The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-15

The Virginia Chemists Club held Its
monthly meeting at the Mechanics In
stitute OH Friday night. There was
good attendance of members and after
the routine business was completed two
very able papers were presented. The
library committee announced that the
proceedings for the first year of the
clubs existence would soon be printed
and ready for distribution
Sulphuric Acid.
The first paper Of the evening was
by Mr.. A. M. Forester. his subject he
ing The Concentration of Sulphuric
Acid in Practice" Mr.. Forester said
in part:
"sulphuric acid made in the ordinary
or chamber process is comparatively
weak. containing from so to IS per cent.
pure sulphurc acid. For several uses.
such as in the manufacture of acid
phosphate fertilizers. this is sufficiently
strong, but lin many industries. such
as nitroglycerine manufacture oil re-
ining. dye making, II is necessary to
have the highest possible strength.
The new .catalytic' process. which is
capable of making sulphuric acid of
i95 to IS per cent. strength in one OPP
GRAFTON, has stimulated the improve
'ment OF existing systems of concen-
trating the weak acid made by the
chamber process"
The various systems were then de-
scribed in detail, beginning with the
earliest known glass retorts These
which caused loss and nuisance from
the fumes. Platinum utensils then
came into use, but at first they We're
porous. and leakages occurred. This
fact. coupled with their high cost, was
against their universal application UNI
til Claire Deyille's discovery of smelt-
ing platinum by the oxy- hydrogen
flame gave a platinum sheet free from
pcrosity and impervious to sulphuric
acid. Perfect apparatus were then
reduced and they were widely used.
Meanwhile improvements had been in
troduced in the glass retorts system.
which, from being Intermittent. became
continuous in operation. the system of
Gridley, worked out by chance, being
described in detail. The cost OF this
system was very much less than the
platinum one and had extensive appli-
cation in Britain.
Platinum. however. steadily Increased
in favor, and one such system was fully
described, its advantages and disad-
vantases receiving due attention. This
plant was worth over $4,000 and
burned out about four tons per day of
e3 to IS per cent. strength acid. The
last process to be considered was that
invented by Kessler of Clairmont- Fer
rand, France. The principle was new.
hot. DRY air being dubbed through a.
thin layer of the acid contained in the
apparatus. which was made of vol
canic stone called "volvic." found in
Auvergne France. The gas producer.
saturatcr. -recuperator. inspirator to
produce the draft. and scrubber to re-
move the fume were described in turn
by diagram and sketch
A plant making eight tons of as to
s5 per cent. acid per day cost about
So Ooo takes up little room, works
continuously, and will take weak cham
her acid without any preliminary treat
ment, 1t does not require such close
attention as platinum system, gives
Oft no fume. and utill2es the heat to the
best advantage.
Fluldity and Viaccs!ty.
DR.. Eugene Bingham read a paper
upon the relation bstween fluidity and
iviscosity as worked out with his as
sistants at Richmond College. The
viscosity of a LIQUID is measured by
the resistance which the liquid offers
to the motion of any object through
the liquid. Experiments performed by
LIE. BIN 7NdIn leo aim 10 psl!eNe ltIlaI
viscosity IS analogous to what is
termed ''re sistance' In the case of cleo
|trical flow. This belief leads to I'M
jportant results. Conductance is the
reciprocal OF resistance. IT one wishes
to get the resistance OF conductors In
parallel conductors may be added to-
gether, but not resistances. Flu!dity
bears a similar relation to viscosity,
Hence fluidities may be added, but not
yiscosities,
The Importance of this conclusion is
apparent viscoslty tests play an i'm
portant part practically In tho testing
of oils and other liquids capable of
adulteration.
They will be yet more Important
when the values found may be related
together simply. Theoretically, the
lviscosity OF liquids has heretofore
played an unimportant role apparently
because OF q. misapprehension as to
Its nature,
pr Bingham showed that In about
100 series of experiments the above
principle was verified. and the results
made entirely Ineligible Further
more, the application Of the above
principle lends 10 a simple algebralcnl|
equation, which will represent all Of
the data found by experiment IN near