world-wide chemistry - ACS Publications

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1090

INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY

Vol. 16, KO. 10

WORLD-WIDE CHEMISTRY Canadian Letter By S. J. Cook 140 BROADWAY AvE., OTTAWA,CANADA

METALLURGICAL RESEARCH RECOGNIZED The award of the McCharles prize by the University of Toronto t o S. G. Blaylock, general manager of the Consolidated Mining & Smelting Company of Canada, Ltd., Trail, B. C., for his achievements in solving the metallurgical problems involved in the successful treatment of the complex ores of the Sullivan Mine in British Columbia and in the production of electrolytic zinc therefrom, is a mark of recognition by the university of the most notable advance in Canadian metallurgy in recent years. The award is a popular one, for since research work was undertaken in 1910, Mr. Blaylock and his associates at Trail have made steady progress until now the Sullivan Mine has been developed into one of the largest zinc and lead mines in t h e world. The story of the research work is well told by Mr. Blaylock in a paper presented t o the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, printed in a recent issue of their official bulletin. The ore in the Sullivan Mine, which in places has. attained a thickness, at right angles t o the dip, of approximately 240 feet, is usually a very fine-grained mixture of galena, zinc blend, pyrite, and pyrrhotite. The blend is of the variety known as marmatite, represented in this case by the formula FeS.5ZnS. The ore as developed occurs in two zones, the upper of which is composed almost entirely of pyrite, while t h e lower consists of a finegrained, massive pyrrhotite. In the same working face it is not unusual t o find clean galena, zinc blend, and pyrrhotite, as well as the usual intimate mixture. In the research work, after many methods had been tried, the discoveries of the ease with which zinc can be plated on and stripped from aluminium cathodes, and that in order t o secure good deposition the zinc sulfate solution must be much freer from other elements than had previously been considered necessary, were decisive factors in placing the electrolytic zinc process on the road t o commercial success. Perhaps the greatest accomplishments were the successful meeting of t h e difficulties as they arose and a t the same time reducing costs fast enough to keep ahead of the rapidly falling price of zinc. A few carloads of high-grade zinc were made in 1915 in the experimental plant. The present zinc plant, producing about 100 tons per day, was built in 1915 and started operations early in 1916. The lead production is about 200 tons of bullion, but as soon as sufficient power is obtained t o run the Sullivan concentrator t o capacity this will be increased t o 300 tons per day, as there is sufficient blast furnace capacity t o smelt all the lead concentrates produced. A notable feature in all the later zinc research work was a constant interchange of ideas and results with the staff of the zinc department of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, and there is no doubt t h a t the speed with which the process developed was due in great measure t o this friendly interchange. BRITISHASSOCIATION AT TORONTO The 92nd meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science was held in Toronto, August 6 t o 13. The last meeting of the society in Canada was held in Toronto in 1897; a t t h a t time the attendance exceeded 1300, while this year more than 2500persons registered, about 600 coming from abroad. The papers presented were divided into thirteen sections or groups, and the majority of the meetings were for the discussion of scientific matters only, but many meetings were also held t o which the public was invited. Section B (Chemistry) was presided over by Sir Robert Robertson, who took for the subject of his presidential address “Chemistry and the State.” H e traced t h e relation of the chemist t o the Government of Great Britain in all its branches and showed t h a t while chemistry was first considered only as a function of the Department of Defense, later the value of research emphasized by the exigencies of a war period was ultimately recognized and t h a t a t the present time upwards of $250,000 annually is being spent by the State in the promotion of scientific research. The visit of the British Association is generally regarded as the

most outstanding scientific event of the year and the papers presented to the public in an acceptable way some of the results of research conducted in recent years in all parts of t h e empire. ADVANCE I N MINERALOUTPUT Statistics recently issued show t h a t the mineral production of Canada for the first half of 1924 was well maintained, and in t h e metal-mining field a n advance of 20 per cent in output is recorded. Gold, silver, lead, and zinc were all produced in greater amount, and the metallurgical research work being carried on in British Columbia and northern Ontario, the centers of the metal-mining industry, were important contributory factors in the progress reported. BENTONITE FOR GRINDING ASPHADT A Mines Branch research on the grinding of asphalt-bentonitewater mixtures, as well as asphalt with bentonite in the dry state, and asphalt with china clay, has been reported, and the results show t h a t bentonite can be used very satisfactorily, forming a n exceedingly smooth, stable paste suitable for incorporating into felt, paper, or other materials. The samples of bentonite used were obtained from two sources, one lot being from Rosedale, Alberta, and the other from Medicine Bow, Wyo. No material difference was perceptible in the products made from the two bentonites. September 3, 1924

German Letter By Walter Roth COTHRN,

GSRMANY

THETITLE“CHEMIST” For many years efforts have been made t o protect the title “chemist” in some way, but without success. Even today anyone who wishes can call himself a chemist, without having had a chemical training. I n professional circles a real chemist is one who has given three or four years t o academic study at a university or technical school, ended by a n examination for a degree or diploma. Chemists who have not had this training are called “Chemikanten,” chemical students, or chemists’ assistants. We are justified, therefore, in objecting t o a recent advertisement in a ceramic paper calling for a “chief melter” who is a chemist or a n engineer. A chief melter is nothing more or less than a foreman or boss, and even if he does play a n important part in glassworks, after all, his work can never be equivalent to that of a chemist. In a daily paper a chemist was recently sought as a head dipper in a penholder factory. Against such abuses, which lower the standing of the chemist, it is the duty of the technical press and organizations t o take suitable measures.

SILICIC ACIDGEL AS

AN

ADSORPTION MATERIAL

Instead of silica gel, which has recently found use in America in refining petroleum and as a catalyst, Dr. Rudolf Koetschau, in Chemiker Zeitulzg, recommends granular silicic acid gel for similar purposes. This silicic acid gel is used in the form of white, glistening, hard grains, which resemble grains of rice. The material is poured onto filters, through which the liquid to be purified is run. Compared with the silica gel the granular silicic acid has the advantage of little resistance to penetration. Ry the Hermann process none of t,he silicic acid can reach the refinery, as in the case of the powdered silicic acid. Moreover, the refining can be done in the same apparatus and the substance can be used over and over, making possible a n extremely simple operation without any power requirement. Dr. Koetschau compares this silicic acid gel with activated carbon, to which i t is superior because of its noncombustibility, cheaper price, and longer life. It is a n ideal drying agent, both for laboratory and medicinal purposes. Besides being valuable in the petroleum industry, i t can also be used in the hydrogenation of fatty oils, as well as in the purification of the product.