL AGE Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6

G ood timber is scarce, but for essential work

CARTY’S can still supply VATS

IN TIMBER UP TO

PRE-WAR STANDARD OF QUALITY AND SEASONING

— CARTY—

A N D S O N , L I M I T E D

H arders R d ., P e c k h a m , L O N D O N .S .E .1 5

P h o n e : N e w C r o s s 1826

7 \ n a l a R '

L A B O R A T O R Y C H E M I C A L ?

A C C U R A C Y I N A N A L Y S I S dem ands the use o f p u re, u niform and dependable reagents. T h e co nsisten t q u ality of

• A n a l a R ’ ch em icals Is assured by con­

fo r m ity to published specifications, and b y th e ir use in an alytical w o rk ' reagen t e r r o rs ’ a r e avoid ed . * A n a l a R ’ chem icals a re b o ttled u n d er conditions w hich ensure fre ed o m fro m co n tam in ation , and a re supplied u n d er labels show ing th e m ax im u m

lim its of all likely im p u rities.

The Chemical Age

A Weekly Journal Devoted to Industrial and Engineering Chemistry

B O U V E R I E H O U S E , 154 F L E E T S T R E E T , L O N D O N , E .C .4

T e le g ra m s: A L L A N G A S F L E E T LO N D O N T e le p h o n e : C E N T R A L 3 3 J2 ir a lines) G L A S G O W : 1 1 6 H ope S tre e t (C entral 3970) B IR M IN G H A M D a im le r H o u se , P a ra d ise S tr e e t (M idland 0784-5 ) T H E C H E M IC A L A G E offices are closed on S a tu rd a y s in acco rd an ce w ith th e ad o p tio n ol th e fiv e-d ay w eek by

B enn B ro th e rs L im ited

V OL. L IV

N o . 1398. A p r il

1 3

^,

1946

A n n u al S u b sc rip tio n 2 1*.

O verseas 26s.

Carbon Black C

ARBO N black is fre q u e n tly d escribed

as colloidal c arb o n , an d in th e re c e n t ad d ress to th e Society of C hem ical In d u s ­ tr y by M r. A lan S peedy on th e su b je c t of carbon black i t w as re fe rre d to as “ th e m ost pow erful colloid know n to m a n k in d .”

W h e th e r i t is in fa c t a colloid is a scien ­ tific question in to w hich we do n o t h ere propose to e n te r. W h a t w e are p a r tic u ­ la rly in te re s te d in is th e p o ssib ility of m a n u fa c tu rin g carb o n black in co n sid er­

able q u a n tity in th is co u n try . C arbon black com ands a high p rice and th e q u a n ­ titie s w hich a re p roduced from n a tu r a l gas in A m erica a re con sid erab le. Som e re ­ c e n t figures show a p ro d u ctio n of 856,705,000 lb. an n u ally for hom e con­

su m p tio n , of w hich 316,021,000 lb. w as used in th e ru b b e r in d u s try . D uring th e sam e y e a r 203,828,000 lb. w as e x p o rted

from th e U .S .A . A c o n sid erab le p ro p o r­

tio n of those e x p o rts cam e to G re a t B rita in , a n d , as th e price is h ig h , th e ir effect on th e d o llar exchange is appreciable.

I t is hoped by th e M in istry of supply th a t sources of carb o n black can be discovered in th is c o u n try . W e h ave a good deal of th e raw m a te ria l re q u ire d b e ­ c au se i t can be m ade from q u ite a v a rie ty of su b sta n c e s, in c lu d ­ in g p itc h w hich on m an y occasions in th e p a s t h as been difficult

On Other Pages

Haw M aterial C h a r g e a ... 388 N otes and Comm ents ... 389 Chemicals Im parting TVet S trength 391 Raw M aterials D epartm ent ... 396 E xp o rt P rom otion ... 396 Association o f Tar D istillers ... 397 Science and Oil ...398 A ir A tta c k on the. Chemical Reich 399 New Use fo r Silica

Plastics in Scotland ...

H ydrogen P eroxide ...

Parliam entary Topics ...

T he Production of B eryllium ...

In s titu te o f Fuel ...

S o u th A frican Chemical Notes R ussia’s Chemical O utput Non-Ferrous M etals ...

Personal N otes ...

