Grating Spectrometer Will Aid Studies of Unknown Spectrum
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THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK t \ S. Potash Co., Inc., members of the board of directors are: Edward J. Condon, Sears-Roebuck Foundation; Reuben G. Gustavson, University pf Nebraska; Ε. Β. MacNaughton, formerly of Reed College; Leslie A. Miller, formerly official of the Hoover Commission; Fairfield Osborn, Conservation Foundation; William S. Paley, President's Materials Policy Com- mission; Beardsly Ruml, consultant; Stanley Ruttenberg, Congress of Industrial Organizations; M. L. Wilson, Department of Agriculture; and Charles W. Eliot, Planning Consultant. Mr. Eliot will be executive director and Elmer A. Hennig the secretary-treasurer. Offices of the new organization: Cafritz Building, 1625 Eye St., N.W., Washing- ton, D. C. Grating Spectrometer Will Aid Studies of Unknown Spectrum An instrument to probe atomic and molecular characteristics which have been beyond the reach of scientific tools has been developed by a team of researchers at the University of California. The in- strument, a grating spectrometer designed to explore electromagnetic wave lengths in the far infrared, was described by Ken- neth Pitzer, dean of the university's Col- lege of Chemistry, at the recent meeting of the National Academy of Sciences in St. Louis. Since there is no prism available to analyze light between 35,000 and 1 million A. of wave length, Dr. Pitzer and his col- leagues have resorted to other methods. As a substitute for prisms, the scientists use a metal grating on which carefully shaped grooves are machined at a rate of hundreds per inch. The light reflected off this surface is separated into its various components by interference phenomena of the lines. Other features of the instrument in- clude an oscillating salt plate which chops the infrared light into a series of pulses and mirrors sensitive to light of only cer- tain wave lengths. All of this apparatus is enclosed in a vacuum tank, since water absorbs strongly the radiation in the region of the spec- trum between infrared and microwaves. Air -which is removed from the vacuum is loaded with#water molecules. Dr. Pitzer said that the new instrument is similar to one designed at the Univer- sity of Michigan to see if it were possible to analyze the light in this region of the spectrum. Dr. Pitzer's objective was to design an instrument of practical use to chemists in making numerous measure- ments In this region. Collaborating with Dr. Pitzer in the de- velopment of the instrument were W. D. Cwinn, associate professor of chemistry, and J. L. HoUenberg and C. R. Bonn, graduate students, all of the Uninversity of California. Isoniozid Theropy Promising in Treatment of Hansen's Disease Hopes that isoniazid, {he antitubercu- losis drug, may be effective against Han- sen's disease (leprosy) have been strength- ened by the results of research just con- cluded by two Mexican physicians. In a report presented to the American Society of Tropical Medicine which met in Gal- veston, Tex., last week, Fernando Latapi and Jose Barba Rubio described a nine months* clinical trial on 14 patients at hos- pitals in Mexico City and Guadalajara. Each patient received an oral dose of 200 to 300 milligrams of isoniazid daily. In 13 of the 14 cases, lumpy nodules under the skin and sores in nose and eye areas which characterize Hansen's disease were reduced in size and number. In some cases, these symptoms disappeared almost completely. Laboratory examination of tissue samples after treatment showed a reduction in the number of bacilli ( Myco- bacterium leprae) present in infected tis- sue. None of the patients exhibited serious side effects from the use of isoniazid and only in half the cases "was the so-called lepra reaction, often a serious problem fol- lowing chemotherapy of this disease, noted. In these, the lepra reaction was mild. The study was supported By grants from E. B. Squibb & Sons de Mexico, a subsidiary of the American company, and the Mexican Association for Action Against Leprosy. Although comparatively rare in the United States, Hansen's disease is still a problem in many parts of the world, es- pecially in tropical countries. It is esti- mated that about 5 million people are af- flicted with i t Several Chemicals Show Promise In Radiation Therapy A UCLA researcher has found several chemical compounds which appear to be effective in counteracting damaging radio- active material which accumulates in bone. Norman S. MacDonnld. of the Atomic en- ergy project at the University of California at Los Angeles, discovered in studies with rats that ethylenediamine tetroacetic acid, casein hydrolysnte, and pectin worked quite well in treating such accumlations of radioactive material. In addition, glucu· ronolactone, oxypolygclatin, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone showed enough promise to merit further study. Therapy of this kind would be particu- larly important when radioactive material enters the body through the mouth, by inhalation, or through wounds. Such radio- active material is deposited In the