BORON FOUND IN COAL ASH
POSSIBLE COMMERCIAL VALUE From Our Parliamentary "Reporter WELLINGTON, June 1. A discovery of scientific interest and possible future commercial value was reported to-day by the Minister in charge of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan). He said that the Dominion laboratory had discovered that ash from Waikato coal contained 4 per cent, of combined boron trioxide, which would be equivalent to about 10 per cent, of crystallised borax. “While it may be only of scientific interest,” said the Minister, “it is possible that we have here material from which boric acid and borax may be prepared. This aspect of the matter is being explored; Further chemical work is being carried out." The Minister said that the discovery was due to the careful work of Mr F, T. Seelye, chief chemist of . the Dominion laboratory, who was one of the leading Empire workers on the chemical analysis of rocks. Char from Waikato coal was giving trouble in a furnace at the railway workshops because of the easily fusible nature of the ash. When the ash was subjected to usual chemical analysis, the sum of the constituents was 4 per cent, short, and further examination for the missing constituents proved the presence of boron.
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Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23963, 2 June 1943, Page 2
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213BORON FOUND IN COAL ASH Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23963, 2 June 1943, Page 2
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