G eneral News from W eek to W eek 408 Stocks and Shares ... 410 B ritish Chemical P r ic e s ... 412

of disposal. T he pro b lem , how ever, is n o t q u ite so easy as t h a t , because th e r e are m a n y d iffe re n t k inds of b lack , n o t all of w hich a re equally su ita b le for all purposes.

F o r y e a rs th e “ key ” m a te ria l w as channel black. T his is m a d e by b u rn in g n a tu r a l gas flam es in c o n ta c t w ith cold iron w hereby th e chilling of th e flam es causes carbon to be deposited on th e iro n , fro m w hich i t is scrap ed off th ro u g h a m o v em en t of th e ch an n els. M r. Speedy show ed a sile n t film of th is process and th e im pression le f t in th e m in d is t h a t i t w ould be u tte r ly im p ra c tic a b le to use any such process in th is c o u n try . T he w orks w as su rro u n d e d by a dense pall of sm oke, w hich w as c a rrie d 50 o r 100 m iles aw ay by th e w ind. Only in th e w ide open spaces of such a c o u n try as T exas could such a process be considered. N e v e r­

th eless th e re a re c e r­

ta in processes in w hich ch an n el blacks h a v e an u n assailab le position a n d co n seq u en tly ch an n el blacks w ill co n tin u e to he m ad e for those purposes.

T he p rin c ip a l use of carbon b lack , how ever, is in th e ru b b e r in d u s­

tr y , and h e re M r.

Speedy show ed a s t r ik ­ ing ch an g e in the.

position w ith in th e la s t few y ears. W h a t a re know n as fu rn ace b lack s o r th e rm a l b lack s h a v e com e in to 401

401 401 402 403 404 405 406 406 407

3 3 7

388 THE CHEMICAL A G E Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6

fav o u r an d a re now equal to channel blacks in te rm s of o u tp u t. T hese blacks a re g en erally so m ew h at la rg e r in p a rtic le size th a n ch an n el b lack s, th o u g h n o t in ­ v a ria b ly so, and th ey a p p e a r to be p ecu liarly su ita b le fo r b len d in g w ith sy n ­ th e tic ru b b e r. I t w as su g g ested a t th e m e e tin g t h a t ru b b e r ty re s now v irtu a lly co n sist of carb o n held to g e th e r by ru b b e r, so th a t th e w earin g su rfa c e of th e ty re is carbou.

f u r n a c e blacks are m a d e by b u rn in g c arbonaceous m a te ria l in an insufficient su pply of a ir , th e re b y g e n e ra tin g sm oke w hich is collected, th e solid p a rtic le s being carb o n black . T h e rm a l blacks are m ad e by th e decom position of h y d ro c a r­

bons u n d er in te n se h e a t, th e process being in te r m itte n t an d in m an y resp ects re s e m ­ bling th e w a te r-g a s process. T h is serves as a re m in d e r th a t th e Severn V alley G as C o rp o ratio n an d th e Sw indon G as Coin- p an y h av e gas-m ak in g p la n ts, o p erated on th e Leon .Tones p a te n ts , m a n u fa c tu rin g to w n gas w ith v ery larg e q u a n titie s of c arb o n black as a b y -p ro d u ct. Tt. would n o t seem im possible to s e t up a carbon black fa c to ry on these lines in w hich th e to w n gas w ould be th e b y -p ro d u ct an d m ig h t be sold to th e local gas in d u s try as su ch .

T he y ields from th e se processes are s trik in g ly d issim ila r. F ro m n a tu r a l gas t h e th e o re tic a l yield of carb o n is 85.5 lb.

p e r 1000 on. ft. of gas. T he ch an n el p ro ­ cess pro d u ces fro m 1000 cu. ft. of th is gas only 1.5 to 2 lb. of carb o n . The finer th e p a rtic le size th e low er is th e yield.

T he th e rm a l process and th e fu rn ace p ro ­ cess seem to give from 16 to 20 lb. of c arb o n . In C zechoslovakia carb o n black- is p roduced from coke-oven gas an d h ere th e yield is said to be 66 p er c e n t, of th e th e o re tic a l. T he size of carbon black p a rtic le s v a rie s g en erally b etw een 25 and 275 m/i. A g ra d e as fine as 9 m/i was produced a t one tim e , b u t th e yield w as so low t h a t th is h as now been abandoned.

