''J T i e c / o z i r n a l o j P
D O S T R I A
« E N G I N E
HC H E M t I S r " M Y
Published 'Monthly by The American Chemical S ociety
A d v is o r y Board : H. E. Ba r n a r d Ch a s. L. Re e s e Bd x t o k i a l Of f i c e s:
O n e M a d is o n A v e n u e , R o o m 343 N ew Y o rk C ity Tb l b p h o n b: G r a m e r c y 0 6 1 3 -0 6 1 4
E ditor: C H A S. H. H E R T Y A s s i s ta n t E dit or: L o is W , Wo o d f o r d
J. W . Be c k m a n A. D. Li t t l e A. V. H. Mo r y
Ge o. D . Ro s e n g a r t e n T. B . Wa g n e r
Cable Address: JIECHEM
Ad v s r t i s i n o Db p a r t m b n t: 170 M e tr o p o lita n T o w e r
N ew Y o r k C ity Ts l b p h o n s: G ra m e rc y 3880
Volume 13 FEBRU A RY I, 1921 No. 2
CONTENTS T ub So c i e t y’s Pr e s i d e n t f o r 1921.
Ed i t o r i a l s:
Elem entary E conom ics...
T he R oad to D em oralization...
T houghts Translated into D e ed s...
Sowing G ood S e ed ...
T he R ace Is N o t A lw ays to the Sw ift.
Or i g i n a l Pa p e r s:
M easurem ent of Vapor Pressures of Certain Potas
sium Compounds. Daniel D . Jackson and Jerome J. M organ ...
Rubber Energy. W m. B. W iegand...
R eactions of Accelerators during Vulcanization.
I I — A Theory of Accelerators Based on the Forma
tion of Polysulfides during Vulcanization. W in
field S co tt and C. W . Bedford...
T h e A ction of Certain Organic Accelerators in the V ulcanization of Rubber— III. G. D . Kratz, A . H . Flow er and B. J. Shapiro...
Cellulose M ucilage. Jessie E. M in or...
T he Preparation and Technical Uses of Furfural.
K. P. M onroe...
Further Studies on Phenolic H exam ethylenetetra- m ine Compounds. M ortimer H arvey and L. H . B aekelan d...
S tudies on B ast Fibers. I I — Cellulose in B ast Fibers.
Y oshisukc U y e d a ...
La b o r a t o r y a n d Pl a n t:
Gasoline from N atural Gas.
Sm all A m ounts of Gasoline.
C. E . H in ck ley ...
A Cold T est Apparatus for Oils.
liard t... ...
T itration Bench. W . A. VanW inkle
V— H ydrom eter for R. P. Anderson and
G. H. P. Licht- 100
107 10S 108 109 109
110
1 1 8
1 2 5
1 2 8 131
1 33
135
141
1-14
145 146
Ad d r e s s e s a n d Co n t r i b u t e d Ar t i c l e s: Refining R aw Sugars w ithou t Bone-Black.
C oates...
C. E.
... 14 7 Re s e a r c h Pr o b l e m s i n Co l l o i d Ch e m i s t r y. W . D .
B an croft... 1 5 3
Pe k i n Me d a l Aw a r d:
W illis R . W hitney. A. D . L ittle ... 1 5 8 Presentation Address. Charles F. Chandler... 16 0 The B iggest Things in Chem istry. W illis R. W hitney. 161
Sc i e n t i f i c So c i e t i e s:
Plans for the Spring M eeting; Centenary of the Founding of the Sciences of E lectrom agnetism and Electrodynam ics; Dr. H enry A. Bum stead; N ichols Medal Award; John S co tt M edal Award; Rum ford M edal Presentation; President Sm ith Addresses
Joint M eeting; Calendar of M eetin g s... 166
No t e s a n d Co r r e s p o n d e n c e: H istory of th e Preparation and Properties of Pure Phthalic Anhydride; T h e Ignition of Fire Engine Hose when in Use; R epairing Iron Leaching V ats; Vapor Com position of Alcohol-W ater M ixtures; The British D ye Bill; European Relief C ou n cil 167 Wa s h i n g t o n Le t t e r... 16 9 Pa r i s Le t t e r...,... 171
I n d u s t r i a l N o t e s ... 172
P e r s o n a l N o t e s ... 173
G o v e r n m e n t P u b l i c a t i o n s ... 175
B o o k R e v i e w s ... 179
N e w P u b l i c a t i o n s ... i g2
Ma r k e t Re p o r t... XS3
S u b s c r ip tio n t o n o n -m e m b e rs , $ 7 .5 0 ; s in g le c o p y , 75 c e n ts , t o m e m b e rs , 6 0 c e n ts . F o r e ig n p o s ta g e , 75 c e n ts , C a n a d a , C u b a a n d M e x ic o e x c e p te d . E n t e r e d a s S e c o n d -c la s s M a t t e r D e c e m b e r 19, 1908, a t t h e P o s t O ffice a t E a s to n , P a ., u n d e r th e A c t o f M a r c h 3 , 1879-
A c c e p ta n c e fo r m a ilin g a t s p e c ia l r a t e o f p o s ta g e p r o v id e d fo r in S e c tio n 1103, A c t o f O c to b e r 3 , 1917, a u th o r iz e d J u ly 13, 1918.
S u b s c r ip tio n s a n d c la im s fo r lo s t co p ies s h o u ld b e re fe rre d t o C h a rle s L . P a rs o n s , S e c r e ta r y , 1709 G S tr e e t, N . W ., W a s h in g to n , D . C
106 T H E J O U R N A L OF 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 Vol. 13, N o. 2
T H E S O C IE T Y ’S PR E SID E N T FOR 1921
EDGAR FAHS SM ITH
F orty-five years ago the Am e r i c a n Ch e m i c a l So c i e t y
w as founded, and ju st a quarter of a centu ry has passed sin ce Edgar Fahs Sm ith w as its president. T he So c i e t y gives expression to its appreciation of his labors b y choosing him once more for th e h ighest office in its gift, and in doing so it places in tried and w orthy hands th e leadership of its fortunes.
