Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-04-14
CHEMICAL $ POWER
TOLD AT SESSION
SeIenium 0xych|oride Opens
New Exploration Field,
Scientist Says.
BY THOMAS r.. HENRY,
Stan Correspondent of The Star.

o1 lHoNAS n. HENRY,
Stan Correspondent of The Star,
CHAPEL HILL, N. c., April IA
A new chemical In which most of
the world would dissolve like a lump
OF sugar in water was described before
the American Chemical Society meet
ing here today by Dr. Gilbert B. L.
Smith of the Brooklyn Polytechnic In
stitute.
1t is selenium oxychloride. a COM
bination containing the poisonous ele-
ment selenium. which is closely akin
to sulphur. Prof. Smith has been
experimenting with it for the last five
years.
Like water, selenium oxychloride is
a powerful solvent, but it acts on an
entirely different principle. thus OPEN
ing up new world for chemical ex-
ploration. Prof. Smith pictured world
in which it took the place of water
the temperate zones covered by huge.
crystal glaciers, peopled by strange
beings with glass-lined insides dwell
ing on the sides of glass mountains,
spanning rivers with platinum bridges
and protesting themselves from the
corroding rain with tungsten UNI
brellas.
The new solvent was described as
heavy straW-colored liquid which
freezes at about IS degrees F.. has
a marked affinity for water and which
will corrode virtually all organic COM
pounds. About the only materials
which do not react readily with it, he
said. are glass, platinum and tungsten.
Tells Of Imaginary World.
In his imaginery "selenium oxy-
| chloride world" DR.. Smith said"
snow would fall every time the tenn
| perature dropped below the mild
warmth Of Spring and We would carry
glass umbrellas. Wooden materials
| could nowhere be exposed to the
| weather. Once in our laboratory some
OF 1t froze overnight, burst its con-
| tainer and dripped on the wooden
fioor. 1t ate its way right through
| and drlpped down into the physics
laboratory below, where it destroyed
several instruments and even attacked
the bakelite fixtures.
Owing to its strong propensity for
absorbing water from the atmosphere
the material has to be dehydrated sew
eral times before it can be obtained
in sufficient purity for use in expert
ments. 1t takes about 20 hours of
steady work to prepare about liter
OF 1t. All experiments must be car
rled out in closed glass containers
because the liquid fumes once 1t
comes into contact with the air.
Difficulty Encountered.
Another difficulty in connection
with the experiments is the danger of
| contracting selenium poisoning The
effect OF bit under the f1ngernail is
about the same as that of catching
the finger in the door and bruising
the nail. Throbbing pains last about
| 48 hours.
Discovery of new chemical rea2ent
making possible measurement of iron
concentrations as lou as one part in
100000 900 was announced before the
medicinal division by DR.. John H. Voc
of the University of Virginia.
The substance is a yellow organic
compound with the name "seven-iodo-
eight hydroxyQuinoline five sulfonic
acid 1t forms a green solution when
added to any liquid containing iron.
The greenness varies with the amount
OF iron. 1t is possible to estimate
concentration as low as one part in
100000 with the naked eye and by
use of photoelectric cell one can do
10 times as well.
DR.. 9oe has applied this color test
70 the determination of iron in a wide
variety of materials, such as glass,
sand, animal tissues and soils.
Synthesis of a rubber-like yarnish
OF outstanding Importance for the con-
struction of airships was reported by
DR.. T. P. Sager of the Bureau OF
Standards.
Covered With Rubber Coating.
The gas bags filled with HYDROGEN
or helium now are covered with a thin
coating OF rubber to prevent the gas
from leaking out. The new varnish,
DR.. Sager said, is 70-fold more effec-
tive for the same purpose.
Bearing no chemical relation to
rubber, the new material made from
organic polysulphide resins" has a
rubber-ike elasticity at normal tenn
peratures and shows a marked resis-
lance to gasoline and oil in contact
with which rubber itself rapidly de-
teriorates.
Tasting Profession Open.
Add to the list of professions open
to ambitious boys and girls that of
expert tasters.
Special courses in tasting were
urged by Ernest c. Croker, Massachu-
sets chemical engineer, at a SYM
postum on tastes and flavors of foods
and drinks-including whisky and
brsndy-held this morning.
The human tongue is still the only
instrument for measuring and dis
terminating tastes, it was stressed, but
most persons are very incompetent.
DR.. Paul E. Howe of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture's Bureau of
Animal Industry told his fellow chem
lists how he tested this recently bv
blind-folding a group of Government
scientists. Then the different meats
were served to them unflaVOred