T he A m erican carb o n -b lack p la n ts shown on th e screen did n o t s trik e th e o b serv er as b ein g of p a rtic u la rly ad v an ced chem ical- en g in e e rin g design. T he ch an n el process a p p ears to be p a rtic u la rly cru d e. T he th e r m a l processes w ere considerably b e tte r in th is re s p e c t, b u t, ju d g in g from th e cloud of sm oke issuing from all th e p la n ts d e p ic te d , i t a p p ears t h a t th e r e is a good d eal of w ork y e t re q u ire d in th e m e th o d of collecting th e finely-divided c arb o n . I t is know n t h a t e le c tro s ta tic p re c ip ita tio n is

not th e com plete an sw er to th is pro b lem , th o u g h i t is a little cu rio u s w hy i t should n o t be so. I t seem s pro b ab le t h a t th e c a r ­ bon p a rtic le s a re c h a rg e d , since in th e in ten se h e a t of th e flam e or fu rn a c e th e y m ay w ell lose elec tro n s an d th u s acq u ire a posi­

tiv e ch arg e. T h e re is scope h e re for research w hich m ig h t w ell be of n a tio n a l im p o rta n c e . So fa r as is know n th e S evern V alley process does n o t c re a te a n y sm oke n u isan ce, b u t t h a t is probably because th e gases a re d e a lt w ith in th e n o rm al gasw orks recovery p la n t, and are th u s su b je c te d to m e th o d s of p u rifica tio n r a th e r th a n recovery once th e re g u la r ca r.

bon p la n t has been passed in th e c irc u it.

T h ere a re believed to be also o th e r p la n ts a t w ork m a n u fa c tu rin g c arb o n b lack in th is c o u n try , b u t so f a r as we are aw are d e ta ils h ave n o t b een pub lish ed . T his s trik e s us as being a field in w hich we could be self-su p p o rtin g w ith o u t any objec­

tio n on th e score of a d d itio n a l expense in m a n u fa c tu re o r of re d u c tio n in efficiency.

On th e c o n tr a ry i t is o u r view t h a t sound chem ical e n g in ee rin g m e th o d s allied to a c e rta in a m o u n t of re se a rc h in to th e physics of th e process m ig h t v ery w ell re s u lt in a B ritis h p ro d u c tio n of carb o n black m o re efficient th a n th e m e th o d s now in use in m an y o th e r p a r ts of th e w orld. T h e re is no d o u b t t h a t carb o n b lack is becom ing a v ery im p o rta n t p ro d u c t an d t h a t before v e ry long i t is lik ely to find ap p licatio n s n o t only in th e ru b b e r in d u s try , b u t in th e m a n u fa c tu re of p lastics.

Raw M aterial Charges

S u lp h u r ic A cid F reed

I

N 1940 and 1941, the T reasury levied charges on the stock o r production of various raw m aterials. Now th a t the Raw M aterials D ep artm en t and the m ajority of its controls have been tran sferred to the B oard of T rad e, the T reasury has made certain consequential changes._____

S ulphate of am m onia charges are to con­

tinue, b u t in fu tu re they w ill be collected by the B oard • of T rad e. R em ittances and correspondence should still be directed to D irectorate of N itrogen Supply, 3 B ucking­

ham G ate, L ondon, S .W .l. S ulphuric acid charges are abolished u nder S.R . & O., 1946, No. 453, b u t the responsibility fo r th e collection of outstanding charges, w ill be tra n sfe rre d to th e B oard of T rad e, and will be d ealt w ith in th e same m anner as was done before A pril 1. C orrespondence should still be d irected to S ulphuric Acid C ontrol, 166 P iccadilly, London, W .l.

Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6 THE CHEM ICAL A G E 389

N O T E S A N D

Budget Concessions

C

A U T IO N is th e w ord th a t im m ed iately sp rin g s to th e m in d a f te r a co n sid era­

tion of M r. D a lto n ’s first B u d g e t. W e w ould be th e la s t to blam e th e C hancellor of th e E x ch eq u er for a disp lay of th is, valuable q u a lity , b u t w e c a n n o t help w ondering w h e th e r a m o re ex perienced C hancellor m ig h t n o t h av e been able to give th e c o u n try a little m o re psycho­