Few rem ain now who can recall th e struggles and d iscouragem ents of those early years. So fa in t was th e breathing at
tim es th a t it seem ed alm ost as if th e p atien t w as a t his last gasp. There were ch em ists sc a t
tered here and there over th e land, but m ost of th em were k ep t to o b usy to give tim e to in v estig a tion. T h e teacher had little assistance w ith his classes, and th e practical side of building up our in fant industries was all-absorbing. B e
sides, th e So c i e t y’s
J o u r n a l had to enter th e field of publica
tio n w ith first one, then tw o other jour
nals. A ll honor, th en , to th o se who had heart of hope and, w ith vision of th e future, k ept up th e struggle. In th ese days of leader
ship in m any fields of in vestigation it is w ell to pause a while and th in k of th e sturdy pioneers who blazed th e w ay and m ade th is prog
ress possible.
Am ong th ese pioneers none stand s higher th an our new president, and no one has such a h ost of friends nor is so w ell-beloved. A kindlier soul has never w alked am ong us. Counselor and friend to all who needed him. lover of th e tru th w hether it lay hidden in th e nature around him or in his fellow m an, w ith deep, abiding faith in all th a t was fine and noble and true, he has stood through out th e years four-square to every wind th a t blew . H is friendship has been an inspiration and a blessing to m any.
It m ight seem unnecessary to recount th e con trib u tions of Dr. Sm ith in th e building up of our science b ut, perhaps, there are som e am ong our th ou san d s of m em bers who do not realize how m uch his labors h ave m eant to all of us and how th e y h ave strengthened chem istry in Am erica and k ep t fresh th e story of its beginnings.
I t is a som ew hat striking coincidence th a t Dr. Sm ith began his life work as a teacher of chem istry in th e U n iversity of P en n sylvan ia in 187G, th e sam e year in
which our So c i e t y
w as founded. Life
lon g contem poraries th e y have been in th e work. Startin g as an instructor, he rose through the various grades to head of th e d ep art
m ent of chem istry, then vice p rovost, and la stly provost of th e University., retaining through ou t his d evotion to his science and fa ith fully answering to th e lim its of his stren gth th e calls th a t were m ade upon him. It is difficult to m easure such an influence as h e has exerted. T h e story is know n to th o se who had th e good for
tu n e to stu d y under him. T h ey admire him , th ey lo v e him , and h appy are th ey if th e y p attern after him . In all these years he has been a w ise and helpful counselor in th e af
fairs of th e So c i e t y,
and has done much to p rom ote its interests.
As a teacher, he has been helpful in in trodu cing new m ethods and in providing excellen t textb ook s. A t first these were tran slations from th e m ost w id ely a c cepted foreign authors—-as w itness his several ed ition s of R ich ter’s “ Organic C hem istry,” and th e “ E lectro
ch em istry” of O ettel. In this line he was one of th e first to h ave a w ell-equipped electrochem ical laboratory and to drill his stu d en ts in th is increasingly im portan t branch, issuing several valu able guides and textb ook s of his ow n. H e d evised new m ethods of an alysis and
Ed g a r Fa h s Sm i t h, Pr e s i d e n t Am e r i c a n Ch e m i c a l So c i e t y
Feb., 1921 T H E J O U R N A L OF 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 107 greatly aided in introducing th is valuable adjunct to
the laboratory practice of th e day. All of which was fitting on th e part of one who held th e chair of R obert Hare, w ho constructed th e first Am erican electric furnace.
T he lon g list of his in vestigation s helps to fill the pages of our J o u r n a l and need not be detailed here.
Suffice it to say th a t his in terests and his work lie in m any fields. Chief am ong th em are electrochem istry, the com plex inorganic acids, th e rare earths, and th e revision of th o se con stants, if con stants th e y be, th e atom ic w eights. In th is latter field he has covered about on e-fou rth of th e know n elem ents, and his work ranks high. T h is is a m onum ental work in itself.
His la test work on th e atom ic w eights of boron and fluorine is a fine exam ple of how such work should be done.
T h e m any-sided in terests of th is m an are show n by the caretaking, accurate, and very valuable work which ' he has done as a historian. H is activities in th is line m ay have been aroused by th e fact th a t he occupied the chair w hich had been held b y B enjam in R ush, th e first professor of chem istry in America, and lives in
ELEMENTARY ECONOMICS
Som e are arguing th a t d uty-free im portation of scientific ap paratu s by ed u cational in stitu tion s will m ean a great savin g in dollars and cents. B ut to discuss th e econom ic aspect of this question it is necessary to shake on e’s self loose from m em ories of pre-war conditions and rem em ber th a t to-d ay we are d w elling in a very m uch changed world. Before th e war G erm any, th an k s to an abundance of cheap, highly skilled labor, placed upon th e m arket chem ical wares a t prices w ith w hich A m erican m anufacturers could not com pete. T o-d ay Germ any is faced with the ob ligation of p ayin g off during th e next tw en ty - five or th irty years an enorm ous reparations debt.
T o do th is G erm any will sell goods in com pe
tition at absurdly low figures in order to destroy war-born industries in other lands, w hile charging exorbitant prices w herever she has a m onopoly.
There is abundant evidence of th e correctness of th is statem en t. In Science, N ovem ber 26, 1920, page 511, Professor Jam es Lewis H ow e com plains th a t th e file of a journal w hicli had been offered him less than a year before for 3,000 m arks has now risen in price to 25,000 m arks (though th e exchange valu e of th e mark had m eanw hile depreciated on ly 50 p e r c e n t). M onopoly:— exorbitant charge! B u t Pro
fessor H ow e explains th e situ ation in this sam e com m unication, for he quotes from a German firm’s letter to an A m erican custom er:
"A word about prices. I take it from your name and con
nections that you are of German family and am therefore pre
pared to make most liberal terms. As you doubtless know, it has been generally agreed in commercial circles here that all articles sold to uitlanders, and especially to Americans, shall be priced considerably higher than the same thing sold to our fellow-citizens, the idea being to in this way recuperate to some
th e historic city of Philadelphia, where in 1792 was
“ in stitu ted ” th e first chem ical so c ie ty in th e w orld, antedating by a half centu ry th e London C hem ical S ociety, th e first to be estab lish ed in Europe. A lso, he is a mem ber and for som e years w as p resident of the Am erican Philosophical S ociety, w hich was founded by B enjam in Franklin.
