The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-10-10
by David Dietz
NEA ScrUtce Writer

EW YORK, Oct. 9.-We live
I'M in the age of chemistry. But
III the wonders accomplished in
the past decade are only a prelude
to the wonders which the chemist
expects to perform in the future.
This is the prediction of DIR. Ar
thur d. Little, in charge Of the Eek
position Of Chemical Industries held
recently in New York.
The exposition shows the present
accomplishments of chemistry. DR.,
Little, who Is past president of the
American Chemical Society, and IA
nous the world over for his chem
ical researches, tells what the
chemist hopes to accomplish in days
to come.
The popular impression Of a
chemist is a man in Il laboratory
mixing minute quantities of liquids
and powders in little glass test
tubes. But the chemical exposition
brought home the fact that the labo-
ratory is only the starting place
of the chemists job. Changing his
title to that OF chemical engineer,
he steps into the manufacturing
plant and deals with material in
1,00O-ton lots.
Exhibits at the exposition in
Guided gigantic machines of all
sorts. There We're, for example,
gigantic mechanical mixers the size
Of an ordinary small room.
Special types of steel rubber prod
ucts, special glass which stands
excessive heat and strong acids, dye
stuffs, much needed drugs, special
glass for optical instruments, are
only a few OF the things for which
the world owes thanks to the
chemist, as the exposition showed.
The chemist, in working for the
fut Ire, is conducting his research
along three important lines, DIR.
Little said.
Synthetic Products
One is the development Of simpler
and less expensive methods of pro.
ducing important industrial prod
ucts. This in many cases means the
synthetic or laboratory manufacture
Of a product now found In nature.
The second Is the development of
means Of utilizing to q greater ex-
tent the chemical elements which
are most abundant and least ex-
pensive to obtain.
The third is the utilization Of
waste products in industry.
Regarding the first type of work.
DIR. Little calls attention to the work
that is being done by so-called
catalytic processes involving the
treatment Of gases at high tempera-
ture and pressure.
Catalysts are very much mysteries
at the present time. They are sub
stances which while apparently play
ing no part in a chemical reaction
nevertheless make it possible.
Making Ammonia
One of the most important cataly-
tic processes at the present time is
the manufacture of ammonia. Am
ihOidAd - q iillIO5tn compound.
Now while such compounds are
very scarce, nitrogen is very abun-
dant, the atmosphere being four
fifth nitrogen. The difficulty is to
make nitrogen enter into coinbina-
ton with other elements.
Chemists have found, however,
that if nitrogen and hydrogen are
mixed under high pressure and the
resulting mixture passed over a
mesh of certain iron compounds,
these compounds act as a catalyst,
causing the nitro gen and hydrogen
to combine to form ammonia.
DR.. Little says that he expects
many processes of this sort to be
worked out in the future.
Using Wastes
There is a thoro-going study I'M
der way at the present time looking
toward the utilization of such album
dant metals as calcium, beryllium
and magnesium in special alloys"
DR.. Little says. Successful COM
pletion of this work should prove