logical s tim u lu s, w hile still k eep in g well w ith in th e m a rg in of sa fe ty . H ow ever, we m ay b re a th e a sig h of relief t h a t th in g s are 110 w o rse and re g is te r a co nfirm ation of our opinion t h a t th e p re s e n t G overn­

m e n t is n o t as stro n g on th e psychological sid e as i t m ig h t be. T h e ab olition of E .P .T . w ill, we suppose, give som e s tim u ­ lus to tr a d e g e n erally , b u t th e p ro sp e c t of a n a lte rn a tiv e ta x , if t h a t dubious c h a ra c ­ te r , P te . E n te rp r is e , does n o t b eh av e h im ­ self, will a t th o sam e tim e serv e as a b ra k e on too e n th u s ia stic expansion, coupled as i t is w ith th e re te n tio n of N .D .C . u n d e r a new an d p e rm a n e n t-so u n d ­ ing title . A ny re d u c tio n in th e crip p lin g in ­ come ta x is a re a l relief, a n d w e a re su re th e long-suffering cam el w ill w elcom e th e rem o v al of som e s tra w s from its o v er­

b u rd en ed back. T he re p e a l or re d u c ­ tio n of p u rc h a s e ta x on m a n y a rtic le s t h a t a re now in sh o rt su pply m a y re s u lt in a rap id im p ro v e m e n t in th e su pply position.

G en erally sp eak in g , th e B u d g e t m ay be re g a rd e d , on b ro ad lines, as a fa irly h o p e­

fu l one, and M r. D a lto n w as q u ite r ig h t in in s istin g t h a t a n in c re a se in p ro d u ctio n m u s t be re g a rd e d as an e sse n tia l p re lim ­ in a ry to f u r th e r reliefs. T he C hancellor h as tr ie d h a rd , if in a r a t h e r u n in sp ired w ay , to p ro v id e a few in c e n tiv e s to w ard s th is increase in p ro d u ctio n .

Parliam ent and Science

I

T is q u ite re fre sh in g to ex am in e th e p ro g ra m m e of th e P a rlia m e n ta ry and S cientific C o m m itte e fo r im m e d ia te action.

B y h a ra s sin g th e G o v ern m en t a t every o p p o rtu n ity , th e ir p a rlia m e n ta ry m em b ers should succeed in o b ta in in g answ ers to m an y of th e q u estio n s th a t a re w orrying s c ie n tists , b o th acad em ic a n d in d u s tria l, to -d ay . T he c h a irm a n announces his n o m in a tio n s to th e “ s te e rin g ” s u b ­ c o m m itte e , an d i t is n o te w o rth y t h a t , over and above th e cx officio m em b ers, th is su b -co m m ittee includes re p re s e n ta tiv e s of (e.g.) th e I n s titu te of P e tro leu m , th e

C O M M E N T S

In s titu tio n of C hem ical E n g in e e rs, th e A ssociation of S cientific W o rk ers, an d th e B ritis h S cientific I n s tr u m e n t R esearch A ssociation. A m ong vexed q u estio n s w hich a re due fo r im m e d ia te discussion a re th e a v a ila b ility of su rp lu s scientific eq u ip m e n t, th e needs of u n iv e rsitie s , n o t only for m o n ey , < b u t also fo r release of staff, s tu d e n ts , e tc ., th e p o sition of th e N a tio n a l R ese a rc h D ev elo p m en t F u n d , an d th e s ta tu s of scientific civil se rv a n ts . S ir E d w a rd A ppleton an d L ord R iv erd ale, bo th o f w hom a re h ig h in th e councils of th e D .S .I .R ., a r e to ad d ress th e Com ­ m itte e n e x t m o n th on th e affairs of th e ir d e p a rtm e n t, and a re p o r t is ex p ected im ­ m e d ia te ly on th e a rra n g e m e n ts fo r v is its, by m e m b e rs of t h e C o m m ittee, to R esearch I n s titu tio n s m a n ag e d by th e D .S .I.R .

