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Research that pays profits
768
CURRENT TOPICS.
[J. F. I.
Improvements in a pyrometer controller include a socalled "deoscillator." The object of this device is to impress onto the thermocouple circuit a slight additional e.m.f, that augments the thermocouple e.m.f, when the temperature is low and opposes it when the temperature is high. This causes the controller to close either the high or low circuit a little in advance of the actual temperature demand. Now we have fuses of platinum wire drawn thirty times finer than a human hair and ranging from o.oI to 2 amperes capacity. Seamless tubing of silver, gold, pure nickel or stainless steal in a variety of sizes is now being supplied by a manufacturer who also undertakes the fabrication of silver castings and valves. C. Research That Pays Profits.--From the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research comes a reprint: an Abstract of the Twentieth Annual Report of the director, E. R. WEIDLEIN. For many years the Institute has been the recipient of considerable numbers of industrial research fellowships the products of which have returned to the donors values many times in excess of the original investment. Evidence of the confidence held by the industry at large in research institutions of this type is exemplified by the report that throughout the last fiscal year 67 industrial fellowships requiring the services of lO9 fellows and 28 assistants were pursued under the foster guidance of the institute. Results of some of the industrial fellowship researches are worth mentioning: A twelve-month survey on the occurrence of carbon monoxide in Pittsburgh was made. At street intersections, the concentration of gas was at no time considered objectionable, but undesirable conditions were occasionally found in parking garages. In the investigation of solar ultra-violet radiation, the effect of the marked reduction in industrial activity as well as that of winter heating plants were plainly evidenced. The work on "New Building Materials" has resulted in the production of a cement-coated steel sheet that has high weather resistance. This building panel consists of a core of asphalt and asbestosprotected steel enveloped with a cement possessing novel properties. Earlier developments under this fellowship include a "metallic adhesive" and the "keystone-beam" steel flooring. One fellowship has been occupied with the development of new varieties of strained vegetables and a comparison of their nutritive values when prepared by factory methods with the various procedures used in the home, paying special reference to the vitamin content.
June, I933.]
CURRENT TOPICS.
769
Work on organic syntheses has resulted in the development of methods for producing amines; preparation of new types of glycol compounds especially for the lubrication of textile fibers such as silk, rayon and wool. A t t e m p t s to determine the specifications for an ideal plasticizer for nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate were coupled with work on new types of plasticizers and resins. In the field of petroleum production, special emphasis has been directed toward the difficulties in pipe-line shipment of crude oil in cold weather. T h e fluidity of a cold crude oil not only depends upon the temperature but upon the shearing stress induce in the fluid; the same principles must be applied when studying rotary drilling muds. Corrosion studies have led to the discovery of materials t h a t decrease effectively hydrogen sulfide corrosion of oil-well equipment. This investigation is coupled with a study of the chemical t r e a t m e n t of wells to increase oil production. Research on leather has resulted in developing a new type of chrome-tanned Vici kid leather that has increased durability, resistance to scuffing and water-proofness. T h e secret of success lies in the introduction of a lubricating material during the tanning operation. It gives a flexible yet non-stretchable leather that wears exceptionally well and eliminates a finishing operation on the shoes after they are made. A t t e m p t s to develop new uses for sugars has resulted in the preparation of a variety of sucrose compounds one of which is viscous enough to serve as an adhesive; another is soluble in petroleum distillates while others m a y serve as plasticizers. T h e use of sugar in the manufacture of sand-lime brick has been successful and it is now being employed in some mid-western sand-lime brick plants. C.
And Now Zeolite For Treating Sewage.--(Chem & Ind., 52, 347.) Zeolite, usually described chemically as a sodium aluminasilicate, is used extensively as a base-exchange water softener. Salts of calcium and magnesium generally comprise the hardness in water and zeolite has the remarkable ability of exchanging its sodium for the basic elements of these salts. Thus, the water is softened through having these calcium and magnesium salts transformed to those of sodium. Conversely, the calcium and magnesium m a y be removed from the zeolite by t r e a t m e n t with a strong solution of common salt. As one might suspect, a zeolite does not limit its activity to those three basic elements na~,~tt..sb~ve,..Psppa~e.n~ly:it. . caln..be . . . . . . . . . . . . encouraged to react with a va~,e~3'."' ~ [ ; ~ J ~ { r ~ ~ t a r ~ c l g . : ~ i t h ~ r ! ! ~ } ! i" organic or inorganic. This prol~erty'l~as fed'to'{l~e "d~v~l'dl~rr[eht [3f. . . . . . . . ~***
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~ " i . ' i :" ::::.-
CURRENT TOPICS.
