We have made an Extended Hückel Self Consistent Charge (EH-SCC) molecular orbital calculation for hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen isocyanide and cyanide ion. The main purpose of this calculation was to compare the EH-SCC and the more accurate SCF MO calculations for HCN in order to evaluate the method we used here for future use. Specifically, we have calculated and compared the following properties of HCN: total energy, binding energy, variation of ground state energy with geometric conformation, ionization potential and dipole moment. In addition, we have extended previous calculations of HCN by also considering its energy variation with bond angle for two excited state configurations and deducing some of the characteristics of its electronic spectra. Finally we have also made an MO calculation of the isocyanide isomer HNC and CN⁻ ion to compare with and add to the known characterization of the H, C, N, system.

Absorption spectra in the visible range have been measured on quenched, glassy MnO−SiO₂ slags, equilibrated with various oxygen and sulfur pressures at 1350°C. The absorption peaks are due to the electron transitions between different energy levels of 3d shell of divalent manganese cation Mn²⁺. The charge transfer bands habe also been measured. From the positions of the peaks and the charge transfer bands, the following results are deduced: sulfur is dissolved in silicate slags predominantly as free sulfur anions but not combined in silicate anion polymers. The tetrahedral arrangement of oxygen anions around a managanese cation is more favorable than the octahedral at higher oxygen and sulfur pressures and smaller CaO content. Electronic conduction in slags, generally very slight compared with ionic conduction, will be increased with increase in oxygen and sulfur pressure and decrease in CaO content. The reproducibility of the peak positions was within 50 cm⁻¹ or 0.006 ev and the relative error in the molar extinction coefficient was estimated to be ±15 pct. The quenching rate had no effect on the absorption spectra.

A method for the synthesis of 2,3,3-trimethyl-2-hydroxy-5-pyrrolidone has been developed. 3,3-Dimethyl-2-methylene-5-pyrrolidone is initially formed during its thermolysis and then readily dimerizes. 2,3,3-Trimethyl-2-cyano-5-pyrrolidone was synthesized by the reaction of 2,3,3-trimethyl-2-hydroxy-5-pyrrolidone with potassium cyanide.

In some recent papers (H. A. Stöckler and H. Sano, Phys. Lett.25(A), 550, 1967, and Phys. Rev.165, 406, 1968) the phenomenon of integral asymmetry of Mössbauer quadrupole doublets caused by anisotropy of atomic thermal vibrations has been called the “Karyagin effect.”

Columnar castings of Pb-20 pct Sn alloy were partially remelted and fluid flow through the liquid interdendritic channels was examined. It was found that most of the flow occurred along relatively few interdendritic channels. Some flow channels widened appreciably, due to local remelting, leading to very rapid flow through the enlarged “pipes”. Estimates of the flow rate were made from observations on liquid drops falling from the lower surface of the casting. The results were not consistent with Darcy's law, due to the presence of preferential flow channels.