Evening star., 1935-05-02

A super-still-based on the same
principles as the moonShiner's still OF
prohibition days-probably Will oe
set up at Columbia University for the
distillation of now unknown BUILDING
stones of nature.
These are the heavy isotopes Of car
bon. nitrogen, oxygen. bromine ano
lithium. The experimental work Will
be in charge of Prof. Harold c. Urey.
winner of last years Nobel prize for
the isolation of heavy hydrogen
which is proving one of the most
revolutionary developments in the MIS-
tory of modern chemistry.
Apparently, according to an an
nouncement of the American Chemical
Society from its Washington head
quarters, several other elements than
HYDROGEN exist in two or more forms.
First there are the typical atoms,
vastly in the majority Second, there
are atoms of slightly higher weights
Their existence can be detected by
spectroscopic methods. but none OF
the substances themselves actually
have been isolated.
Carbon is a notable example. The
existence of carbon isotope was
demonstrated by physicists Of the
Mount wilson Observatory of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington
four years ago. Evidences OF this
heavy carbon have been detected in
many Enthusiastically the dia-
mond, where it exists in the propor-
tion of to 100 But nobody ever
has obtained any of the actual heavy
carbon" It's actual isolation might be
as significant as was that of the
heavy hydrogen, with its attendant
heavy water.
The proposal is to "distill" the
heavy carbon, just as alcohol is sep
arated from water. It will be boiled.
The presumption is that the ordinary
carbon atoms, being lighter. will 60
off first. The still itself is an inven-
ton of Walter J. Podbielniak Of Chi
capo. It uses coiled tubes instead OF
straight ones for condensing the heavy
isotopes. Effective work in such con-
densation requires tubes 100 feet long.
These tubes may be kept at constant
temperature from one end to the
other. and this would be virtually i'm
possible If they stood on end like pipes
in a tall building. So the steel tubes
in the new apparatus will be coiled
as are the copper tubes in an ordinary
alcohol still. in the work on oxygen,
for example, water will be placed in
a container below the tubes just as
a mixture containing alcohol would
he NIT in a kettle below the still.
The distillation of oxygen. carbon,
etc. will be thousands of times more
dificult than the distillation of alco-
hol The light oxygen in water boils
at a Temperature less than one degree
below the boiling point of the heavier
oxygen. The distillation Of alcohol is
rendered easier by the fact that its
boiling point is % degrees lower than
that of the water mixed with 1t.
To hasten the separation of the
heavy isotopes, the coiled tubes will
rotate 1000 revolutions per minute.
The effect of centrifugal force will be
to drive the heavier isotopes to the
outside of the coil, and they will be
condensed back into the boiling .ket-
tie beneath. The lighter isotopes.
rising as a gas, will be allowed to
escape into another chamber.
The heavy carbon atoms. for which
special search will be made, probably
exist most abundantly in the dia-
mond, and it is upon this that the
theoretical calculations have been
made. But Prof. Urey and his CO.
workers are not planning to d;still
diamonds. Instead, they will work with
such cheaper substances as potassium
bicarbonate and carbon dioxide.
\