Surrounded by such historic m em ories he has m ade th e p ast liv e over again in a series of books for which th ose of us who do honor to th e men who p aved th e w ay for our feet cannot be too grateful. Hare per
form s over again for us his surprising experim ents w ith th e oxyhydrogen blow pipe w hich he in ven ted , and W oodhouse, Cooper, and others tell of their d is
couragem ents and ach ievem en ts. A nd now in the account of P riestley in Am erica, which he has just published, we catch an in sigh t in to th e character of th a t great discoverer, his lim itation s offset by his sur
prising vision, which som e of us w ho h ave read much ab out him had never gained before.
To such tried and approved leadership we in trust the reputation and future of th e Society.
chapei. Hi», n. c. Francis P. Ven a b l e
extent from our late overwhelming losses and to make our recent enemies aid us in paying our most outrageous and crushing war debt.
"This policy has been adopted en bloc by our associated. . . . since some time. But as a fellow German, I am prepared to let you have these goods at the Berlin price, this of cotirse being in all confidence, my most dear sir.”
N o cam ouflage ab out th at— as lon g as it is in the fam ily.
Nowr tak e th e other side of th e picture. E ngland developed during th e war a chem ical glassware in d u s
try:— com petition! T he London M o r n in g P o st of N o vem ber 24, 1920, quotes th e follow ing con d itions of th e British m arket at th a t tim e:
G e rm a n B ritis h
(P ric e to ( C o s t to R e ta ile r ) M a n u f a c tu r e ) 1,0 00-cc. s e p a r a tin g f u n n e l... ... . 4s. Od. 17s. 7d.
40 0 -cc. f la t b o tto m fla s k ... . Os. 6 .5 d . Os. 11.5d.
5 0 0 -cc. g r a d u a te d f la s k ... . Os. 5d. 6 s. 6 cl.
15-cc. b u lb p i p e t ... Is . 3 .5 d . 3s. 9d, P o ta s h b u l b ... Is. 9 d . 3s. 6 d . A n e ro id b a r o m e t e r . ... 7s. 6 d . 2 0 s. Od.
C h em ica l th e r m o m e te r fo r te s tin g a c i d s . . . . Is. 2 d. 3s. Od.
C lin ica l th e r m o m e te r ... Os. 8 .5 d . 2s. 4 d .
D estru ctive com p etition! D o you believe th ose German prices will stand after th e British in d u stry is d estroyed, say, four or five years, w ith th a t great reparation debt still h avin g tw e n ty or tw en ty -fiv e years to run? W e w'ould be th e veriest financial babes-in-the-w oods if we d eliberately sh u t our eyes to such a situation.
As further evidence, if it be needed, we q u ote from The Chem ical A ge (L ondon), D ecem ber 25, 1920, in sum m arizing th e report of th e S u b com m ittee on C hemical Glassware ap poin ted by th e Stan din g C om m ittee on Trusts:
“The nature of the foreign competition they have to meet may be gathered from the fact that, favoured by exchange rates
EDITORIALS
108 T H E J O U R N A L OF 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 Vol. 13, N o. 2 and other conditions, goods of the kind now being m ade in this
country are being supplied by Continental manufacturers at prices less than the actual cost of manufacture here, whereas fo r goods that arc not yet being manufactured here prices are being charged by the Continental makers which mean to the consumer approxim ately five times the pre-war price of such goods.”— [Italics ours. ]
T he U. S. Tariff C om m ission gives a new slan t to the whole question. In its report on chem ical glass
ware ju st su b m itted to th e W ays and M eans C om m ittee ( Tarif f In f o rm a tio n Surveys, Scientific In stru m ents and A pparatus, page 59), it says:
"The great durability of dom estic glassware m akes it the cheapest in the final analysis. In stitu tion s which se'l a t actual cost will no doubt find it to their advantage to use this material regardless of the price of foreign ware, because, although the first cost is high, th e replacem ent cost is low and smaller reserve stocks can be carried. T hose institutions, on th e other hand, which plan on obtaining a profit from the sale of glassware to students will find it to their advantage to use the fragile foreign material. In this case h eavy breakage increases the turnover and therefore the profit.”
The Tariff C om m ission is n ot disposed to joke, nor to m ake charges w ith ou t facts on w hich to base them .
Foster the A m erican industry, then see th a t it plays the gam e fair!
T H E ROAD TO DEM ORALIZATION
Tw o Germ an d ye chem ists, Dr. O tto R unger and Dr. Joseph Flachslander, were officially released from Ellis Island and ad m itted in to this country on Jan u ary 5, 1921. T his action follow ed a thorough in v esti
gation by th e authorities of th e port of N ew York based, according to press accounts, upon a protest from G erm any. W e don ’t blam e G erm any for pro
testin g, but w ith this side of th e m atter we have no concern. T he kerrschaflen proceeded im m ed iately to W ilm ington, D elaw are, to tak e p ositions in th e re
search laboratories of th e du P on t C om pany. A c
cording to th e newspapers, $25,000 each is th e salary of th ese newcom ers. R um or has it th a t the am ount is m uch larger. A high official of th e C om pany in forms us th a t th ese reports are greatly exaggerated.
H ow ever, th a t m atter is n ot im portant. B u t the changed p olicy of this C om pany, h ith erto alw ays considered 100 per cent Am erican in every respect, is im portant, and unfortunate from w hatever angle view ed.
An econom ic b attle for th e possession of*the A m eri
can m arket is in progress betw een th e Am erican and th e German d ye in du stry. In war inform ation is obtained as far as possible from captured opponents, but renegades are n ot placed in p ositions of high com m and. W hatever ten d s to dem oralization in the .Am erican ranks is a m atter of n ational concern, and th e gravest feature of th is new policy is the lowered morale of th e du P ont research staff which will result therefrom .
It is not difficult to im agine th e feelings of American chem ists who m ust take direction from m en who a short while ago were busy in th ose plants whence cam e high explosives and poison gases, th e latter ac
cou n tin g for a full third of our hospital casualties.
T em p eram en tally th a t research staff now becom es a conglom eration of in com patib les, a hybrid m ixture which has in it th e elem en ts of failure. A t th e ou tse t of th e building of th e dye in du stry there were m any laboratories where such a m ixture was found to be thorough ly bad, and where th e w eeding-out process w as put in to operation and th e staffs A m ericanized w ith con sequ en t fine results.
