The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-09-19
USE or SULPHUR|C ACID
THE KING OF CHEMICALS
PLATINUM ABSOLUTELY ESSEN
TlAL IN ITS MANU-
FACTuRE.
(Springfeld Republican,


When the chemists clamor for more
platinum, and the bureau OF mines
says we are starving for platinum,
and the person who wears platinum
set Jewel Is branded as a Stacker, the
layman naturally sits up and asks,
whats all the talk about platinum?
What Is 1t used for?' And the an
swer is "Sulphurc acid" says j. ].
Willaman. prominent member OF the
Minnesota section of the American
Chemical society.
Now platinum is manysided met
al. 1t is not corroded in the moist
air: 1t is not oxidized by electric
sparks. Hence it is used In contact
points In many electrical instruments,
as telephones, telegraphs, radios, sig
nal instruments on shipboard, etc. 1t
Is not affected by most chemicals or
by high temperatures; therefore, 1t Is
used In certain parts of big guns, In
chemical analyses, in electric fur
naces. 1t Is very costly. therefore 1t
Is In demand for jewelry by persons
who do not know for what else to
spend their money.
Why It Is King.
But all of these uses are over
Swallowed at the present time by its
use In the manufacture of sulphuric
acid. Platinum is absolutely essen
tial in making sulphuric acid. and
sulphuric acid is absolutely essential
In making high explosives, textiles,
war gases. dyes, many foods and me-
dicines: in fact, hardly substance
can be named in the manufacture of
which sulphurc acid does not have to
deal directly or indirectly. The late
Robert Kennedy Duncan, founder of
the system of fellowships in indus
trial chemistry at the University Of
Pittsburg, speaks of 1t as "sulphuric
acid. oil of vitriol, the king of chem-
cal products"
Very recently a French authority,
In commenting on this chemical said:
If called upon to decide which of all
the manufactured products, the indus
trial creations, has been the most ne
cessary and useful to the country
since the war, without which defeat |
would have been rapid and inevitable, |
should answer without hesitation, !
suiphuric acid. The factor which best |
represents the economic prosperity of !
nation is its consumption of sui
phuric acid True in time of peace, ii |
Is still more so in modern warfare"
Its Use in Explosives.
What does the king of chemicals do
In the process of making explosives?
The chemist says its Is a rehydrating
agent That is, 1t has tremendous
affinity for water. 1t will abstract
water from the air; 1t will take water
from anything with which II comes in
contact If water Is not to be had al
ready formed, it will take from some
available source the elements which
go to make up water and combine
them. II Is this latter act which Is
itilized In explosives manufacture.
iiycerin and nitric acid are rather
harmless after they are mixed. But
: sulphuric acid is added to the mix
nre 1t will Immediately take an atom
u hydrogen and one of oxygen from
he nitric acid, and an atom of hydro
Ten from the glycerin, combine them
nto water, and then take the water
into itself. This leaves the nitric {
cid chemically united with the gly- II
erin and We have nitro glycerin.
similarly we have nitrocelulose. or
and trintrotoluol. the ia
nous T. N. T, of the present war.
Platinum Unites Elements.
Sulphuric acid is made from air
'ater and the fumes from burning :
ulphur. These are all cheap, COM /
ION materials. but they won't unite O
'ithout strenuous provocation ordin- !
rily. Platinum furnishes mild !
revocation. the mere presence of
ace of 1t causes the oxygen water a
nd sulphur to join hands chemically. -
nd the king of chemicals is born. At v
lie present time in the United States h
ore than half million tons a month 3