bone, and affects the normal function of bone marrow. Several of the chemicals are already un- der investigation for possible use as blood plasma substitutes. If proved successful for tlierapy of radioactive material in bone as well, they might have a dual function in case o f atomic warfare. Carbonaceous Agents Produce Magnesium Grain Refinement Grain refinement in magnesium castings has lbeen accomplished by investigators at Battelle Memorial Institute by bubbling natuxal gas, acetylene, carbon monoxide» carbon dioxide, and chlorine and carbon tetrachloride through the molten metal. In describing the Battelle work to a re- cent meeting of the Magnesium Association in Mew York, R. T. Wood, Alcoa, said that a compound containing aluminum and carbon is probably the nucleating agcixt in grain refinement. This was sug- gested b y the fact that treatment with a carbon-containing agent is effective when aluminum is present in the magnesium alloy. Iim Alcoa's studies on grain refinement, it was found that by using solid hydro- carbon compounds in which the number of carbon atoms is not less than the num- ber of hydrogen atoms, grain refinement was accomplished in alloy AZ92. To minimize porosity» it was discovered that organic compounds containing halogen atoms worked well, especially those of carbon and chlorine. Hexachlorobenzene -was found to be the most suitable and was preferred over hexachloroethane because it contains more carbon per molecule, with reaction time shorter. Use of 20 grams or more of hexachloro- benzene per 100 pounds of metal treated provides effective and consistent grain re- finement for alloys AZ92, ΑΖΘ3, AM 100, and AZ91C, Mr. Wood stated. Resistance to corrosion is not adversely affected and is actually improved by eliminating the need for heating the metal to high tem- peratures in contact with iron. In discussing other grain refinement methods» Mr. Wood said that zirconium is a powerful grain refining agent for pure magnesium and for many alloys which are not amenable to refinement by carbon in· oculationu Bureau of Mines Designs New Testing Oven A. new testing oven which determines in advance the kind of coke that α com· mercial oven will produce has been de- signed and successfully demonstrated by the Bureau of Klines. The oven also yields a coke said to be very similar In quality to that produced commercially» and bureau officials feel that it snore nearly duplicates the carbonizing condi- tions of larger commercial ovens than any test oven so far developed* Tills test oven differs primarily from other existing ones in that its 17-inch width la nearly the same as the full-scale 4968 CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE
Transcript of Grating Spectrometer Will Aid Studies of Unknown Spectrum
THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK
t \ S. Potash Co., Inc., members of the board of directors are: Edward J. Condon, Sears-Roebuck Foundation; Reuben G. Gustavson, University pf Nebraska; Ε. Β. MacNaughton, formerly of Reed College; Leslie A. Miller, formerly official of the Hoover Commission; Fairfield Osborn, Conservation Foundation; William S. Paley, President's Materials Policy Commission; Beardsly Ruml, consultant; Stanley Ruttenberg, Congress of Industrial Organizations; M. L. Wilson, Department of Agriculture; and Charles W. Eliot, Planning Consultant.
Mr. Eliot will be executive director and Elmer A. Hennig the secretary-treasurer. Offices of the new organization: Cafritz Building, 1625 Eye St., N.W., Washington, D. C.
Grating Spectrometer Will Aid Studies of Unknown Spectrum
An instrument to probe atomic and molecular characteristics which have been beyond the reach of scientific tools has been developed by a team of researchers at the University of California. The instrument, a grating spectrometer designed to explore electromagnetic wave lengths in the far infrared, was described by Kenneth Pitzer, dean of the university's College of Chemistry, at the recent meeting of the National Academy of Sciences in St. Louis.
Since there is no prism available to analyze light between 35,000 and 1 million A. of wave length, Dr. Pitzer and his colleagues have resorted to other methods. As a substitute for prisms, the scientists use a metal grating on which carefully shaped grooves are machined at a rate of hundreds per inch. The light reflected off this surface is separated into its various components by interference phenomena of the lines.
Other features of the instrument include an oscillating salt plate which chops the infrared light into a series of pulses and mirrors sensitive to light of only certain wave lengths.
All of this apparatus is enclosed in a vacuum tank, since water absorbs strongly the radiation in the region of the spectrum between infrared and microwaves. Air -which is removed from the vacuum is loaded with#water molecules.
Dr. Pitzer said that the new instrument is similar to one designed at the University of Michigan to see if it were possible to analyze the light in this region of the spectrum. Dr. Pitzer's objective was to design an instrument of practical use to chemists in making numerous measurements In this region.
