The Wider Applications of Benzole
Page 33
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Apart from its Widespread Use as a Motor Fad, Large Quantities of Benzole are Consumed for a Wide Range of Industrial Purposes. Important among these are the Lesser Known Applications in the Construction, Maintenance and Repair of Motor Vehicles and Equipment
MANY operators of commercial vehicks are unaware of the important part played by benzole in the construction, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles ; yet, strangely enough, from 15 to 20 per cent, of the world's consumption of benzole is represented by applications other than as a fuel for the internal-combustion engine,
Actually, nearly everything the motorist handles has some direct contact with benzoic, either in its manufacture or subsequent treatment. Applications of definite value to transport executives and commercial-vehicle operators may be classified into the following groups :—Cellulose lacquers and varnishes ; plastics and emulsions; paint and enamel removers ; leather ; lubricants ; cements ; carbon removers; degreasing agents.
Taking the first two—many cellulose enamels incorporate a large proportion of benzoic, as is proved by representative formula, Use in Plastics.
Formuize for three nitro-cellulose lacquers specify 22, 19 and 8 per cent. of benzole respectively, whilst three clear brass lacque.. use 20, 20 and 19.6 per cent. benzoic. Many plastic compositions, used for moulding or modelling purposes, and erhulsions, utilize appropriate proportions of benzoic, a patented product, for instance, consists of 200 parts of benzole to 109 parts of ethyl benzyl cellulose, three • parts of triphenyl phosphate and three parts of tricresyl phosphate.
The removal of old paint and enamel is an important and necessary stage in the repair and maintenance of commercial-vehicle bodies, and benzoic is employed in many solutions such as are used for the removal of such coatings.
A paint remover, patented in the United States, consists of 35 parts of benzoic, 30 parts of alcohol (ethylor ienatured), 20 parts of acetone, 14 parts of ethyl acetate and one part of bard paraffin wax. There are many Pther variations, some involving the ise of as many as 10 ingredients, whilst, at the other end of the scale, there is a simple formula comprising eight parts of benzole, seven parts of wood spirit and four parts of paraffin wax.
Real and artificial leather are treated, in various ways, with solutions containing benzole. One of the oldest and best known dressings consists of a solution of four parts rosin in 96 parts of benzole, with a trace of aniline. Two typical leather dyes, one brown and one black, eabh contain 80 per cent, of benzole. A patented artificial leather base employs 500 parts of benzole in a tota,1 of 1,920 parts.
Benzole is used in several different kinds of lubricant. A patented uppercylinder lubricant is made of 120 parts of petrol, 15 parts benzole, 20 parts toluol, 50 parts camphor, 20 parts ether, 10 parts carbon bisulphide, 40 parts castor oil, 50 -parts mineral oil, 470 parts of petrolatum and five parts of clovel. A process for removing mineral wax from oil, again patented in the United States, comprises' the dissolving of approximately 100 barrels of wax-bearing oil in approximately 95 barrels of acetone and 80 barrels of benzoic, chilling to approximately 40 degrees F., filter pressing, removing a relatively high-melting-point wax, adding approximately 75 barrels of benzoic to the filtrate, chilling to minus 10 degrees F., and filter pressing to remove a relatively low-melting-point wax,
.The problem of joining rubber to metal. frequently arises in repair _work, and a solution of the problem is a rubber-to-metal cement. A typical composition comprises 68 parts, by weight, of crepe rubber, 6,800 parts of benzoic and from 40 -to 80 parts of bromine, which should be allowed to stand and ' then shaken slowly until
uniform. .
Great care should be taken when handling bromine because the strong irritant vapour given off is dangerous to the respiratory organs. Another rubber-to-metal cement, which is patented in this country, comprises 40 ozs. of Paris white, 3 ozs. rosin, 15 ozs. dammar or copal gum, 15 ozs. benzoic, 23 ozs. naphtha and 1 ozs. of rubber.
In the preparation of an ordinary rubber adhesive, raw rubber, such as smoked sheet, is milled until it is plastic and then gas black or zinc oxide is added and well mixed in by milling. The milled rubber is then placed in a container and benzole and stannic chloride are added. The mixture is heated for two hours at the boiling point of the benzoic, and is then ready to be applied to steel plate.
Several engine carbon removers comprise a mixture of benzoic with other ingredients. A patented product consists of equal parts of aniline, benzoic and alcohol, and, according to another patent for removing carbon deposits, the cylinders are heated to a little above 65 degrees C. and treated with a mixture of equal parts of alcohol, benzole and naphthalene.
Among other formuln may be mentioned an engine carbon remover consisting of 1 to 5 parts of diethyl formamide, 40 to 49 parts of benzoic and 50 to 55 parts of alcohol.
Its Uses for Degreasing.
Grease is an essential requirement for commercial-vehicle operators, but there are times when it finds its way into places where it is definitely not wanted, and here, again, benzole comes to the rescue. Cleaning and degreasing involve, in general,, the use of higher percentages of benzole than in the formula so far mentioned, and in the aggregate the benzole _used for these purposes represents a substantial proportion of the industrial production.
A mixed solvent for removing grease 'spots is made of 100 grammes of benzole, 60 of alcohol, 20 of ammonia, 100 of ether and 490 of oil of turpentine.
Lubricating oil stains on concrete are not only unsightly but are sometimes a nuisance, and are always a possible source of danger. The remedy is to mix benzole with a dry powder such 'as hydrated lime, marble dust or whiting to form a paste which is plastered' over the stain.