Armstrong dclivcrcd n It.cturc on tho sulijcct (which is licrc surmiscd) n n d illustrntcd tho tlicorcticnl rispects of t ~i o qncst'ioii ~i y sonio rcsultti of investigations, nininly on cntnlytic Iiytlrogciintion, ~vliicli Iic lins cnrricd out in conjunction with Dr. '1'. P. llilclitcli for sonic yenrs p:tst.
'l'hc rnngc of npplicntion of sucli proccsscs Iins Iiccoino vcry cstcnclctl, niid lnttcrly tlic ficld of intcrcst lins cl!angcd from 1iydrogcn:ition and syntlictic :~IIIUIOIIIR to c:itnlyscs involving osidntion, including tlioso of nmmoni:i, cnrbon monoxidc, and, most rccontly, nroni:itic coinpoiinds. Tho Instnamcd linrc rcccivcd most rittcntioii froin tho I h r r e t t Conipnny, of New York, wliicli produces iiialic acid and quinonc froin bcnzcnc, plitliiilic acid from nnplitlinlenc, antlirnquinono frorn nntlirncenc, ctc.
Most iiiclustrinl cntnlysts nro solids, so tlint in order to obtain mnsiinutn opportunity of contnct in pronioting reactions citlicr bctween liquids, liquids nnd g:iscs, or yntics, i t bccomcs of outst:rnding iinportnnco to oKcr ns largo n n cxtcnt of solid surfoco as possiblc.
'I'lioro is :I largo rnricty of dcviccs for iiicrcnsing fiurf:icc, from simplo nbrnsion as pr:ictificd by 15ldcr t o doposition on n suitnblo support. Tho subject of c:~tnlyst-supports must bo considored with pnrticulnr rcfcrcnco t o tho avoidance of poisons or nuticntnlysts, and tho work of Mnstcd on tho influonco of various mctnls on tho nctivity of nictnl cntnlysts mny 1m quoted in this connosion.
Tlio dcsiriibility of employing ns low a tciiipernturo as possiblo in tlic preparation of a cntnlyst