January Io, 1894.| 
CURRENT NOTES ON CHEMISTRY.—V. 
[ Edited by Charles Platt, Ph.D., F. C. S. Lond. | 
EDUCATION OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTS. 
Amonc the most valuable of the papers presented at 
the World’s Congress of Chemists were those in discus- 
sion of industrial chemical education. Any four years’ 
collegiate course in chemistry may graduatean analyst. 
one who is content to remain forever a laboratory em- 
ployee grinding out results,—and parenthetically let it 
here be said,that the young graduate need expect noth- 
ing but a ‘‘grind’’ in any laboratory. He may have 
dreams of research and private study, but a few months’ 
time will dispell these with unpleasant forcibleness. 
He will find that each day brings a mass of routine 
work, and chemical analysis rapidly degenerates into 
mechanical manipulation. We do not say this by way 
of discouragement; analysts are necessary, and many 
find here the greatest pleasure in their work, but there 
is needed, too, another class of workers, not higher in 
dignity maybe, but different in kind; we mean chemical 
engineers, or, to usethe rather awkward designation, 
industrial chemists. By this we mean men capable of 
taking hold of the greater operations of the chemical 
works, capable to superintend, to construct, to alter 
and improve machinery, to interpret analytical results 
and to use them in the refinement of processes;in other 
words, men to comprehend the process as a whole, not 
only the chemical reactions but also the mechanical 
means used in their perfection. Itis a simple matter 
to dissolve, precipitate, filter,and dry,in the laboratory, 
but how is this to be done when there are thousands of 
gallons to be handled, and this, too, with the greatest 
economy of labor, of power, and of time? Itis true we 
have catalogues describing apparatus, etc., but of twen- 
ty patterns which is to be adopted? An experiment 
will cost thousands of dollars, and yet it is only the 
best, the most suitable type of apparatus which will al- 
low the manufacturer to enter the market with his com- 
petitors. More than likely, too, none of the apparatus 
catalogued will exactly answer the conditions, and al- 
terations must be made. 
It may be said in truththat the chemical engineers 
of to-day are born, not made, for while there is a be- 
ginning in two or three of our technical schools the ideal 
course in chemical engineering is still of the future. It 
might be added, however, that the technical schools are 
the only placesin the country in which to learn chemis- 
try for practical purposes of any kind whatever. The 
larger universities, even those with elaborate post-grad- 
uate courses, are fitting preparation for teaching and 
scientific research, but not for the industrial laboratory. 
REDUCTION OF PHOSPHATES AND THE PREPARATION OF COMMERCIAL 
FERTILIZERS. 
A PRACTICAL process for the reduction of phosphates 
in which carbonic acid is substituted for the usual miner- 
al acid has been proposed by C. Seybold and F. Heeder, 
(Deut. landw. Presse, 20, 1883, No. 64). The simplici- 
ty and increased applicability of the new process makes 
it of great interest in the production of fertilizers. The 
procedure is as follows: The phosphate is finely 
ground, moistened with water and spread in a chamber 
heated gradually to 120° C,through which a current of 
carbonic acid with steam is passed. The successive 
steps are represented by the formule: 
Ca; (PO, )a + CO, + H. O = CaCO, + 2 Ca H PO+ 
2Ca H PO, + CO. + HaO =CaCO; + CaH, (PO, ), 
The alkali-calcium phosphates are prepared by the 
SCIENCE. 37 
addition of carbonate of potash or soda to the moistened 
phosphate: 
2a, (PO, )e + K, CO, + H, O + CO. — 
2Ca. HK (PO, )z 
tp ik ©O; 4 LO. + CO. = 
2CaH, K, (PO, )e 
The by-products are omitted in the above equations. 
In the preparation of nitrogenous fertilizers the organ- 
ic nitrogenous substances (hair, hoof, leather, tanhage, 
etc.,) are dissolved in alkali carbonates with the ad- 
dition of lime, or in caustic alkalies alone, and the 
ground phosphate is placed in this solution and treated 
as described above. To obtain a nitrogenous fertilizer 
of the composition of ordinary guano, 500 pounds of 
nitrogenous refuse is dissolvedin 50 parts of carbonate 
of potash decomposed with heat by 50 parts of caustic 
lime, and 500 —600 parts of bone meal are added. In 
the reduction of bone meal the process is as follows: 
The material is finely ground and mixed with about 
half its weight of water and spread in the drying oven. 
Steam is admitted with the gaseous products of com- 
bustion, the temperature being kept at about 60°—80°C. 
The time of treatment necessary, is reduced when alkali 
carbonatesareused. Theend product is regulated by the 
amount of alkali used, by the temperature of the oven, 
and by the duration of treatment. Among the advan- 
tages claimed for this process are the absence of injur- 
ious sulphates and the production of a cheap available 
phosphate, utilizing heretofore rejected nitrogenous sub- 
stances. 
2Ca, HK (PO, )» 
VOLATILIZATION OF METALS AND OXIDES IN THE ELECTRIC ARC. 
M. Motssan continues his interesting experiments at 
high temperatures, and the results are as before almost in- 
credible. Condensation in these present experiments 
is obtained by the introduction of a copper U-tube, 
through which a rapid current of cold water is continu- 
ally passed, immediately above the crucible inthe fur- 
nace. Asbestos board is placed above the opening 
through which the U-tube is introduced. Magnesium 
pyrophosphate in the are produced by acurrent of 300 
ampéres and 65 volts produces a sublimate of magne- 
sium oxide and ordinary phosphorus. Asbestos com- 
pletely volatilizes in a few minutes under 300 ampéres 
and 75 volts. Copper with 350 ampéres and 7o volts 
volatilizes rapidly and condenses in globules. In con- 
tact with the air cupric oxide is formed. Silver readily 
boils and distils, condensing in globules, or in a gray 
powder or in aborescent fragments. Platinum melts al- 
most immediately and very soon begins to volatilize, 
condensing in brilliant globules or in powder. So also 
aluminum, tin, gold, manganese, iron, uranium, carbon, 
calcium oxide and magnesium oxide all melt, boil and 
distil over ! 
Zirconia heated in an electric arc of 360 ampéres and 
79 volts rapidly melts and ina few minutes is in rapid 
ebullition. If the zirconia be mixed with an excess of 
carbon, a residue of zirconium carbide is left, contain- 
ing from 4.22 tos5.10 per cent of carbon. If this be 
fused with excess of zirconia pure zirconiumis obtained, 
Sp. Gr. 4.25, scratching glass and ruby easily. A but- 
ton of zirconium is also obtained as a residue by fusion 
of zirconia in the electric arc in absence of an excess of 
carbon. Silica in an arc of the sameintensity melts al- 
most immediately and in a few minutes is in complete 
ebullition. 
NATIVE SODA, Wyomina. 
H. Pemberton, Jr., and G. P. Tucker give analyses 
of the deposits of sodium sulphate occurring in the dry 
region of the high Wyoming plateau, near the town of 
Laramie. The lower and greater portion of these de- 
