Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-11
vAIIIE OF SCIENCE
IN TRADE IS SHOWN
Use of Chemicals Results in
Reducing Cost of Many
Processes.
BY J. C. RoYLE.

/ Scientists all over America are work.
ing day and night on developments 10
/ formulate new lines of industrial en-
/, deavor and reduce the cost of existing
processes. Developments in electron
+ tubes, the radio, talking pictures and
I other scientific achievements have
/ brought greater appreciation and re-
spect for scientific methods than have
ever existed in this country.
y Industrial leaders are recognizing the
value of the application of science to
marketing as we'll as technical prob
lens. Rule of thumb" methods are
being abandoned and supplanted by
exact formulate. Some businesses, &C
cording to Fl. o. Moraw of the chemical
division of the Department of Com
merce, are sleeping businesses that is,
they are in n comatose state until new
product or a new use awakenS them
Development of these products and
uses serves els stimulus for business in
general.
Importance of Coal.
Coal in one form or another is one of
the most important items in world eco
Monies, according to MIR. Moraw, yet the
amount of coal used in the last year
was only 5 per cent greater than that
used in 1918 World coal consumption
was practically stationary during those
seven years. It is now agreed that the
best chance coal has for future develop
ment is as raw material for chemicals.
The distillation of coal and the utiliza-
ton of coal-tar products are pre-
eminently important, as is its hydro
genation. The Refrigeration of petro-
leum is of equal value. and now the two
are being worked out together by chem
lists.
Modern business is making constantly
increasing demands for industrial al
cohol, carbon black potash and its
derivatives, sulphur and score Of other
products. Agriculture is commencing to
realize that fertilizers act as crop guar
antees and aid not only the income but
the safety of the farmer.
In the fertilizer field the nitrates, of
course, occupy dominant position. For
years Chilean deposits of sodium nitrate
have been the main source of American
supply. Now the production of syn
thetic nitrateS by chemical processes is
the predominant interest from the agri-
cultural standpoint This has been
cheap power. Synthetic ammonia is
now being produced in seven plants in
the United States, the output from
which is three times as large today as
at the end of 1928. These plants have
a yearly capacity of approximately
1oO,VUO bOnS OF SynCneJlC aIIltnOIlld.
Synthetic Ammonia.
{, In the manufacture of synthetic
ammonia hydrogen gas plays a
more important part. 1t is in the
manufacture of synthetic ammonia
THAT the process of fixed at
mospheric nitrogen takes place. Francis
c. Wilson, river commissioner of New
Mexico, claims that Boulder Dam will
make possible the production of fixed
nitrogen at roughly SO ton, as COM
pared with $50 at the private plants
now in operation.
Increased demand is in evidence for
welding supplies such as oxygen and
acetylene, and new processes are rapidly
changing construction methods. Ex-
ports of chemicals in the last year
amounted to over 100000, 600, while
the value of chemicals produced in the
United States was placed at last re-
ports at $2,750, 100000. One example
of scientific activities in the electrical
field is found in the development of
the electric "eye," by which traffic lights
and street lighting and other circuits
are automatically turned on and OF as
the natural light makes it necessary, in
stead of following fixed schedule which
takes no account of fog, storms and
other factors.
(Copyrisht. 1900