Overseas Trade

E

X P A N S IO N of o v erseas tr a d e w ill be of in creasin g im p o rta n c e to th e chem ical in d u s try in th e y e a rs ah e a d and is a lre a d y p ro m in e n t in th e m in d s of m a n u fa c tu re rs , p a rtic u la rly in view of th e w orld-w ide sh o rta g e of p u re chem icals for la b o ra to ry and re s e a rc h use. H ow f a r ex­

h ib itio n s and fa irs could go in stim u la tin g e x p o rt tr a d e in th e p o st-w ar e r a is som e­

w h a t p ro b le m a tic a l, an d i t is in te re s tin g to n o te th a t a lead h as now been given by th e C o m m ittee a p p o in ted by th e S e c re ta ry for O verseas T ra d e to ex am in e th e possibili­

tie s of such v e n tu re s . T he C o m m ittee recom m ends t h a t a U n iv e rsa l I n t e r ­ n a tio n a l E x h ib itio n be h eld in L ondon in 1951, n o t only to d e m o n s tra te o u r recovery fro m th e w a r, b u t to m a r k th e c e n te n a ry of th e g re a t I n te r n a tio n a l E x h ib itio n held in H y d e P a rk in 1851. T he n eed fo r a n a tio n a l tr a d e fa ir is also u rg e d by th e C o m m ittee, w ho su g g est th is could b e s t be m e t by rev iv in g th e a n n u a l B ritis h In d u s ­ tr ie s F a ir in M ay each y e a r, b e g in n in g in 1947, b u t w ith c e rta in ch an g es in its co n ­ stitu tio n an d p ra c tic e to im prove its appeal.

Possible Markets

T

H E R E are p ro b ab ly m a n y m a n u fa c ­ tu r e rs w ho a re w o n d erin g especially w h e th e r th e r e is a p o ssibility of in c re a sin g e x p o rts to th e U .S .A . an d C an ad a. T he an sw er is in th e affirm ativ e, acco rd in g to M r. A. E . F a rn c o m b e , w ho is v e ry fa m ilia r w ith b o th th e U .S .A . a n d C an ad a an d re c e n tly re tu rn e d fro m a fiv e-m o n th s’

390 THE CHEMICAL AGE Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6

business to u r of those co u n tries. F ro m an ad d ress w hich lie gave a t a m e e tin g of th e I n s tit u te of E x p o rt in L o ndon, la s t w eek, we gain ed th e im pression t h a t of th e tw o he fav o u rs C an ad a as th e b e tte r p o te n tia l m a r k e t. H e u tte r e d a w arn in g , how ever, th a t in n e ith e r case w ould B ritis h goods sell sim ply b ecause th e y w ere B ritis h . M ain te n a n c e of th e recog­

nised B ritis h q u a lity w as e s s e n tia l—th e re w ere p le n ty of people re a d y to pay a little ox tra provided th is ad d itio n w as justified by im p ro v em en t in q u a lity as com pared w ith th e s ta n d a rd of hom e-produced goods.

World Food Shortage

S

u r p r i s i n g l y little m a te ria l of ch em ical in te r e s t w as raised in th e d e b a te on w orld food sh o rta g e in th e H o u se of C om m ons la s t w eek, considering th e closeness of th e lin k b etw een chem ical science an d food p ro d u ctio n . T he only re a l referen ce was m a d e in th e course of M r. R . S. H u d s o n ’s in te n tio n a lly gloom y speech, w hen he q u o ted a le tte r from a firm of fe rtilis e r m e rc h a n ts on th e su b ­ je c t of p o ta sh . T his lays a t th e door of th e G o v ern m en t th e e n tire resp o n sib ility for th e n on-delivery of p o ta s h , and n o tes th e c o n tr a s t b etw een th e p re s e n t p o sitio n and t h a t of th e w ar y e a rs , w hen every pound of p o ta sh w as im p o rte d . “ T h e n ,”

i t say s, “ I . G J . ’s h u g e p la n t k e p t ru n n in g co n tin u o u sly . . . w h ereas th is y e a r, w hen tr a n s p o r t h as becom e easier and th e d a n g e r of sea tr a v e l m a in ly rem o v ed , th e y hav e had six w eeks of idleness ow ing to la c k of raw' p o ta s h .” A good d eal of c ritic ism w as levelled a t th e W h ite P a p e r re c e n tly issued on th e food s h o rta g e , and still m ore a t G o v ern m en t spokesm en w ho, w ith th e ir tem p o risin g s ta te m e n ts , h ad encouraged th e people, f a r m o re th a n w as ju stified , to re g a rd th e food situ a tio n w ith co m p a ra tiv e eq u a n im ity .

