"Comments by Prof. Haagen-Smit on smog." August 23, 1956. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 2 pp.  View Transcript

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Activity Listings

• Check from LP to American Association of Scientific Workers for $10.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1951-1960), Box #4.075, Folder #75.3]
• Check from LP to Associated Alumni of NBU for $10.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1951-1960), Box #4.075, Folder #75.3]
• Check from LP to California Institute of Technology (Judy Mern Fund) for $20.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1951-1960), Box #4.075, Folder #75.3]
• Check from LP to California Institute of Technology for $13.11. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1951-1960), Box #4.075, Folder #75.3]
• Check from LP to California Institute of Technology for $8.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1]
• Check from LP to Children Limited for $5.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1951-1960), Box #4.075, Folder #75.3]
• Freight Bill from Nippon Yusen Kaisha to LP RE: Describes shipping information of one "Unpacked Porsche Motor Car" and total shipping and handling costs. Stamp reads "Payment Received Sept 4 - 1956." [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, February 1956-December 1957), Box #4.024, Folder #24.1]
• LP notes to himself. [Filed under LP Science: Box #10.007, Folder #7.1]

  NOTES TO MYSELF – LP

  Prof. Haagen-Smit told me that he is working on the removal of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the stack gases for the power plants of, I believe, Southern California Edison. He said that the substances could be removed from the flue gases by use of charcoal, which could pick up nearly half its weight, before having to be regenerated, which can be done with steam. He said that the amount of each substance in the flue gas is about 500 parts per million, which corresponds to about 40 tons per day of sulfur dioxide and the same amount of nitrogen dioxide. There are about fifteen plants in the state belonging to this company, I believe, and accordingly about 600 tons of each substance might be removed each day.

  I believe that he said that under conditions of high-temperature combustion as much as 5000 parts per million of nitrogen oxides may be formed. He said that the amount fixed by automobile engines under cruising conditions is about 5000 parts per million, that is about ½ percent. This is very good fixation of nitrogen, inasmuch as commercial nitrogen fixation plants fix only about 2 percent.

  He said that the problem is essentially a financial one – can a method be found to remove the substances from the stack gases at a reasonably low cost. It is my impression that the market for sulfuric acid and nitric acid, and also, as Haagen-Smit pointed out, for ammonium sulfate for fertilizer, is great enought in California to permit all of the substances to be sold.

  He mentioned that refineries remove hydrocarbons form flue gases by a continuous process, in which particles of carbon drop form the top of the stack around plate after plate to the bottom and are then removed, and treated to be introduced again at the top of the stack.

  It is 95° in Los Angeles today, at 1 p.m. – the hottest 23 August since 1886. The smog is pretty bad; even in my office the Crellin Laboratory it causes my eyes to smart.

• Letter from LP to C. B. Farrar, American Journal of Psychiatry, RE: Provides Farrar with the manuscript of LP's May 2 talk before the American Psychiatric Association. [Letter from Farrar to LP August 10, 1956] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (American Psychiatric Association), #11.11]
• Letter from S. Kato, Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., to Beatrice Wulf, Secretary to LP, RE: Says he has arrived safely in Tokyo. Thanks Wulf for her hospitality during his visit. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (K: Correspondence, 1956), #200.21]