Chemistry and Physics. 367 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 



I. Chemistry and Physics. 



1. The Recovery of Gallium from Spelter in the United 

 States. — W. F. Hillebrand and J. A. Scherrer state that they 

 have received from a zinc works at Bartelsville, Oklahoma, more 

 than 50 g. of metallic gallium containing a little indium, zinc, 

 and calcium.* The metal or alloy is a liquid resembling mercury, 

 Avhich adheres tenaciously to glass or porcelain surfaces, but it 

 does not do this when covered with hydrochloric or sulphuric 

 acid. The interesting occurrence was observed by Mr. F. G. 

 McCutcheon, chemist of the Zinc Company. He noticed peculiar 

 beads or drops, of the appearance of mercury, which exuded from 

 zinc-lead dross plates after they had been exposed to the weather 

 for some time. This dross was the residue from a continuous re- 

 distillation of commercial zinc at a temperature of about 1000° C. 

 and amounted to about 60 lbs for 12,000 lbs of the zinc employed. 

 The original zinc had been distilled from the ore at a maximum 

 temperature of 1350° C, so that it appears that a rather moderate 

 difference in temperatures of distillation served to concentrate 

 the rare metal. It is not certain from which of a variety of ores 

 employed the gallium was derived, but it is thought probable 

 that it comes from some Joplin ore. It appears that the gallium 

 varies greatly in the residues obtained at Bartlesville, so that 

 although there is a supply of about 45 tons of the material on 

 hand, the yield as yet is very uncertain. The continued produc- 

 tion of this residue is also uncertain, since the re-distillation of 

 the zinc has been due to the present abnormal demand for high- 

 grade spelter. It will be of interest to find if this metal, hitherto 

 such a rarity, possesses any valuable qualities either by itself or 

 as an alloy. The authors say that as far as is known to them the 

 only uses for gallium that have been so far suggested are the use 

 of an alloy with aluminium as cathode material in metal vapor 

 lamps and for the production of optical mirrors. The fact that 

 it " wets " quartz would seem to make it unfit for use in quartz 

 thermometers for temperatures too high for glass and mercury 

 instruments. — Jour. Indust. and Mng. Chem., viii, 225. 



h. l. w. 



2. A Proposed Method for the Profitable Utilization of Waste 

 Sulphite Liquor. — The manufacture of paper pulp by the sulphite 

 process is a very large industry which produces an enormous 

 quantity of a liquid containing sulphites and much organic mat- 

 ter. This liquor goes to waste at present and is a serious source 

 of pollution to our streams. Herman V. Tartar has described 

 some experiments carried out in Oregon upon a process devised 

 by Professor Charles Marchand for the purpose of utilizing this 

 material. The method consists in treating with sulphuric acid, 



*See further the article by Browning and TJhler, pp. 351-354 of this 

 number. 