Hope from a Conference

A

C E R T A IN a m o u n t of hope fo r th e fu tu re m a y be d eriv ed , how 'ever, from th e w ords of S ir J o h n B oyd O rr, whose speech fu lly s u b s ta n tia te d h is position of in d ep en d e n ce in th e H o u se. I t w as th e speech of a sc ie n tis t and a sociologist, n o t of a p o litic ia n , an d i t led u s to hope t h a t so m eth in g really im p o rta n t m ay com e o u t of th e conference to be h eld a t W a sh in g ­ to n on M ay 20 b y th e F ood an d A gricul­

tu r a l O rg a n isa tio n and o th e r co g n ate bodies, b o th p e rm a n e n t and te m p o ra ry . T h ev h oped, he said , to s u b m it a p lan

w hich w ould “ go fa r — in d eed , th e w hole le n g th — to relieve th e w orld of h u n g e r and m a ln u tr itio n .” N o th in g specific h a s so fa r been said a b o u t th e use of d ire c t chem ical m eth o d s fo r d evising new sources of foodstuffs— such as th e schem e o u tlin e d in o u r pages on M arch 16 (p. 277)

— b u t w e h av e no reaso n to suppose t h a t th e conference w ill n o t be fully docu­

m e n te d , and t h a t ev ery possible source of supply w ill be exam ined.

Government Aids Science !

A

N a p t illu s tra tio n of how G overn­

m e n ta l p arsim o n y re s u lts in a lessen­

ing of efficiency w as given by a civil en g i­

n e e r d u rin g a discussion a t th e F .B .I . co n ­ feren ce on “ I n d u s tr y an d R ese a rc h ” in L ondon recen tly . D esirous of a s c e r ta in ­ in g w h e th e r an a d e q u a te wTa te r supply w'ould be av ailab le in a c e rta in a re a w here a new fa c to ry w as c o n te m p la te d , th e e n g i­

n e e r so u g h t th e req u ire d in fo rm a tio n fro m th e G eological S u rv ey a t M iddlesbrough.

No one could h av e been m o re h elp fu l th a n th e officials co ncerned an d e v en tu a lly th e in fo rm a tio n reach ed th e in q u ire r, to g e th e r w ith a p ro fu se apology fo r th e delay in ­ volved. T he official ex p la n a tio n of th is w'as th a t , on th e g round of financial econom y, th e su rv ey e s ta b lish m e n t a t M iddlesbrough w as considered to o sm all to w a rra n t th e e n g a g e m e n t of a staff ty p is t, w ith th e consequence t h a t o u tg o in g c o rre ­ spondence, e tc ., h a d to be s e n t to E d in ­ b u rg h to be ty p e d an d th e n re tu rn e d to M iddlesbrough fo r a p p ro v al an d sig n a tu re !

“ WASTE HEAT ” CONFERENCE

As a result of the widespread interest aroused by the presentation to the In stitu te of Fuel of the series of nine papers on

“ In d u stria l W aste H eat R ecovery,” the In s titu te has arranged to hold a full-day conference on Ibis subject on April 30 in the Geological Society’s rooms, Burlington House, Piccadilly. London, W .l. At the morning session, from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m ., Dr. H . R. Folding will present a paper sum marising the papers previously presented, and then there will be a discussion on the papers by the following: D r. O. A Saunders,

“ R eg en erato rs” : Mr. .T. B. W agstaff,

“ R e c u p e ra to rs ” ; D r. E . Seddon, “ "Waste H eat Recovery in the G lass In d u stry ” ; D r. P . O. Ro’sin. “ W aste H eat Recovery in the Iron and Steel I n d u s tr y " ; D r. S.

P e x to n , “ IVaste H eat Recovery in th e Carbonising In d u stries.” After lunch there will be an open discussion and reply will bo made bv the authors of the original papers.

Ap r i l 1 3 , 19 4 6 THE CHEM ICAL A G E _{3 9 1}

Chem icals Imparting W et Strength*

A n alysis of D ilute M elam ine R esin Solution

by B E R T IL IV A R S S O N and B O R J E S T E E N B E R G

A

MONG th e substances w hich have been, proposed as agents for the purpose of im proving the wet stren g th of papers, melamine resins have a ttra c te d special atten tio n .1. 2. 5. 4 F o r the m anufacture of papers having a high wet strength, the method recom mended is to dissolve methylol-melamine. resins in m ineral acid, subjecting this solution to certain treatm en t before adding it to the stock in the beater.

