Evening star., 1937-10-15
MINE LABORATORY
DEDICATION TODAY
Experiment Station at Uni.
versity of Maryland Under
u. S. Bureau.

Inc new eastern experiment station
OF the Bureau of Mines, on the campus
OF the University OF Maryland, will be
dedicated this afternoon as a feature
OF joint meeting of the Industrial
Minerals Division and the Washington
Section OF the American Institute OF
Mining and Metallurgical Engineers.
After a morning session today at
which the use of chemical snow
storms" and radio screamers" for pre-
cipitating injurious smoke particles
was explained, members of the two
organizations were to participate in
the dedication ceremonies beginning at
3 pm.
Julian D. Conover, secretary, Amer
tcan Mining Congress, is to preside. and
the speakers will be DR.. John w. Finch
director of the Bureau of Mines; Gov.
Harry w. Nice of Maryland. and DR.
H. G. Byrd, president of the Uniyer-
slty OF Maryland. A message from
Secretary of the Interior Ickes will be
read.
Equipped for Work.
The new $350.000 station is located
on tract Of 20 acres donated by the
university. Ground was broken March
5, 1886. and the building was trans
ferred to the custody of the Bureau
OF Mines last Spring. and now is being
equipped for various types of labora-
tory and experimental work.
The building, OF COLONEL tvpe of
architecture to conform with adjacent
university buildings, is about 215 feet
ny ll2 feet in size, with three stories
basement and attic. providing a total
volume of 715,000 subic feet. Special
attention was given to laboratory ar
rangement and lighting and the build
ing is classed as by far the best of
the Bureau of Mines experiment sta.
tlons in various parts of the country.
Demonstrations of the new labora-
tory equipment and the various types
OF experimental work now in progress
were to be made late today, following
the dedication exercises.
The use of chemical "snowstorms" or
high-pitched screaming from radio
loud-speakers or other sound sources
as means OF precipitating injurious
smelter fumes or dust was described
by c. w. Davis, assistant chief enpi.
neer OF the metallurgical division of
the Bureau of Mines.
The chemical snowstorm method
OF dust precipitation is particularly
interesting in the case of smelter
1ume, because here we encounter large
quantities of sulphur dioxide, the elm
lnation OF which is becoming more
and more imperative" Mr.. Davis said.
The best chemical snowstorm we
know is formed by adding ammonia
and steam to these sulphur dioxide
containing fumes"
Flakes Precipitated.
Under proper conditions, he said,
large flakes are precipitated, carrying
down all solid matter from the fume.
eliminating most of the sulphur d.
oxide. Virtually al of the ammonia
used is recoverable.
The use of sound waves to pre-
cipitate DUST" he said, rs a most
interesting phenomenon to observe
This work is a perfect example of
the place Of applied physics in metal
Iurgy. The ability Of sound waves
OF appropriate length to docculate and
precipitate the disperse phase from
aerosols, either solid or liquid, Is ade-
quately demonstrated.
The meeting was the first held In
the new Eastern experiment station
OF the Bureau Of Mines located 1T the
University Of Maryland. Demonstra-
tions OF the chemical snowstorm and
the method OF screaming down smoke.
dust and fog" are scheduled for this
afternoon In the station laboratories.