Science: New Wrinkles

Germanium Hunt. The best ore of germanium, the scarce metal that goes into the magic electronic transistors (TIME, Feb. 11), may prove to be ordinary coal. Last week the Pennsylvania Coal and Coke Corp. was asking coal operators all over the Appalachian region to send in samples of coal for germanium assay.

Geologists say that coal has the property of extracting germanium from water or gases that come in contact with it. For this reason, the top and bottom six inches of the seam generally contain the most germanium. Since the pure metal sells for about $350 a pound, a strike of rich germanium-coal would prove valuable.

Silicone Sticker. Linde Air Products Co. told about a compound that forms a “bridge” between plastic and glass. Plastics reinforced with glass fibers have not proved as strong as they theoretically should be. One trouble is that the plastic does not always stay stuck to the fibers. Moisture may penetrate the “interfaces” and make the two elements separate.

The answer, according to Linde, is to treat the fibers with a small amount (.25%) of vinyl siloxane, a compound whose plasticlike molecules contain atoms of silicon. These act as a bridge, the silicon end of the molecule sticking tight to the glass while the other end cleaves to the plastic. The bond is so strong that the glass-plastic combination does not lose its strength even when boiled for two hours.