I t is easy to understand th e feeling of discourage
m ent w'hich m ust possess th e officials of th e du P on t, as of every other A m erican d ye m anufacturing com pany, over th e failure of Congress to en act d efinite and adeq uate p rotective legislation . H ow ever, th e pressure from consum ers for a wider v ariety of d yes has been m aterially lessen ed through th e con stan t licensing of im ports by th e War T rade Board and by th e decreased dem and for d yes during th e present general in dustrial slum p. N ow is th e tim e for d e
velopin g an efficient research staff from am ong our ablest Am erican chem ists.
I t is n o t to o la te to repair th e dam age. There are eastw ard-bound steam ers co n sta n tly travelin g across th e A tlan tic. W hatever th e ab ility of th ese tw o ch em ists, how ever in tim a te their know ledge of special lines of m anufacture m ay be— send th em hom e and le t the Am erican in du stry proceed to its full d evelopm en t in an Am erican w ay and by the force of A m erican brains.
TH O U G H TS TRANSLATED IN TO D EED S
Often we discuss, and plan, and build great air castles, and develop m om entary b oundless enthusiasm
— and then, w ith th e peak of th e curve reached, en th u si
asm w anes, in terest su b sid es or becom es d iverted t&
other m atters, and th e result is noth ing. H ap pily for progress this is n ot alw ays th e case.
A t th e m eetings of th e In terallied C onference of Pure and Applied C hem istry w hich m et in London and Brussels, in Ju ly 1919, it was determ ined seriously and com p rehensively to set ab out th e task of b etter
m ent of chem ical literature. T he Am e r i c a n Ch e m i c a l So c i e t y undertook for its share of th is work th e prep
aration and p ublication of tw o series of m onographs, scientific and techn ologic, on chem ical subjects. The announcem ent of th e issuance of the first of th e scien tific series “ T h e C hem istry of E n zym e A ctio n s” by Dr. K. George Falk is an earnest th at th e Am e r i c a n Ch e m i c a l So c i e t y proposes to carry ou t prom ptly and to th e full its part of this undertaking.
C ongratulations to th e three trustees, D rs. Charles L. Parsons, John E. Teeple, and G ellert A llem an, who so quickly finished th e business arrangem ents con
n ected w ith th ese publications; to th e editors, Drs.
W. A. N o y es and John Johnston, who already h ave announced progress in th e preparation or printing of eleven other m onographs; and to th e C hem ical C atalog C om pany, In c., which has so excellen tly carried out the publication of this first of th e series.
Clear a newT space on your book sh elves, there is a lo t of fine m aterial on th e w ay to you!
Feb., 1921 T H E J O U R N A L OF 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 109 SOWING GOOD SEED
There h ave been strange doings in W ashington. In sp ite of th e sen tim en t in Congress th a t th e Chemical Warfare Service should be developed to th e fullest extent, orders issued by high officials of th e War D e partm ent h ave ten ded to restrict its activities, to cripple developm en t, to prevent th e training of troops in th e m ethods of gas warfare, in short, to lim it th e C hem ical Warfare Service solely to research.
F o r t u n a t e ly w e a r e b u ild in g fo r t h e f u t u r e o n b e t t e r lin e s , a n d in t h i s w o r k t h e Am e r i c a n Ch e m ic a l So c ie t y is d o in g a fin e p a r t t h r o u g h t h e a n n u a l le c t u r e s g iv e n b y d is t in g u is h e d m e m b e r s o f t h e So c ie t y a t t h e U n it e d S t a t e s M ilit a r y a n d N a v a l A c a d e m ie s . T h e first s e t o f t h o s e le c t u r e s w a s g iv e n l a s t w in te r , a n d i t w ill in t e r e s t a ll t o le a r n t h a t o f t h e g r a d u a t in g c la s s t h is y e a r a t W e s t P o in t , 2 5 m e m b e r s r e q u e s t e d a s s ig n m e n t t o t h e C h e m ic a l W a r fa r e S e r v ic e . T h e s e c o n d s e r ie s o f le c t u r e s is n o w in p r o g r e s s .
R ecen tly we asked for frank opinions of th e value of these lectures. T he Superintendent of th e M ilitary A cadem y, Brigadier General M acArthur, w rote in reply:
Through the courteous cooperation of the Am e r i c a n Ch e m i c a l So c i e t y, following suggestions advanced in an editorial in the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry for M arch 1919, there were given last winter to the senior class of the Corps of Cadets of the U. S. M ilitary Academ y a series of lectures on important chemical processes. The lecturers and their subjects w ere:
Dr. W . H . Ni c h o l s, " S u l f u r i c A d d , t h e P i g I r o n o f C h e m i s t r y ” Dr. C . L . Pa r s o n s, " T h e F ix a tio n o í A tm o s p h e ric N itr o g e n "
Dr. W . H . Wa l k e r, “ T h e M a n u f a c tu r e o f T o x ic G a s e s "
Dr. C . L . Re e s b, " S m o k e le s s P o w d e rs a n d H ig h E x p lo siv e s ” Other lectures were planned bu t had to be om itted owing to reduction in tim e m ade necessary by th e war-time schedule then being followed. These gentlemen, whose services were entirely voluntary, placed their subjects before the class in an extrem ely vivid , lucid and interesting manner, giving ■ th at personal touch not to be found in textbooks and arousing the keenest interest in their auditors, both by the subject m atter and by the manner in which it was presented.
