RESEARCH IN CANADA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 April 1939, Page 4

RESEARCH IN CANADA

SEEKING USES FOR MINOR RESOURCES. MUCH SUCCESS ACHIEVED. OTTAWA. Valuable research work has been undertaken during the past year by the National Research Council of Canada in devising ways of increasing the commercial uses of some of the minor Canadian resources. For instance, improvements have been made in the commercial manufacture of plastics from skim milk and casein for making buttons and other articles, and its many uses broadened. Considerable research work has been undertaken in regard to plasticising agents for application with several types of acid, basic, and neutral refractory cements. Research work on magnesian products has been so successful that large quantities of this product are now being used in Canada in the manufacture of bricks for use in blast and other furnaces. A brick has been produced from Canadian magnesite dolomite and chrome ore of extremely high resistance to fracture when subjected to rapid temperature changes. Both burned and chemically bonded unburned chrome brick of superior quality is now being produced commercially in Canada as a result of such research work.

Other research work undertaken includes tests of material produced from asbestos fibre for filtration purposes. Research has recently been initiated on the production of metallic magnesium. A rapid laboratory method of synthesising organic selenides has been developed. Investigations of the resistance to corrosion of sea water of a number of aluminium alloys and steels were undertaken. Examination and testing of new materials for paint manufacturing is being continued. Textile investigations and the work on laundering and dry cleaning are being carried out on a latge commercial scale.