CHEMISTRY. (NEW PROCESSES.) 



151 



New Processes. Six methods of producing 

 graphite are recognized and described by M. M. 

 P. Muir in Watts's Dictionary of Chemistry, edi- 

 tion of 1890, but none of them has yet been 

 made commercially available. Cowles Brothers, 

 of Cleveland, Ohio, observed a formation of 

 graphite in or about the charge of their electric 

 furnace, and regarded it as something to be re- 

 moved. A formation of graphite was noticed by 

 O. Rose in an experiment in heating a diamond 

 imbedded in charcoal to the temperature of 

 molten cast iron. Conversion of the diamond 

 and amorphous carbon has also been remarked 

 under the high temperature afforded by the gal- 

 vanic battery. In experiments on the manufac- 

 ture of carborundum Mr. E. G. Acheson found 

 that graphite was occasionally formed in certain 

 portions of his furnace charge at one part by 

 the decomposition of carborundum, and at an- 

 other part probably by the decomposition of 

 carbides. That formed by the decomposition of 

 the carborundum was remarkable from the fact 

 that it retained the form of the crystal from 

 which it was derived; but it was only one third 

 the weight of carborundum, and possessed the 

 characteristic metallic gray color of pure graph- 

 ite. Though there seemed to be here two distinct 

 methods of producing graphite, they were, in fact, 

 identical; and the author would define the method 

 as consisting in heating carbon, in association 

 with one or more oxides, to a temperature suf- 

 ficiently high to cause a chemical reaction be- 

 tween the constituents, and then continuing the 

 heating until the combined carbon separates in 

 the free state. Other salts of the metals may, 

 however, be substituted for the oxides. All the 

 methods of manufacture thus far known contain 

 the same underlying principle of the liberation of 

 the carbon from a chemical association with one 

 or more elements, under conditions unfavorable 

 to or prohibitive of its reassociation with the 

 same or other elements. The author concludes 

 that the only commercial way to make graphite 

 is through the breaking up of a carbide by the 

 action of heat. 



A new process for the estimation of nickel in 

 steel, described by Mr. L. Archbutt before the 

 Society of Chemical Industry, depends upon the 

 property possessed by ether of dissolving ferric 

 chloride. If ether be added to a solution con- 

 taining the two salts, and the mixture be well 

 shaken, after standing the ether will rise to the 

 top, bringing with it the ferric chloride. The 

 nickel will remain in the bottom solution, which 

 will contain a trace of iron. By repeating the 

 process the iron can be completely removed. The 

 percentage of nickel present is most readily as- 

 certained by electrolysis. 



The metal palladium, by reason of its excep- 

 tional behavior with reference to hydrogen, would 

 seem to be well fitted for the purpose of a reducing 

 agent. In the application of it for this object 

 by Dr. N. Zelinsky a zinc-palladium couple is 

 prepared from zinc and palladium chloride much 

 as the zinc-copper couple is prepared. This is 

 placed in alcohol, and acid is added until hydro- 

 gen gas just begins to be evolved. At this stage 

 the palladium black is saturated with hydrogen, 

 and produces energetic reduction of the alkyl 

 iodide or bromide, the acid and iodine being now 

 added alternately. Hexamethylene and the ethyl 

 and methyl hexamethylenes, which are obtained 

 with great difficulty from their halogen deriva- 

 tives by ordinary reducing agents, are produced 

 in yields of from 70 to 75 per cent, of the theo- 

 retical yield when the corresponding oxides or 

 bromides are treated in this way. 



To maintain the reduction of ferrous solutions, 

 or prevent their oxidation, William S. Myers 

 adds 10 per cent, solution of ferrous sulphate. 

 The acid under these conditions liberates hydro- 

 gen very slowly, and yet fast enough to nullify 

 the oxidizing action of the air, even when the 

 solution is exposed in an open beaker. The 

 author has found that ferrous solutions thus 

 made up will keep for more than a month in a 

 practically unchanged condition, while solutions 

 heated for protection by a number of other 

 methods were very largely ferric at the end of 

 that period. 



A method based upon the color reaction given 

 by the alkaline molybdates is recommended by 

 A. Jalles and F. Neurath as affording a sim- 

 ple and rapid means for estimating silica in 

 w r ater, and as being applicable to very small 

 quantities of liquid. These molybdate salts give 

 with silica in the presence of free nitric acid com- 

 plex yellow compounds, similar to those which 

 they form with phosphoric and arsenic acids. 

 Among the alkaline silico-molybdates the silico- 

 molybdate of potassium is most soluble, and in 

 aqueous solution has a pronounced yellow color, 

 the intensity of which increases with the tem- 

 perature, and attains its maximum toward 70 

 or 80 C. 



Of two recent methods for the analysis of glue, 

 that of Stelling looks to the estimation of the 

 nongluey material, and that of Fels to the esti- 

 mation of the viscosity of a solution of glue. 

 In Stelling's process alcohol at 96 is added in 

 small quantities at a time to a solution of glue 

 (one part of glue to four parts of water) while 

 constantly stirring, and the proportion of non- 

 gluey matter is determined by evaporating down 

 an aliquot part of the alcoholic solution and 

 weighing the residue. This process is found by 

 Richard Kissling to have a certain very small 

 value, especially when we have to deal with 

 products of superior quality, products containing 

 substances soluble in alcohol, in quantities much 

 smaller than are present in ordinary glues. Fels's 

 method of determining the viscosity which is 

 done with an Engler viscosimeter can also give 

 very useful indications, but here again certain 

 reservations must be made. Mr. Kissling has 

 found that solutions of glue undergo in time 

 modifications in fluidity. A process described by 

 the author, while somew^hat more complicated 

 than these, is claimed by him to merit more con- 

 fidence in determining the value of a glue. It 

 consists in measuring the consistency of the jelly 

 formed by one part of glue and three parts of 

 water. 



The method of M. Goldschmidt for the produc- 

 tion of high temperatures, and for preparing 

 metals difficult of fusion free from carbon, de- 

 pends mainly upon the high temperature (3,000 

 C.) developed in the combination of aluminum 

 and oxygen. In explaining his method the au- 

 thor says that the principal difficulty in utiliz- 

 ing the temperature named lies in the regulation 

 of the reaction by means of w r hich the work is 

 performed. He observes, further, that there is 

 no need of heating the whole of the reacting 

 mass up to the temperature of ignition; "it suf- 

 fices to cause combustion at one particular point. 

 But in this there is still a practical difficulty to 

 be overcome," which in the preparation of me- 

 tallic chromium, starting with a mixture of oxide 

 of chromium and powdered aluminum, may be 

 easily surmounted by placing at a convenient 

 point a small quantity of a mixture of aluminum 

 with a more easily reducible oxide, or, better 

 still, with a peroxide. This method has the great 