The obvious benefit of these lectures has led to a continuation of the policy and in th e coming spring a second series will be delivered, th e lecturers and their proposed subjects being:
D r . Jo h n Jo h n s t o n, o f Y a le , “ I n d u s tr ia l R e s e a rc h ,” M a r c h 23, 1921 Pr o f e s s o r' W i m ja m McPh e r s o n, o f O h io S ta t e U n iv e rs ity , “ L a rg e S cale P r o d u c tio n o f M u n itio n s ,” M a r c h 30, 1921
D r . G . A . R i c h t e r , o f B e rlin , N . H ., “ R o c k e ts a n d F la r e s ,” A p ril 6 , 1921
D r . G . W . G r a y , o f N e w Y o rk , N . Y .. “ F u e l, M o to r a n d L u b r ic a tin g O ils/ 1 A p ril 13, 1921
Dr. W . Le e Le w i s, o f N o r th w e s te r n U n iv e rs ity , “ T o x ic G a s e s ,” A p ril 20, 1921
R ear Adm iral Sóales, Superintendent of th e N aval A cadem y, w as eq u ally en thu siastic in his reply:
T he suggestion for a series of lectures to be given a t the N aval Academ y b y members of th e Am e r i c a n Ch e m i c a l So
c i e t y first received public atten tion in an editorial entitled
"The Soldier, the Sailor and the C hem ist” which appeared in the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry for M arch 1919. T he atten tion directed to this very' important m atter aroused th e interest of all concerned. T he cordial offer of the Am e r i c a n Ch e m i c a l So c i e t y, tendered by the President, Dr.
W illiam H . N ichols, to arrange for a series of lectures w as much appreciated and the opportunity gladly m ade use of.
During th e academ ic year 1919-20, eigh t lectures in the general field of chem ical engineering were delivered at Annapolis by members of the Am e r i c a n Ch e m i c a l So c i e t y.^ All of these lectures were heard b y stu dent officers attending th e N aval Postgraduate School and four of them b y _ the F irst (senior) Class of midshipmen. During the academ ic year 1920-21 a
series of six lectures has been arranged, all of them to be heard by the student officers of th e Postgraduate School and four of them by the First Class of midshipmen. T he lecturers for the current session are:
Dr. Jo h n Jo h n s t o n, " i n d u s t r i a l R e s e a rc h ," D e c e m b e r 4 , 1920 D r . A. S. Cu s i i m a n, " P r e s e r v a tio n o f I r o n a n d S te e l,” J a n u a r y 8 , 1921 Dr. G . W . Gr a y, " F u e l, M o to r a n d L u b r ic a tin g O ils ,” F e b r u a r y 4 a n d 5 , 1921
Dr. Wi l d u r D . Ba n c r o f t, " O rg a n iz e d R e s e a rc h ,” M a r c h 4 a n d 5, 1921 Dr. W . L b s Le w i s, " T o x ic G a s e s ,” A p ril 1 a n d 2 , 1921
Dr. C H A R I.B S L . RBBSB, " E x p lo s iv e s ,” A p ril 29 a n d 3 0 , 1921 T he series of lectures of last year, and th e current series, are proving both interesting and profitable to all who have the op
portunity of hearing them, as th ey gain a t least a perspective of w hat the profession of chem ical engineering has done, and can do, in furnishing indispensable assistance to our m ilitary and naval forces in preparation for, and in conduct of, active operations calculated to carry into effect the requirements of our national views and aims.
It is clear to us th a t the purpose contained in the original editorial suggestion is being accomplished. T he ultim ate benefits of the cordial cooperation of the Am e r i c a n Ch e m i c a l So c i e t y cannot be given a definite value, but it is certain that the m ovem ent now under w ay cannot fail to be productive of much good to the naval service.
Surely no more p atriotic and fruitful work than th e delivery of these lectures could be done by the mem bers of th e So c ie t y.
THE RACE IS NOT ALWAYS TO THE SWIFT W e hustling Am ericans are ap t som etim es to poke good-natured fun a t th e slow ness of th e Britisher.
B u t som etim es the shoe is on th e other foot, w itness th e follow ing chronological history of th e British ten -year dye license bill in Parliam ent:
D e c e m b e r 2 , 1920 D e c e m b e r 3 , 1920 D e c e m b e r 7, 1920
D e c e m b e r 7, 1920
D e c e m b e r 8—15» 1920 D e c e m b e r 17, 1920 D e c e m b e r 17, 1920
(m id n ig h t) D e c e m b e r 21, 1920 D e c e m b e r 22, 1920 D e c e m b e r 23, 1920 D e c e m b e r 2 3 , 1920
(m id n ig h t) J a n u a r y 15, 1921
B ill in tr o d u c e d in H o u se of C o m m o n s, fir s t re a d in g , o rd e re d p r in te d .
Bill p r in te d , d is tr i b u te d a n d re c e iv e d e n d o rs e m e n t o f C o lo u r U se rs A sso ciatio n .
L o n d o n T im e s in a le a d in g e d ito ria l s a id :
“ A tta c k is th r e a te n e d fro m ir r e c o n c ila b le F re e T r a d e r s {our S e n a to r T h o m a s ] , o u t- a n d - o u t P r o te c tio n is ts {m odified to s tr a ig h t- ta rif f - p r o te c tio n is ts , o u r S e n a to r M o s e s ], a n d a s e c tio n o f t h e te x tile tr a d e [o u r M r . J o h n P . W o o d a n d h is a d h e r e n t s ] / ' C o n tin u in g , th e T im e s sa id in c o m p a r in g w ith o th e r k e y in d u s tr ie s : “ T h e r e is ju s tif ic a tio n fo r g iv in g th e d y e in d u s tr y p re fe re n c e o n t h e g r o u n d t h a t i t is e s s e n tia l b o th fro m th e ec o n o m ic a n d th e m ilita r y s ta n d p o i n ts .”
B ill m o v e d to sec o n d re a d in g . W h ile a m e m b e r w as s p e a k in g in o p p o s itio n , a t ele v e n o ’clo ck th e closure w a s moved a n d c a rr ie d b y 280 v o te s to 74.
T h e sec o n d re a d in g w as a g re e d to . B ill c o n s id e re d in C o m m itte e .
T h i r d r e a d in g o f th e b ill a n d p a s s a g e b y 118 v o te s to 25.
F i r s t r e a d in g in th e H o u s e o f L o rd s . S eco n d re a d in g , p a s s e d 83 to 36.
P a s se d C o m m itte e c o n s id e r a tio n .
B ill p a s s e d th ir d r e a d in g in th e H o u s e o f L o rd s.
B ill re c e iv e d th e r o y a l a s s e n t.
L a w b e c a m e effectiv e.
N early tw o years h ave elapsed since th e Longw orth bill was introduced in Congress. It is still there.
W h at’s th e m atter w ith us, anyhow ?
