94 



NATURE 



[October 2, 19 19 



fore conclude that this useful work is little known. 

 Phipson cites the experience of Audouin in 1814. In 

 Aug-ust that year some persons came to him at Choissy- 

 le-Roi, near Paris, where he was on holiday, and told 

 him they had seen an immense number of luminous 

 earthworms in a chicory field not far away. These 

 earthworms turned out to be centipedes. In another 

 chapter Phipson tells us that in 1840 Forester wrote to 

 the Academy of Sciences recording luminous earth- 

 worms. When this letter was communicated to the 

 Academy, M. Audouin rose and said that he knew of 

 no authentic case of luminous earthworms, but that he 

 could cite numerous cases where luminous centipedes 

 and worms had been confused. Whereupon Dumeril, 

 to prove that earthworms sometimes are phosphores- 

 cent, quoted the experience of Flaugergues and that of 

 the naturalist Bruguiere. It seems that M. Audouin 

 was afterwards convinced of the fact that earthworms 

 were sometimes luminous by the exf>erience of Saigev 

 and Moquin-Tandon, who found them so at Toulouse 

 in 1837. Phipson quotes other evidence, and closes an 

 interesting chapter with words which may confirm 

 Prof. Newbery's suggestion about the relation between 

 the quantity and quality of phosphorescence and the 

 food supply : — 



"I may add here," says Phipson, "that I distinctlv 

 remember witnessing, when quite a child, the phos- 

 phorescence of the earthworm ; the light appeared con- 

 nected with the slimy matter that covers the animal's 

 body. It was whilst digging at night, in a large dung- 

 hill, for worms to supply baits for a fishing excursion 

 that my schoolfellows and myself turned up many hun- 

 dred Lumbrics in a highly luminous condition ; but I 

 cannot recollect in what month this happened." 



S. Graham Brade-Birks. 



16 Bank Street, Darwen, Lancashire, 

 September 13. 



CATALYSIS IN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. 



rHE catalytic agent is pyenetrating peacefully, 

 yet effectively, into modern chemical in- 

 dustry. In explanation, to the lay mind, of the 

 rSle of a catalyst in chemical reaction, comparison 

 was recently cleverly drawn between the catalyst 

 and the matrimonial agency. Both serve to bring 

 together and to facilitate the union of others. 

 Both are free after the consummation of the one 

 process to renew their activities in like manner. 

 The catalytic substance has played an important 

 part in the many industries which have been neces- 

 sary to the maintenance and equipment of the 

 fighting Services with munitions of war. Not less 

 distinctive a part has it played on the home front 

 in the work of victory. The catalyst has been 

 largely employed in the supply of margarine, to 

 which we have grown accustomed. The soap 

 with which we have been cleansed calls, in the 

 process of its manufacture, for the assistance of 

 the catalyst. The glucose which has helped to 

 sweeten our lives, in time of a sugar shortage, is 

 th^ resultant of yet another catalytic process. 



Let us survey a few of the more striking appli- 

 cations of catalysis in industry. Glycerine for 

 dynamite and nitroglycerine is obtained from fats 

 by catalytic hydrolysis, using alkalis or acids 

 as splitting agents. In the modern developments 

 of fat-splitting the discovery of the Twitchell cata- 

 lyst facilitated, owing to its combined acidic and 

 NO. 2605, VOL. 104] 



fatty nature, the rapid working-up of low-grade 

 fats and greases for glycerine and soaps. Sul- 

 phuric acid is made by one or other of two cata- 

 lytic processes. The old or "lead chamber" pro- 

 cess uses oxides of nitrogen to assist the process 

 of oxidation of sulphur dioxide. I^or the stronger 

 acid, the "oleum" or fuming sulphuric acid re- 

 quired in the nitration of toluene and phenol for 

 high explosive, the modern "contact " process is 

 more suitable. The sulphur dioxide and oxygen 

 are caused to combine in the presence of solid 

 contact agents such as platinum or oxide of iron. 

 Chlorine, as well for poison-gas as for the more 

 peaceful requirements of bleaching-powder of 

 sanitation and water purification, is generated 

 from hydrochloric acid by oxidation in the pres- 

 ence of copper chloride as catalyst. That very 

 inert but plentiful constituent of the atmosphere, 

 nitrogen, may now, with the assistance of a suit- 

 able catalyst, be caused to combine with hydrogen 

 directly to form ammonia. This may be used 

 for the production of ammonium sulphate for 

 fertiliser, or oxidised in contact with a hot 

 platinum gauze to form oxides of nitrogen, and 

 thus lead to the manufacture of nitric acid or 

 ammonium nitrate. The hydrogen which is neces- 

 sary for ammonia synthesis is obtained most 

 cheaply and effectively by another catalytic re- 

 action, using water-gas and steam as the raw 

 materials. Town gas and fuel gases generally are 

 freed from obnoxious sulphur compounds present 

 as impurities by catalytic processes of sulphur 

 removal. 



It is a matter of difficulty fully to characterise 

 the developments which have attended in several 

 instances the discovery of successful catalytic 

 processes. Perhaps, however, an illustration in- 

 volving the application of the researches of tlie 

 brilliant French chemist, M. Paul Sabatier, will 

 serve to demonstrate potentialities and possibili- 

 ties inherent in academic research. M. Sabatier is 

 the discoverer of the principle of catalytic hydro- 

 genation, and has conducted an exhaustive series 

 of researches into the phenomenon. The applica- 

 tion of his results to industry has solved the 

 century-old problem of the economic utilisation of 

 liquid fats. During the last ten years, in ever- 

 increasing measure, liquid fats and oils have been 

 catalytically hydrogenated in presence of reduced 

 nickel as catalyst to yield the more valuable hard- 

 ened fats which are used in the soap and candle 

 industry, as well as for purposes of food. The 

 economic results of such application are tremen- 

 dous. Whole tracts of tropical country are being 

 opened up for the production of palm nut and 

 other nut oils. Fish oils are being hardened and 

 deodorised for use in the industry. New uses are 

 beirtg found for hardened cotton-seed, linseed, and 

 similar largely available oils. 



Catalytic hydrogenation has also been applied 

 to the enrichment of gaseous fuels. The carbon 

 monoxide of water-gas may be hydrogenated in 

 presence of reduced nickel to give methane with 

 consequent production of a gas of high calorific 

 value and illuminating power. The production of 