The resin w ill be retain ed by the cellulose fibres and it is cured in connection w ith the drying of the p ap er on th e machine.

From a theoretical point of view this method of im parting w et strength is of great interest. W et stren g th can be obtained by the addition of various types of resin to the paper. To these belong the carbam ide and phenol resin groups. A study of the lite ra ­ tu re on th e subject m akes i t clear, however, th a t these resins cannot be made to adhere to the fibres directly from a w ater solution.

It is necessary to have them in the form of an emulsion and to cause flocculation by th e addition of special agents. Statem ents in lite ra tu re regarding the outstanding quali­

ties of m elam ine resin for the purpose seem to indicate th a t there m ust be some kind of specific action betw een melamine and cellu­

lose.5 V aluable knowledge in reg ard to the properties of both cellulose and m el­

amine may be gained by closer exam ination of th is effect.

P erio d o f A g in g

W hen applied to the m anufacture of w et strength paper, the melamine resin acid colloid m ust be aged for a t least 3-12 hrs.

according to different authors, 72 hrs. being a m axim um .1. 2 T he addition should be made a t the b eate r, or, even b etter, a t the fan pum p, before the stock goes on to the wire. A reten tio n of 70-90 per cent, should be obtained. P ra c tic a l experience, how­

ever, has borne out th a t the retention is lim ited to 60-70 per cent, only.5 A notice­

able im provem ent of the w et strength of the p ap er is a t once obtained, b u t slow' changes tak e place in the p aper so th a t the wet stren g th will reach a maximum value only a fte r storage for several weeks a t room tem p eratu re. A ttem pts to apply th is m ethod in Sweden have not, as far as we know, produced the desired results, as far as the w et strength of the product is con­

cerned.* B etter results have been obtained by spraying m elam ine resins on th e w et paper web. The size is applied a fte r the wet presses. H ow ever, p ap er p repared in this m anner tends to become b rittle .

• S v e n sk P a p p e rstid n in g , J a n . 1 5 , 1946.

In. a la te r paper the authors w ill re p o rt on th e action between m elam ine resins and cellulose fibres and the m anufacture of high wet strength papers by m elam ine im preg­

nation in the beaters. The folding en d u r­

ance, elasticity, and porosity of these papers have not been m aterially changed by the im pregnation. Good resu lts are ob­

tained w ith a lower percentage of resin th an rep o rted earlier. These results have been m ade possible through a b e tte r u n d erstan d ­ ing of the interaction of melamine and cellulose. T he first step in this investiga­

tion was to w'ork out a method of analysis which could be applied when dealing with dilute solutions of melamine resins.

C areful A n a ly sis R eq u ired I t is obvious th a t a method of analysis for melamine resin in connection w ith p ap er m aking m ust also allow for accurate determ inations of m inute am ounts of sub­

stance. The stock has a consistency of less th an one p er cent, and the melamine resin added is only one or a few per cent, by w eight of the fibres. I t is essential th a t th e analytical procedure should be capable of detecting as little as a few gam m as of resin per ml. of solution, otherw ise an analysis of w hite w ater would be of little value.

M ethylol-melamine displays very few specific reactions. No colour reactions are known. D eterm ination of the nitrogen content by w et K jeldahl combustion gives very inaccurate results, owing to the stab ility of th e triazole ring.

F o r analytical purposes, the determ ina­

tion of dry residue is not accurate enough and it is very time-consuming.

The m elam ine resin acid colloid can be p recip itated w ith picric acid and several salts and alkalis. The pierate, how ever, is not sufficiently insoluble to be of use fo r a gravim etric m ethod. T he precipitates which are obtained w ith salts and alkalis are gels and they clog any filter very rapidly.

Because of the ease w ith which melamine can be precip itated w ith several agents, th e opinion was advanced th a t a nephelom etric method of analysis m ight lead to th e de­

sired resu lt. T he precip itated methylol- melamine flocculates very rapidly and de­

posits a sedim ent, yet the present investi­

gation led to th e conclusion th a t it w as possible to obtain reproducible tu rb id ity m easurem ents by strongly ag itatin g th e p re ­ cip itated solution im m ediately before the nephelom etric observations. T h is discovery was extrem ely surprising, and co n trad icts