Shimer Case-Hardening Process - Discussion

CHAIRMAN (J . E. JOHNSON, J R., New York, N. Y.).-It may be n matter of some interest that sodium cyanide is now being made commercially by melting together in an electric furnace calcium cyanide with a common salt, which produces calcium chloride and sodium cyanide. It seems to me entirely possible that you have here about the same results that would be obtained by melting calcium chloride and ordinary cyanide together, only you obtain it a good deal cheaper. There is no doubt about that reaction once it is being carried on on a large industrial scale for the manufacture of cyanide for other uses. I think probably the same, thing takes place here, with the possible exception of lowering the melting point due to the presence of the calcium chloride.