Show chemists learn new uses for swelling clay of great value to agriculture research results from the nations laboratories dealing with soil structures and the industrial uses of 0 clay the absorption behavior of chlorine the surface tension of liquids and the chemical activity of blood and serum were reported to more than chemists from all parts of the country participating in the fourteenth annual colloid symposium of the american chemical society at the university of minnesota Alinne sota writes a minneapolis correspondent in the chicago daily news clay found principally in wyoming which possesses the ability of swelling in water was put in the spotlight by prof ernest A hauser and C E need heed of the massachusetts institute of technology they reported several new discoveries relating to the clay which is becoming increasingly valuable in industry and agriculture was used recently to stop a serious leak in the cofferdam cofler dam ot of the coulle dam of the columbia river said the report is aiding ever broadening application in the oil industry where it is used during the drilling operation as a thickener if suspensions oi of in water are allowed to rest they will become increasingly more viscous and finally form a gel a gelatin like material upon mechanical ch agitation they are quickly liquefied this procedure can be repeated many times and is known as A closer understanding of the reason for the different ewel swelling ling capacities of and a better knowledge of the reasons for this peculiar phenomenon should materially assist in broadening out its industrial application furthermore any more detailed knowledge should prove of great value in agriculture and soil preservation since soil is made up to a large extent of clay minerals |