Our correspondence basket is overflow ing w ith a fine crop of “ T e ll-it-to -H er ty ” com m unications. In d i
vid ual acknow ledgm ent w ill ev e n tu a lly be m ade, m ean
while th in gs are m oving.
110 T H E J O U R N A L OF 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 ol. 13, N o. 2
O R IG IN A L P A P E R S
NOTICE TO AUTHO RS: All drawings should be m ade with India ink, preferably on tracing cloth. If coordinate paper is used, blue m ust be chosen, as all other colors blur on re
duction. T he larger squares, curves, etc., which w ill show in the finished cut, are to be inked in.
Blue prints and photostats are not suitable for reproduction.
Lettering should be even, and large enough to reproduce well w hen the drawing is reduced to the width of a single column of Th i s Jo u r n a l, or le s s frequently to double column width.
Authors are requested to follow the So c i e t y’s spellings on drawings, e. g., sulfur, per cent, gage, etc.
M EA SU R EM EN T OF VAPOR PR E SSU R E S OF CERTAIN PO TA SSIU M C O M PO U N D S1
B y D an iel D . Jackson and Jerom e J. M organ
Co l u m b i a Un i v k r s i t y, N n w Yo r k, N . Y . R e c e iv e d D e c e m b e r 9 , 1920
Anderson and N estell,1* in a report on “ T he V olatiliza
tion of P otash from C em ent M aterials,” give th e pre
dom inating factors affecting th e recovery of p otash in th e furnace gases b eyon d th e furnace, as follow s:
(1) The temperature prevailing in the kiln; (2) volume of gas passing; (3) the intimacy of contact between the furnace gases and the cement mix; (4) the vapor pressure of the potash salt or salts formed; (5) the possibility of dissociation under ccrtain furnace conditions (oxidizing, neutral, or reducing atmos
phere or changing temperature) to components of greater or less volatility than the original salt; (6) the degree of saturation of the gas in contact with the cement material; (7) the rate of diffusion both of the salt vaporizing in the interstices of the cement mix to the surface of contact with the gas stream, and of the saturated gas at the surface to the leaner gas areas beyond.
Of these seven factors, all m ay be more or less v a ried at will except th e fourth, nam ely, the vapor pressure of the potash salt or salts f o r m e d . I t was decided, th ere
fore, th a t th e fun dam en tal th in g in a stu d y of th e volatilization of potash is the d eterm ination of th e vapor pressure of th e p otassium com pounds in volved . In th e present work results of vapor pressure m easure
m ents are given for three natural silicates, leucite, orthoclase feldspar, and glau con ite, w hich are suffi
cien tly abundant to serve as sources of potash, and for four other potassium com pounds, th e chloride, car
bonate, hydroxide, and su lfate, w hich are of particular in terest on account of their connection w ith th e recovery of potash from cem en t mill flue dust. T he know ledge acquired in these vapor pressure m easurem ents will later be applied to th e stu d y of th e v o latilization of potash from m ixtures of silicates w ith releasing and volatilizin g agents.
P R E V I O U S W O R K
In 1866, B u nsen2 determ ined th e relative vo latility of certain salts b y heating a centigram bead of th e sa lt on a platinum wire in th e h o ttest part of a Bunsen flam e an d m easuring th e tim e required for th e s a lt to volatilize. In 1S97, N orton an d R o th3 repeated and
1 P a r t of a th e sis p r e s e n te d in p a r t ia l fu lfilm e n t o f th e r e q u ir e m e n t f o r th e d eg ree o f D o c to r of P h ilo s o p h y in th e F a c u l ty o f P u r e S cie n ce, C o lu m b ia U n iv e rs ity , N e w Y o rk , N , Y .
* N u m b e r s re f e r to re fe re n c e s a t e n d of p a p e r.
extended th e work of Bunsen. T he v o la tility of sodium chloride th u s m easured in each case w as tak en as u nity. T h e results of th ese in vestigators, as far as th e y relate to p otassium com pounds, are given in T ab le I.
Ta b l e I — Vo l a t i l i t yo f Po t a s s i u m Co m p o u n d s, Ta k i n g t h e Vo l a t i l i t y o p So d i u m Ch l o r i d e a s Un i t y
R e s u lts of R e s u lts of
Co m p o u n d B u n s e n N o r to n a n d R o th
I o d id e ... 2 .8 2 8 2 .3 6 2 B r o m id e ... 2 .0 5 5 1 .8 6 0 C h lo r id e ... 1 .2 8 8 1 .0 8 3 F lu o r id e ... 0 .3 2 9 C a r b o n a te ... 0 .3 1 0 0 .2 7 7 S u lf a t e ... 0 .1 2 7 0 .1 4 9
B ergstrom,4 in 1915, found th e boiling points of the p otassium halides to be as follow s: potassium chloride 1500°, p otassium brom ide 1435°, and potassium iodide 1420°. N ig g li5 found th a t a m ixture of potassium carbonate and silica heated for 60 hrs. a t 900° to 1000°
lost 15 mg. of K20 . In addition, m any of th e recent articles dealing w ith processes for recovering p otash from silicates contain sta tem en ts as to th e relative v o la tility of certain p otassium com pounds, b ut, w ith th e exception of th e work of A nderson and N e ste ll,1 it is believed th a t there has been no previous q u a n ti
ta tiv e stu d y on th e v o latilization of p otassium com pounds.
M E T H O D O F V A P O R P R E S S U R E D E T E R M I N A T I O N
On account of th e d ifficulty of finding a gastigh t m aterial w hich w ould w ith stan d th e corrosive action of potassium com pounds at high tem peratures, and of m easuring sm all pressures at th ese tem peratures, it seem ed useless to a tte m p t to em p loy a sta tic m ethod for m easuring th e vapor pressure. H ence th e dynam ic m ethod of von W artenberg6 was chosen.
