The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-03-06
COLLEGE PROFESSOR
MAKES DISCOVERY
Has Almost Perfected Long Sought
Universal Solvent.

LINCOLN, Neb., Mar. New prop
critics of liquid described before the
students of the department of chemis-
try of the University of Nebraska
show that it almost realizes the dream
of the alchemists of old who sought
the universal solvent.
As described by DIR. Victor Lenher.
professor of chemistry at the univer-
sity Of Wisconsin, who has come here
TO deliver a. series of addresses on the
subject further tests have shown that
selenium oxy-chloride, as the solvent
Is called is more powerful even than
was indicated in his preliminary an
nouncement made before the Ameri
can Chemical society.
1t dissolves rubber, CLUES. enamels.
HYDROCARBONS and many other sub
stances which hitherto have been re-
garded as most resistant to all chem
ical agencies except fire.
Such products as redmanol, bakelite,
and condensite which are used as
substitutes for amber in the making of
| tobacco pipes and for many other in
dustrial purposes and have been until
now regarded as insoluble in all
] known solvents, are readily dissolved
by selenium oxychloride, according TO
1.-THE announcement of DR.. Lenher. BY
| it's use ordinary paints, varnishes and
shellacs can be removed from furni-
ture and carriages and other objects
without injuring the wood, and e1am-
els can be taken from automobiles
without affecting the steel body.
'Its solvent powers are so vigorous, :"
said DIR. Lenher, that it will remove
the bitumen from soft coal but will not
attack the pure carbon of anthracite"
| DR.. Lenher also sees a military pow
er in this powerful solvent, as il can
be employed in making more porous
charcoals contained in the filter ma
terial of war gas masks, a process
known as activation.
| 1.-THE cocoanut charcoal used in the
gas mask cntinued DIR. Lenher, can
be activated by this new reagent by
treatment at ordinary temperatures,
which is a considerable advance over
the older steam activation at. white
heat"
! The use of activated charcoal in the
extraction of gasoline from natural
gas is one which is interesting chem
lists today, as it win tend to increase
| the supply OF fuel for motor vehicles,
and still leave the gas available for
household and Industrial purposes. AS
/ a laboratory reagent. DR.. Lenher said
that the properties of selenium oxy-
chloride are so unusual that it is likely
to come into common use wherever
| research Is conducted.
/ The solvent, which was formerly re-
! garded as merely a laboratory curios-
Pity, is finding its place in many indus
tries. The original statements con-
| corning its exceptional powers have
been amply verified, the speaker as
serted, by him and group of stu
dents who have been attracted to the
laboratories of the University of Wis
consin during the past year.
| The raw material from which it is
obtained was once a waste product
from the electrolytic refined copper,
FOR until recently the selenium from
these electrolytic shines, while known
to the chemist as a rare element, had
been considered as almost valueless.
The solvent itself is a heavy liquid,
and nearly colorless. 1t can be read
lily handled in a commercial way, how
ever, for were it the universal solv-
emit" of alchemy 1t could not be trans
ported, as no vessel could Withstand
lit.
This discovery of everyday uses for
a substance formed from discarded
material is regarded by scientists as
a typical illustration of the value OF
research.