372 



t^ATURE 



[May 20, 1920 



The Research Associations. 



NOTHING could be more satisfactory than the 

 account that Dr. A. W. Crossley gave on Friday 

 last to the Conference of Research Associations of 

 the constitution and methgds of the British Cotton 

 Industry Research Association, of which he is director. 

 It embraces every activity that contributes to the 

 production and utilisation of cotton, and represents 

 more than 95 per cent, of the firms engaged in the 

 industry. Among its members are some of the Labour 

 leaders, and these take the keenest interest in its 

 work. It aims to obtain, in the first place, more 

 exact knowledge of the chemical and physical pro- 

 perties of the fibre and the scientific facts which lie 

 at the base of the processes employed ; for it is con- 

 sidered that it is only in this way that the true solu- 

 tion of the problems which present themselves can be 

 assured. It is to be hoped that the same broad and 

 scientific spirit may animate all the associations that 

 have been formed under the Department of Scientific 

 and Industrial Research. 



It appeared to be generally agreed that one of the 

 most important conditions of the success of the move- 

 ment was its close association with the universities 

 and colleges where scientific research has hitherto been 

 mainly carried out. It is to them that research asso- 

 ciations and the research departments of private firms 

 must look for their supply of science workers, and 

 it is obviously important that those who are engaged 

 in preparing men and women for the task of indus- 

 trial research should be acquainted with the lines on 

 which it is carried on. It is for this reason to be 

 desired that the scientific staffs of these institutions 

 should take their share in the technical research 

 required by our industries, and it is a matter of con- 

 gratulation that the Imperial College of Science and 

 Technology has already led the way in this direction. 

 Lord Crewe, who presided, referred in this connection 

 to the "industrial fellowships" established at Pitts- 

 burgh and elsewhere in the United States to facilitate 

 the investigation of technical problems. The work 

 is carried out in close co-operation with the universi- 

 ties, and at the joint expense of the manufacturers 

 concerned and of the endowment. 



The question of the publication of the results of 

 industrial research presents serious diflficulties. As 

 Dr. Crossley remarked, those employed upon it must 

 keep in close touch with those engaged in pure re- 

 search, on whose conclusions their work is based, 

 but they cannot be always taking without giving 

 something in return. He urged that a large propor- 

 tion of the work carried out should ultimately be 

 published even if for commercial reasons it had to be 

 held back for several years;. and Dr. Lawrence Balls 

 reminded the conference that the stimulus of the 

 prospect of future publication was required to secure 

 the accurate record of the data obtained in the course 

 of a research. 



Not less important are the closely allied questions 

 of the remuneration and superannuation of the 

 scientific workers employed by the associations. This 

 was discussed by Mr. J. W. Williamson in an in- 

 teresting paper. ' He came to the conclusion that 

 under present conditions 400?. per annum is the mini- 

 mum that should be offered to a science graduate who 

 has alreadv had two or three years' training in re- 

 search. He pointed out that a post under a research 

 association did not afford the same securitv of tenure 

 as one at a university. The desirability of extending 

 to the staffs of research associations the federated 

 superannuation system for universities was acknow- 

 ledged on all sides. J. W. E. 

 NO. 2638, VOL. 105] 



Solid Lubricants. 



ALTHOUGH the report of the Lubrication Com- 

 mittee has not yet been issued, a " Memorandum 

 on Solid Lubricants," prepared for the Committee by 

 one of its members, Mr. T. C. Thomsen, has recently 

 been published (Bulletin No. 4 of the Department of 

 Scientific and Industrial Research Advisory Council). 

 This pamphlet of twenty-eight pages contains a <Iigest 

 of the existing knowledge in this branch of the sub- 

 ject, and will be found most useful to all engineers 

 and users of machinery. The solid lubricants referred 

 to are natural and artificial graphite (which are by 

 far the most important), talc, mica, and such sub- 

 stances as flowers of sulphur, white lead, etc., whtch 

 are occasionally used for curing hot bearings. The 

 greater part of the bulletin is concerned with graphite, 

 and although there is not much matter which is new, 

 there isi a great deal of information which will be 

 of interest to many users of lubricants. The action of 

 solid lubricants and the conditions under which they 

 can be usefully employed are clearly explained. 



The natural graphite used for lubrication is usually 

 of the flake variety, and varies in the size of its 

 particles from i/io in. to less than 1/200 in. The 

 lubricating graphite produced artificially is amorphous. 

 It is ground even finer than the natural graphite, and 

 by chemical treatment is further reduced to particles 

 of colloidal dimensions and sold under the trade- 

 names of "Aquadag" and " Hydrosol " when in ad- 

 mixture with water, and "Oildag," "Oleospl," and 

 " Kollag " when in admixture with oil. Analyses of 

 the different varieties of lubricating graphites are 

 given in the pamphlet, and it is seen that some are 

 almost chemically pure carbon, whilst others contain 

 mineral matter in variable proportion. Solid lubricants 

 are applied di'y in cases where for special reasons it 

 is inadvisable or impossible to use liquid or senii- 

 solid lubricants, but they are usually employed in 

 admixture with oil or as an ingredient of greases. When 

 mixed with oil ordinarv graphite settles out, owing to 

 its high specific gravity. Colloidal graphite does not 

 settle so long as the vehicle remains neutral, and is 

 carried with oil through the finest orifices, even through 

 worsted trimmings, but it has the disadvantage of 

 bein? easily caused to coagulate in presence of acid or 

 alkali. 



"Oildag" and "Aquadag" have been on the 

 market for a number of years, and the experiences 

 of users of these and other forms of graphite which 

 Mr. Thomsen has collected for general information 

 will be found of considerable value. Perhaps the 

 most interesting experience is that of Mr. E. W.^ 

 Johnston, who has successfully emploved "Aquadag" 

 as a cylinder lubricant and eliminated all the trouble 

 caused by the presence of oil in condensed steam. 

 Experiments made at the National Physical Labora- 

 tory showed that the addition of "Oildag " to mineral 

 lubricating oil was advantageous where solid friction 

 occurred, as in worm gear, but quite as good results 

 were obtained with natural flake graphite, so that the 

 lubricatingf value of graphite seems to depend upon 

 its chemical puritv, and the special advantage of the 

 colloidal graphite is due to its pronertv of remaining 

 naturallv suspended in the liquid medium without 

 rPQuirine- to be stirred constantly bv artificial^ means. 

 The remarks on the use of graphite in internal- 

 combustion engines, in the lubrication of ropes and 

 chains, and in metal-cutting and wire-drawing will 

 be found of great interest and practical use. 



All who are interest^'d in lubricants should obtain a 

 copy of this pamphlet, which can be purchased 

 through any bookseller for sixpence. L. A. 



