French " 447.080, 1912.
British " 19.002. 1912.
• 19,003, 1912. U. S. " 1.059.817. 1913.
• 1,059,818. 1913.
Commercial Uses.— When hydrogen is burnt in oxygen temperatures up to 2,800° C. may be obtained. This property renders hydro gen invaluable for fusing and welding platinum, iron, lead, copper, etc. Hydrogen and oxygen obtained from cylinders of the compressed gases are brought together in a suitable burner and ignited.
It is well known that rapid cooling of hot metals hardens them. That the opposite is true has recently been demonstrated in striking fashion by the General Electric Company. One of its scientists annealed American ingot iron surrounded by hydrogen gas for three hours at a temperature above F. The product was very little harder than the softest copper, and could be whittled with a knife. (Taken from American Machinist.) Below are given some of the present prin cipal commercial uses of hydrogen: 1. Hydrogenation of Oils.— Solidifying liquid oils for edible products; preparing fats for manufacture of soap; renovating and de odorizing certain oils.
2. Reduction of copper oxide; reduction of tungsten; reduction of molybdenum; lamp work; jeweliT work.
3. Balloons, dirigibles; por table wireless stations.
4. Cutting.— Oxy-hydrogen cutting. (The oxy-hydrogen flame is far superior to any other method for cutting metals and will cut metals of such thicknesses as to be beyond the penetration of the oxyacetylene flame).
5. Platinum and Lead Lead cham bers for sulphuric acid.
6. Reducing agent; combining agent.
7. Heating.
8. Annealing.
Hydrogen has been used with some degree of success in the manufacture of ammonia synthetically by the Haber process. Hyd.ogen and nitrogen are combined at high pressures, and temperatures around 500-600° C., with the aid of catalysts. The process has been de veloped to a much greater extent in Germany than in the United States. During the recent World War a plant was erected by the United States government at Sheffield, Ala., for the
manufacture of ammonia and thence ammonium nitrate by a modified Haber process. Although some ammonia was produced, continuous pro duction was not achieved owing to the mechan ical difficulties involved in working with gases at high pressures.
Hydrogen is used in steel works for autoge nous welding and for filling up the blow-holes frequently found in steel castings.
Limelight is produced by impinging an oxy hydrogen flame on a block of quicklime, yield ing a very brilliant Hein (Drummond light).
In glass works, the heating of furnaces and crucibles is greatly accelerated by the oxy hydrogen flame. In the preparation of fused silica ware the oxy-hydrogen flame is extremely valuable.
Hydrogen finds extensive use for filling bal loons. Theoretically, the ascensional force of hydrogen is the difference in weight of a cubic metre of air and a cubic metre of hydrogen (1.293-0.090 kg.) and is thus 1.203 kg., except at higher altitudes. Practically 1 kg. is taken as the lifting force of 1 cubic metre of hydro gen.
Synthetic sapphires, amethysts, emeralds, rubies, etc., are made by the deposition of alumina and fusion in the oxy-hydrogen flame.
Recently hydrogen has found a very valuable application in the hydrogenation of oils.
The saturated glycerides and fatty acids have higher melting points than the unsaturated compounds: C22 H.. 02 plus IL = Ca H. 0.. (Oleic Acid) (Stearic Acid) In this way various soft oils and fats, such as fish oil, linseed oil and cottonseed oil, are hardened and their commercial value increased. The higher melting point fats are advan tageously used in soap making, candle making and edible fats (such as butter and lard sub stitutes). Consult Martin's