[J. F. I.
Improvements in a pyrometer controller include a socalled "deoscillator." The object of this device is to impress onto the thermocouple circuit a slight additional e.m.f, that augments the thermocouple e.m.f, when the temperature is low and opposes it when the temperature is high. This causes the controller to close either the high or low circuit a little in advance of the actual temperature demand. Now we have fuses of platinum wire drawn thirty times finer than a human hair and ranging from o.oI to 2 amperes capacity. Seamless tubing of silver, gold, pure nickel or stainless steal in a variety of sizes is now being supplied by a manufacturer who also undertakes the fabrication of silver castings and valves. C. Research That Pays Profits.--From the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research comes a reprint: an Abstract of the Twentieth Annual Report of the director, E. R. WEIDLEIN. For many years the Institute has been the recipient of considerable numbers of industrial research fellowships the products of which have returned to the donors values many times in excess of the original investment. Evidence of the confidence held by the industry at large in research institutions of this type is exemplified by the report that throughout the last fiscal year 67 industrial fellowships requiring the services of lO9 fellows and 28 assistants were pursued under the foster guidance of the institute. Results of some of the industrial fellowship researches are worth mentioning: A twelve-month survey on the occurrence of carbon monoxide in Pittsburgh was made. At street intersections, the concentration of gas was at no time considered objectionable, but undesirable conditions were occasionally found in parking garages. In the investigation of solar ultra-violet radiation, the effect of the marked reduction in industrial activity as well as that of winter heating plants were plainly evidenced. The work on "New Building Materials" has resulted in the production of a cement-coated steel sheet that has high weather resistance. This building panel consists of a core of asphalt and asbestosprotected steel enveloped with a cement possessing novel properties. Earlier developments under this fellowship include a "metallic adhesive" and the "keystone-beam" steel flooring. One fellowship has been occupied with the development of new varieties of strained vegetables and a comparison of their nutritive values when prepared by factory methods with the various procedures used in the home, paying special reference to the vitamin content.
June, I933.]
CURRENT TOPICS.
769
Work on organic syntheses has resulted in the development of methods for producing amines; preparation of new types of glycol compounds especially for the lubrication of textile fibers such as silk, rayon and wool. A t t e m p t s to determine the specifications for an ideal plasticizer for nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate were coupled with work on new types of plasticizers and resins. In the field of petroleum production, special emphasis has been directed toward the difficulties in pipe-line shipment of crude oil in cold weather. T h e fluidity of a cold crude oil not only depends upon the temperature but upon the shearing stress induce in the fluid; the same principles must be applied when studying rotary drilling muds. Corrosion studies have led to the discovery of materials t h a t decrease effectively hydrogen sulfide corrosion of oil-well equipment. This investigation is coupled with a study of the chemical t r e a t m e n t of wells to increase oil production. Research on leather has resulted in developing a new type of chrome-tanned Vici kid leather that has increased durability, resistance to scuffing and water-proofness. T h e secret of success lies in the introduction of a lubricating material during the tanning operation. It gives a flexible yet non-stretchable leather that wears exceptionally well and eliminates a finishing operation on the shoes after they are made. A t t e m p t s to develop new uses for sugars has resulted in the preparation of a variety of sucrose compounds one of which is viscous enough to serve as an adhesive; another is soluble in petroleum distillates while others m a y serve as plasticizers. T h e use of sugar in the manufacture of sand-lime brick has been successful and it is now being employed in some mid-western sand-lime brick plants. C.
And Now Zeolite For Treating Sewage.--(Chem & Ind., 52, 347.) Zeolite, usually described chemically as a sodium aluminasilicate, is used extensively as a base-exchange water softener. Salts of calcium and magnesium generally comprise the hardness in water and zeolite has the remarkable ability of exchanging its sodium for the basic elements of these salts. Thus, the water is softened through having these calcium and magnesium salts transformed to those of sodium. Conversely, the calcium and magnesium m a y be removed from the zeolite by t r e a t m e n t with a strong solution of common salt. As one might suspect, a zeolite does not limit its activity to those three basic elements na~,~tt..sb~ve,..Psppa~e.n~ly:it. . caln..be . . . . . . . . . . . . encouraged to react with a va~,e~3'."' ~ [ ; ~ J ~ { r ~ ~ t a r ~ c l g . : ~ i t h ~ r ! ! ~ } ! i" organic or inorganic. This prol~erty'l~as fed'to'{l~e "d~v~l'dl~rr[eht [3f. . . . . . . . ~***
c o ,
• -':.::: ." ~ ' : i : ' ~ : ::::..:'-:.-:..:..:
~ " i . ' i :" ::::.-