Science Siftings

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 17, 13 May 1925, Page 62

Science Siftings

(By Volt) .

Substitute : for 'Glass: Valuable .Modern . ' 1 Discovery. L ..*" Word has been received, from Austria (says ; the Scientific American) to the effect that a new ; glass substitute has been discovered ~ which possesses, it is claimed, all the good qualities of : glass with few or none of its*" bad, qualities. ; • .^C< ‘ ' The new product is known.by the nano of pollopas. It is a synthetic colloid, and y?l that is known now ; of , its manufacture is that it is an intermediate condensation product formed by the action of formaldehyde on carbamide. This places it .in the-class of . artificial .resins, which since their. discovery have developed a field of their own and are now used to manufacture a great variety of ' articles of common every-day use. r; ‘ They;, include, for example, such pro-ducts as bakelite. ‘■ < ■, . • , The most interesting properties of the new product are.its entire lack of ’color and ■ its transparency, as well as .the high lustre that its surface 'attains on polishing and ’ its; strength, _ Investigations of it. have been , made at ; the University . of Vienna. It was ■ found ; that pollopas absorbs more of the'til-' tra-violet rays than glass, and hence it is * recommended as a valuable substitute ' for 4 ; glass.where the ultra-violet rays must be ; ex- ’ ; eluded.' The index of.’refraction is about" the; same ‘for flint ‘ glass. Its light,’ properties , are such, that it can be used, with .very., good results for .making’.all kinds of optical ap- ' paratus. !It's,; hardness is about the same as that of mother, of. pearl or of the similar pheholf ormaldehyde condensation "products.' ■lt's tensile, strength' is considerable. ’ •' ' ■ These properties imply that it may be a useful . product which will, have many ap-; plications. ‘lt does not' break easily, and is said not to splinter like glass.' It -ha's been . suggested for making billiard balls, for coving the keys on the piano, for making automobile wind-shields/ and ■ the 1 ' windows of Closed cars, " As, it . cap be colored and’.darkened in any shade,"!t is possible to use it in making artificial porcelain and opalescent glass. Pollopas can be =■ etched with strong sulphuric - acid' which ■ makes " it.,possible to ' use it in making door signs and-illuminat-ing advertising-.signs.; ■ A . ' ■ : . : • : Everlasting Electric .Batteries. v \ ’ --Electric ~ batteries to| last,; j thousands, ' ;i of years .'.before, ; running ,down are, a (possibility of the. near.;future If a : . Birmingham, scien-tist’sr;-theories; become -ah actuality. : ; ;■ >., He claims to have discovered . a new generative source of v electricity; bywhichi energy will be drawn .in limitless quantities from vast natural; resources of radio-active = substances and. harnessed to the service of ‘. mankind. Fuel and chemicals' are not needed. ; - ■ The { principle governing this process • is '’so noticeable . and ’elementary, that • scientists / appear to t have overlooked it. , Briefly,; it con- . . sists ] of f placing radio-active material be- . tween ; plates: of different : metals, such; a: copper - and .aluminium, . which ;.by virthq, bl . .. their / differences have : the quality of dis- ; criminating between-the ; negative anapposi-

• „ s . /• - tive elements ‘in the radio-activity and- storv inec them fup in a charge of electricity, which : ; s , ; cam be drawn off in the usual way. ; « The :iworld* dsf full -of radioactive - auh- I 7 stances —there ; aro : countless • millions available. ; There ; Ore! 5 some ; "kinds • bib ' on^The : shores :; of India 'and -elsewhere udfach. .. a're ; radib-aYtive, -and" upwards : of i minerals Raye -Similar prQpefties-,.';M6st \ •-.■ of these stvbsta nces endure i oh -thousands of) y. ~ ~ f '’.'S' -T . j , £ ,1 • “ years, and "the energy would Jbe good for-the . whole of the time. - ,!L-s ’ v V-V ' ' ; r . • > ■■■ - ~ —, »v