Collaborating with Dr. Pitzer in the development of the instrument were W. D. Cwinn, associate professor of chemistry, and J. L. HoUenberg and C. R. Bonn,
graduate students, all of the Uninversity of California.
Isoniozid Theropy Promising in Treatment of Hansen's Disease
Hopes that isoniazid, {he antituberculosis drug, may be effective against Hansen's disease (leprosy) have been strengthened by the results of research just concluded by two Mexican physicians. In a report presented to the American Society of Tropical Medicine which met in Galveston, Tex., last week, Fernando Latapi and Jose Barba Rubio described a nine months* clinical trial on 14 patients at hospitals in Mexico City and Guadalajara.
Each patient received an oral dose of 200 to 300 milligrams of isoniazid daily. In 13 of the 14 cases, lumpy nodules under the skin and sores in nose and eye areas which characterize Hansen's disease were reduced in size and number. In some cases, these symptoms disappeared almost completely. Laboratory examination of tissue samples after treatment showed a reduction in the number of bacilli ( Mycobacterium leprae) present in infected tissue.
None of the patients exhibited serious side effects from the use of isoniazid and only in half the cases "was the so-called lepra reaction, often a serious problem following chemotherapy of this disease, noted. In these, the lepra reaction was mild.
The study was supported By grants from E. B. Squibb & Sons de Mexico, a subsidiary of the American company, and the Mexican Association for Action Against Leprosy.
Although comparatively rare in the United States, Hansen's disease is still a problem in many parts of the world, especially in tropical countries. It is estimated that about 5 million people are afflicted with i t
Several Chemicals Show Promise In Radiation Therapy
A UCLA researcher has found several chemical compounds which appear to be effective in counteracting damaging radioactive material which accumulates in bone. Norman S. MacDonnld. of the Atomic energy project at the University of California at Los Angeles, discovered in studies with rats that ethylenediamine tetroacetic acid, casein hydrolysnte, and pectin worked quite well in treating such accumlations of radioactive material. In addition, glucu· ronolactone, oxypolygclatin, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone showed enough promise to merit further study.
Therapy of this kind would be particularly important when radioactive material enters the body through the mouth, by inhalation, or through wounds. Such radioactive material is deposited In the bone, and affects the normal function of bone marrow.
Several of the chemicals are already under investigation for possible use as blood
plasma substitutes. If proved successful for tlierapy of radioactive material in bone as well, they might have a dual function in case o f atomic warfare.
Carbonaceous Agents Produce Magnesium Grain Refinement
Grain refinement in magnesium castings has lbeen accomplished by investigators at Battelle Memorial Institute by bubbling natuxal gas, acetylene, carbon monoxide» carbon dioxide, and chlorine and carbon tetrachloride through the molten metal. In describing the Battelle work to a recent meeting of the Magnesium Association in Mew York, R. T. Wood, Alcoa, said that a compound containing aluminum and carbon is probably the nucleating agcixt in grain refinement. This was suggested b y the fact that treatment with a carbon-containing agent is effective when aluminum is present in the magnesium alloy.
Iim Alcoa's studies on grain refinement, it was found that by using solid hydrocarbon compounds in which the number of carbon atoms is not less than the number of hydrogen atoms, grain refinement was accomplished in alloy AZ92. To minimize porosity» it was discovered that organic compounds containing halogen atoms worked well, especially those of carbon and chlorine. Hexachlorobenzene -was found to be the most suitable and was preferred over hexachloroethane because it contains more carbon per molecule, with reaction time shorter.
Use of 20 grams or more of hexachlorobenzene per 100 pounds of metal treated provides effective and consistent grain refinement for alloys AZ92, ΑΖΘ3, AM 100, and AZ91C, Mr. Wood stated. Resistance to corrosion is not adversely affected and is actually improved by eliminating the need for heating the metal to high temperatures in contact with iron.
In discussing other grain refinement methods» Mr. Wood said that zirconium is a powerful grain refining agent for pure magnesium and for many alloys which are not amenable to refinement by carbon in· oculationu
Bureau of Mines Designs New Testing Oven
A. new testing oven which determines in advance the kind of coke that α com· mercial oven will produce has been designed and successfully demonstrated by the Bureau of Klines. The oven also yields a coke said to be very similar In quality to that produced commercially» and bureau officials feel that it snore nearly duplicates the carbonizing conditions of larger commercial ovens than any test oven so far developed*
Tills test oven differs primarily from other existing ones in that its 17-inch width la nearly the same as the full-scale
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TECHNOLOGY
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