In th is m ethod a m easured volu m e of gas is passed over a w eighed q u an tity of th e su bstan ce w hose vapor pressure is to be determ ined a t th e desired tem p er
ature. T h e am ount volatilized is found b y th e loss of w eight, and th e partial pressure is calcu lated from th e relation:
M oles of substance X total pressure Pressure of substance = — : - :— ---
M oles of gas + moles of substance T his partial pressure of th e volatilized su bstan ce repre
sen ts its vapor pressure on ly if th e gas passed over th e heated su bstance is saturated w ith th e vapor of th e su bstance at th e given tem perature, a condition w hich is never realized experim entally. H ow ever, the degree of saturation of th e gas stream is inversely proportional to its speed. H ence b y determ ining these partial pressures at three or more speeds of th e gas stream , and p lottin g th e partial pressures against the speeds, it is possible to obtain th e slop e of th e line which show s th e relation betw een partial pressures of th e volatilized su bstance and speed of th e gas stream . If this line is extend ed to zero speed it gives th e par
tia l pressure at saturation, which is th e vapor pressure of th e volatilized substance.
T he application of th is m ethod presupposes a k n ow l
edge of th e m olecular w eigh t in th e gaseous sta te of
F eb ., 1921 T E E J O U R N A L OF 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 111 both th e su bstan ce volatilized and th e gas used, in
order th a t th e num ber of m oles of each m ay be cal
culated. T h e num ber of m oles of nitrogen, th e gas passed through th e reaction cham ber, w as easily found b y w eighing th e w ater displaced by th e nitrogen at a given tem perature and pressure. In th e case of- th e potassium com pounds volatilized , th e defisity in th e gaseous sta te has been determ ined for on ly one of th e com pounds stud ied. N ern st7 has shown th a t the m olec
ular w eigh t of p otassium chloride at high tem peratures corresponds to th e sim ple form ula KC1. In calcu lat
ing th e vapor pressures of th e other com pounds it was necessary to m ake certain assum ptions regarding the m olecular w eigh t of th e com pound volatilized . The details of th ese assum ptions are given under th e d is
cussion of th e results for each com pound. I t can be p ointed ou t here, how ever, th a t should later work show th a t th e assum ed m olecular w eight in an y case is wrong, it w ill sim p ly necessitate recalculation of the results and will not im pair th e usefulness of th e experim ental data. Furtherm ore, a vapor pressure here given , used in connection with th e assum ed m olec
ular w eight, will giv e practically th e sam e result in calcu lation of th e am ount of p otash necessary to sa t
urate a given volu m e of gas at a given tem perature and pressure as w ould a corrected m olecular w eight used w ith th e recalculated vapor pressure. N ever
theless, to avoid m isunderstanding special atten tion is called to th e fact th a t, w ith th e excep tion of th e value for potassium chloride, th e vapor pressures herein reported are based upon assum ed m olecular w eights.
V A P O R P R E S S U R E A P P A R A T U S
A general sk etch of th e apparatus is given in Fig. I.
It consisted of th e gas container A, th e purifying train B , th e vapor pressure tu b e C, which w as heated in an electric furnace, F, th e absorbing train D , and th e gas m easuring apparatus E.
T he gas, nitrogen, w hich w as to be passed through th e vap or pressure tu b e was contained over w ater in a large b o ttle, A, w hich w as connected by a syphon w ith anoth er b o ttle, A ', containing a supply of water.
T his secon d b o ttle was suspended from a screw ele
v ator so th a t th e pressure of th e gas in th e apparatus could be k ep t con stan t w ithin one centim eter of w ater pressure during th e course of an experim ent. A sm all
m anom eter, M, filled w ith w ater show ed th e pressure in th e apparatus.
After leaving th e gas container and before entering th e vapor pressure tu b e th e gas w as freed from an y car
bon dioxide w hich m ight be p resent by passing through th e soda lim e tu b e and dried b y passing through th e calcium chloride tu b e b", of th e purifying train B.
After leaving th e vapor pressure tu b e th e gas passed through the absorbing train D , w hich con sisted of three U -tubes filled as follow s: d ' , granular anhydrous calcium chloride; d ’, soda lim e in th e first leg and bend and calcium chloride in th e second leg; d " ’, calcium chloride. T h e object of this purifying train w as to p revent m oisture from diffusing back in to th e vap or pressure tu b e and to absorb for w eighing carbon di
oxide set free b y heating p otassium carbonate in th e determ ination of its vapor pressure.
T he speed at w hich th e gas was passed through the vapor pressure tu b e was regulated b y th e size of th e capillary in th e tip g, through w hich water was allow ed to flow from th e b o ttle E , and th e volu m e of gas passed through th e vapor pressure tu b e w as determ ined b y w eighing th e w ater displaced. B y using a b ottle w ith large cross-section and extend ing th e ou tlet tu b e / , 2 liters of gas could be drawn in to th e m easuring apparatus w ith a loss of on ly ab out 3 in. in a to ta l head of 40 in. T h is is a change of 7.5 per cen t, but experim ents w ith different sizes of capillary tip s showed an extrem e variation of ab out 6 per cent in the speed of th e water flowing during th e first m inute and during th e la st m inute. T h e speed of th e gas stream , th ere
fore, varied during th e course of an experim ent n ot more th an 3 per cent from th e mean speed. T h e tu b e h, connected w ith th e ou tlet tu b e, w as open at th e top and allow ed th e pressure in th e m easuring apparatus to be read upon th e scale i. T h e rubber stopper of th e b ottle E had four holes and carried, besides th e in let tu b e shown in th e figure, a tu b e b y which w ater could be introduced and tw o therm om eters, one to show th e tem perature of th e gas and th e other th a t of th e w ater. In order to give as sm all variation as pos
sible in th e speed of th e gas stream , before b eginning an experim ent a w eighed q u an tity of w ater was run out and th e level of th e w ater brought below th e sh ou l
der of th e b ottle. T h e tem perature of th e gas at th e beginning and end of th e experim ent w as noted and correction m ade w henever necessary for th e change of volum e due to change of tem perature.
