SCIENCE 



[Vol. LVI, No. 1454 



iiifiiiitesimal elements of the charge. The times 

 iuvolrod are e.xcessively short and it is doubtful 

 if 'chemical cciuilibrium is ever attained at any 

 point until the important phases of the process 

 are passed. The importance of the internal com- 

 bustion engine in the present scheme of things 

 <lemands nrueh more precise knowledge of the 

 chemistry involved in its operation. 



Factors governing the selection and use of fuel 

 for ihdustrial heating oiicratinns: J. A. Dotle. 

 This paper deals with factors governing the selec- 

 tion and use of fuels in the production of chem- 

 ical products subjected to tlie action of heat in 

 the process of manufacture. The necessity for 

 considering the physical form and chemical asso- 

 ciation of a given form of fuel, in addition to the 

 heating value of that fuel and the mechanical 

 chara.cteristics of the apijliance for generating, 

 applying and utilizing lioat in the product is 

 stressed. The influence of e.'icess air upon the 

 heating value of the different fuels, the com- 

 position of the atmosphei'e surrounding the mate- 

 rial TO be heated, the i-ii.mges in composition of 

 the combustible mixtures and the products of 

 combustion of the diifcrent fuels wdth varying 

 amounts of air are shown. The intinence of 

 process requirements and plant conditions upon 

 the choice of fuel is outlined. The above points 

 are illustrated by graphic- charts showing the 

 relation of tlie various factors and their influence 

 upon the final result. The paper is in substance 

 a plea for a broader consideration of -the problem 

 of fuel utilization from the standpoint of the 

 quality and cost of the finished product, and the 

 necessity for developing a better understanding 

 on the part of those concerned with industrial 

 lieating operations of the influence of the condi- 

 tions governing comibustion upon the use of fuel 

 and the utilization of heat. 



Metliods of vtiUzing the colce produced hy low 

 temperature carhonisation of coal: Harry A. 

 Curtis. The coke obtained by low temperature 

 carbonization of coal is soft, light and quite un- 

 suitecl for general use as a smokeless fuel. At- 

 tempts have been made to increase the density 

 of the coke by compressing the coking coal mass 

 in the retort, but these methods have not attained 

 commercial success. By pulverizing the soft coke 

 it can be burned efiiciently in powdered fuel 

 equipment, but preliminary tests of the fuel on a 

 Coxe stoker gave unsatisfactory results. By 

 grinding the coke, briquetting it and carbonizing 

 the briquets a very high grade smokeless fuel is 

 obtained, but the cost of these operations is high. 



The forms of sulfur in colce — a plii/sico-chemical 

 study of the sulfur held by carbon at high tem- 

 peratures: Alfked B. Powell. A phase rule 

 stirdy of the sj'stem, carbon-sulfur, at higli tem- 

 peratures showed that the sulfur exists in two 

 distinctive forms: (1) a very stable form which 

 exhibits all the properties of a solid solution, and 

 (2) free sulfur physically absorbed by the carbon. 

 Coke may contain botli of these forms in addition 

 to some sulfur comlbiued with iron as ferrous sul- 

 fide. At temperatures in the neigliborhood of 

 500° C. the ferrous sulfide of coke oxidizes very 

 readily in the presence of air to ferric oxide and 

 free sulfur. This reaction seems to occur during 

 the quenching oi coke and explains the disap- 

 pearance of ferrous sulfide from coke rather than 

 any reaction wliieh occurs during the coking 

 process. 



A specific apparatus for gases: T. R. Wet- 

 MorTii, R. P. Anderso>t and J. R. Fat. This 

 new device consists of a thin orifice and a small 

 capillary tube in series and makes u.?e of the fact 

 that the differential pressure resulting froii.i the 

 steam-line flow of gas througli a capillary tube is 

 independent of the specific gravity of the gas 

 while the differential pressure resulting from the 

 flow of gas througii a thin orifice varies directly 

 with the specific gravity of the gas. The flow of 

 gas througli the orifice is kept constant by holding 

 a cei-tain differential pressure on the capillary 

 tube and the differential pressure on the orifice 

 is calibrated to read specific gravity of the gas. 



The examination of low-temperature coal tars: 

 Jerome J. Morgan' and Roland P. Soule. A 

 critical review of the adaptabilitj- and limitations 

 of procedures available for examination of low- 

 temperature tars. The lower boiling phenols are 

 determined by Rascliig's nitration method to- 

 gether with methods based upon freezing point 

 and densities of binary and ternary mixtures. 

 Paraffins and naphthenes are freed from unsat- 

 urates and aromatics by 98 -per cent, sulfuric 

 acid. The proportions of paraffins and naph- 

 thenes in their mLxture are found from density- 

 boiling point curves. Por qualitative examina- 

 tion non-saturated hydrocarbons are separated by 

 liquid sulfur dioxide. No method is known for 

 estimation of unsaturates in presence of aro- 

 matics. 



The Becker comhination coke oven: Harold J. 

 Rose. The latest advance in by-product coke 

 oven design is represented by the Becker com- 

 bination oven, a modification of the Koppers oven. 

 Greater heating efticiency, better coke quality and 



