Evening star., 1942-09-07
DistilIing 0bviated
In New Process for
Obtaining Alcohol
Oil Extracts Product,
Vital in War, From
Industrial Wastes
BY HOWARD w. BLAKESLEE,
Associated Press Science Editor.

Dy ho"A AMI W. bLhhESLEE,
Associated Press Science Editor.
BUFFALO, N. Y, Sept. IA nev
method of making alcohol, the frs
in thousands of years to get ric
OF distilling. was announced to tht
American Chemical Society toda,
at its 104th meeting.
The new way is washing process,
which uses fusel OIL the stuff
whisky-makers throw out. as thu
washing material. 1t promises tt
be a cheaper and bigger source
of alcohol than anything else and
perhaps, to furnish enough to sup.
ply the entire war need for syn
thetic rubber and explosives.
The alcohol apparently is just
as good as that from the time
honored stills.
Success in Laboratory,
The process has not been USED
commercially yet, it was reported
by Drs. Donald F. Ostmer and r. L
Ratcliffe, Polytechnic Institute OF
Brooklyn, but was applied success
fully in the laboratory.
The oil extracts alcohol from al,
sorts of watery wastes seldom OF
never before used to get alcohol
These include wastes of paper mills
agricultural process, sawmills and
many other sources.
This method" the Polytechnic
men reported, "cuts down the heat
cost tremendously and, of equal i'm
portance, greatly reduces the amount
of critical copper and steel required
for equipment"
The fusel oil wash is useful also
as a new method of obtaining ace
tone, important in making smoke
less powder, rayons and plastics.
The oil, furthermore, will substitute
for number of other diStillation
processes for obtaining raw chemi-
Gals.
Compounds Found Dangerous.
A warning to keep certain widely
used industrial chemicals known as
aI-cylcic compounds away from the
skin was reported from the Univers-
ity of Cincinnati College of Medi-
cine's Kettering laboratory of ap-
piled physiology research.
These chemicals are only moder-
ately toxic when taken by mouth.
But when large amounts are rubbed
on the skin of rabbits the animals
show tremors, become unconscious
and sometimes die. The report was
by Drs. Joseph F. Treon and William
E. Crutchfield.
A new method of extracting vana-
dium, assuring the United States of
an adequate supply of this strategic
metal used to toughen armor plate
and war production tools, was an
nounced in report made public by
the chemical society.
With the United States depend
ent on foreign sources, principally
Peru. for nearly SO per cent of its
supply Of vanadium, utilization of
the new process would ease the crit
ical situation brought about by the
increasing hazard Of ocean trans
portation, according to the report.
The method would speed efficient
recovery of vanadium which exists
in high-grade phosphate rock de-
posits in Idaho, one Of the largest
known reservoirs of the ore In the
world, the report said.
Four Years Research.
The process, both economical and
rapid, is the fruit Of four years of
research by DR.. j. Perry Morgan,
chemical engineer OF the Standard
Oil Co. OF New Jersey, carried out
under the direction of DR.. Arthur
w. Hixson, professor of chemical
engineering at Columbia University
The requirements of the Army and
Navy for vanadium are about dou-
BILE the present production OF the
metal, the report said.
The Idaho phosphate rock is be-
Ing mined at present by the Ana
conda Copper Co. for use in the
manufacture of fertilizer. Although
some vanadium is recovered in their
operations, it is estimated that the
production of the rock in 1899 which
amounted to 95,45l long tons meant
more than 385, 900 pounds OF vanadi-
UNI went into fertilizer of one form
or another.
Larger Quantity Available.
This loss becomes quite significant
In view of the fact that it is equal
to about % per cent of the vanadium
imported in that year" the report
said. ut is probable that the pro-
duction of phosphate rock from this
section has increased sharply during
the last two years making a con-
siderable larger quantity of vanad-
ium available as a by-product."