A longitudinal section of th e vapor pressure tub e C is shown in Fig. 2. T h e tu b e was m ade of “ Im - p ervite” porcelain, 24 in. long and 1 in. bore, w ith w alls about three-sixteen th s in ch th ick . It was glazed on th e ou tside and was found to be g a stigh t a t th e tem peratures em ployed. In to th is tu b e w as cem en ted w ith a grout of im pervite b ody th e fixed plug of im - pervite which was perforated w ith a on e-sixteenth inch hole and had a recess for th e P t — P t + Ir th erm o
couple as shown. T he loosely fittin g plug w as also^
of im pervite b ody, unglazed, and had em b edded in it, a piece of p latinum wire b y which it could be w ith drawn from th e tub e. T h e diam eter of th is plug w aa ab out one-sixteenth inch less th an th e internal diam.-
112 T H E J O U R N A L OF 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 ol. 13, N o . 2
-~pt-pt ' ! r COUPLE LOOSCLY
PITTING PLUO
F to. 2— L o n o i t u d i n a i , S u c t i o n o f C e n t r a l P o r t i o n o p V a p o r P r e s s u r e T u b e
eter of th e tub e. Gas flowing through th e vapor pressure tu b e was heated by passing through the space betw een th e loosely fittin g plug and th e walls of th e tu b e, and after passing over th e su bstan ce con
tained in th e p latinum b oat and tak in g up its load of vapor left th e reaction cham ber b y th e one-sixteentli inch hole in th e fixed plug. T h e entrance end of th e tub e, which projected ab out 7 in. from th e furnace, w as closed by a rubber stopper carrying a glass tu b e through which th e gas was introduced. T h e exit end of th e vapor pressure tub e, w hich projected from th e furnace on ly about 1 in., was closed by a special stopper m olded of a m ixture of portland cem en t and asbestos. T h is w as doubly perforated and carried an ex it tu b e for th e gas and a double-bored porcelain pro
tectin g tube for th e platinum -iridium therm ocouple.
I t w as cem ented in to th e tu b e by a m ixture of sodium silicate and barium su lfate, and th e join ts were made g astigh t b y coating w ith B ak elite varnish. A t the higher tem peratures th e ends of th e vapor pressure tu b e were cooled by strips of w et filter paper so th at there was no decom position of th e rubber stopper or of the B ak elite varnish.
T h e vapor pressure tu b e was heated in a m olyb denum -w ound electric furnace, details of w hich are given in F ig. 3. T h e position of th e tu b e in th e fur
nace w as such th a t th e reaction cham ber w as in the central even ly heated portion of th e furnace. E vidence th a t th e reaction cham ber was even ly heated is given by th e fa ct th a t when th e loosely fittin g plug w as w ith drawn it was on ly after a few seconds th a t th e o u t
lines of th e p latinum boat becam e visible.
T he tem perature of th e furnace was regulated by su itable resistances and w as controlled by m eans of a platinum -iridium therm ocouple connected w ith a Siem ens and H alske m illivoltm eter. T h e h ot ju n c
tion of th e therm ocouple was located in th e recess in th e fixed plug as show n in Figs. 2 and 3. T h e cold junction con n ection s of th e couple wires w ith th e cop per leads of th e m illivoltm eter were made in mercury, w hich was k ep t at a con stan t tem perature b y a w ater b ath . T h e tem peratures in th e reaction cham ber cor
responding to readings on th e m illivoltm eter were d e
term ined at th e beginning of each set of experim ents b y a platinum -rhodium couple and a Leeds and N orth- rup service potentiom eter.
B y su b stitu tin g for th e regular loosely fittin g plug a perforated plug of th e sam e size, th e h ot jun ction of th e platinum -rhodium couple w as supported over th e
•em pty p latinum b oat in th e p osition in dicated in Fig.
2. Gas was then run through th e vapor pressure tub e just as in a regular experim ent. T h e cold junction con n ection s of th e platinum -rhodium couple w ith th e
leads of th e service p oten tiom eter were silver soldered and kept a t 0 ° C. in a vacu u m b o ttle packed w ith ice.
T he tem perature w as calcu lated from th e electro
m o tiv e force read on th e p oten tiom eter b y H olm an ’s form ula,
e = w T ”,
using th e valu es m = 0.00275 and n - 1.18, w hich were ob tain ed for th is particular therm ocouple b y calibra
tion against th e freezing p oin ts of zinc, an tim on y, and copper, by Mr. R oland P. Soule in th e physics dep art
m ent of C olum bia U n iversity. I t is th o u g h t th at th ese tem peratures are correct w ithin ± 1 0 ° C., and th e variation of th e tem perature during th e course of an experim ent w as alw ays w ell w ithin th ese lim its.
P R O C E D U R E
W hen th e tem perature in th e tub e, as show n by th e platinum -iridium couple, had becom e con stan t a t th e required point, and a con stan t pressure of ab out 2 cm . of w ater show ed th a t there was no leak in th e system , th e loosely fittin g plug was w ithdraw n, a p latinum b oat con taining a w eighed am ount of p o ta s
sium salt was introduced, th e plug q uickly replaced, and th e gas stream through th e tu b e started by allow ing w ater to run from th e capillary tip g (Fig. 1 ) in to a w eighed container. T he tem perature in th e tu b e w as read a t 3- to 5-min. in tervals, and kept con sta n t w ithin =±=5°; th e pressure in th e sy stem was kept con stan t w ithin ± 0 .5 cm. of w ater b y raising th e syp hon b o ttle of th e gas container. A fter about 2 liters of gas had been drawn through th e tub e the gas stream w as interrupted and th e b oat con taining th e p otassium salt quickly rem oved.
A— A lu n d u m C o re , 10* X 2* B o re , W o u n d w ith 27 F t . 0.0 2 8 * M o ly b d e n u m W ire
E — A lu n d u m C o re , 12* X 5* B o re K — A lu n d u m C e m e n t R in g s N — R in g s of x/ \ " A sb e sto s W o o d P — A sb e sto s F ir e F e lt , * / ( ' T h iele R — L e a d s o f M o ly b d e n u m W ire ,
4 -P ly
S— E le c tr ic C o n n e c to r of %f\%*
S te e l R o d
T — N o . 10, C o p p e r F e e d W ire U — G lass , 4T ” T u b e
V — P o r c e la in I n s u la t in g T u b e X — R u b b e r T u b in g
The tim e betw een startin g and stopp in g th e gas stream was n oted, as well as th e tem perature of the gas in th e m easuring apparatus and th e pressure in th e apparatus. T h e volu m e of gas at th is tem perature and pressure and saturated w ith w ater vapor was found by w eighing th e w ater displaced, its volum e under standard con d itions and dry w as calculated, and from th is th e num ber of m oles of gas passed through th e vapor pressure tu b e was determ ined. T h e am ount of p otassium com pound volatilized w as found either by loss of w eight or by analysis. All w eighings were
