NEWS
354
EDITION
Vol. 19, No. 6
A. C. S. M e m b e r s Elected February 1 to M a r c h 1, 1941
©5 /Shoo o c a ? ^ ^ ? " :
Total membership AKRON
SECTION.
Richard
A.
as of March Briggs,
Theodore G. Daub, Jr., Fred C. Hands, Harold H. Radke 1 , Clarence A. Ritchie, Robert Treat, Jr., I. W. Wander, John H. Wilson, Matthew W. Wilson1, Myron Wilt 1 . AMES SECTION.
T O P E O P L E W H O ASKED WHAT WAS T H E U S E O F NEWLY D I S COVERED FACTS, BENJAMIN F R A N K L I N USED T O SAY, " W H A T I S T H E USE O F AN I N F A N T ? " M I C H A E L FARADAY R E P E A T E D T H A T Q U O T A T I O N WHILE L E C T U R I N G ON CHLORINE IN 1817. Franklin . . . Faraday . . . Chlorine . . . What an epitome of the potentialities that dwell in a birth. For all of us who use and produce chemicals, the significance of new born facts need not b e underscored. A l l of us have seen infant chemicals grow into powerful forces for the good of mankind. W e have seen evers aged products o f chemistry virtually reborn through the elixir of new facts. Y o u and we have witnessed such achievements and even have helped t o accomplish some of them. Thus does Chemistry stimulate its workers—and reward them.
•/aoga'csO cagxgŒB mES Acetaldehyde i s a very reactive compound and forms many addition, substitution, and condensation products of importance in t h e dyesluifs, rubber accelerator and age resistor, medicinal, and synthetic resin fields. Some of t h e better known compounds o b t a i n e d from acetaldehyde are aldehyde a m m o n i a and hisullite, p e n t a erythritol, inetaldehyde, ethyl lactate, qiiinaidine, a n d einnamic ^aldehyde. Synthetic resins m a d e from acetaldehyde are usually softer a n d more pliable than those from formaldehyde, and consequently require less plastioizer. Often t h e acetaldehyde resin itself can be used a s t h e " plasticizer. Paraldehyde is frequently used instead o f acetaldehyde in resins because its higher boiling point makes it more convenient to handle. Acetaldol (AJdol), its ciimer paraldol, crotonaldehyde, a n d inetaJdehyde a r e also available and react similarly t o acetaldehyde.
VINYL ACETATE
Chemists are familiar with vinyl resins from vinyl a c e t a t e , but few know t h a t vinyl acetate i s an important raw material in t h e manufacture of tfcie sulfanilamide t y p e pharmaceuticals. JE^y proper t r e a t m e n t dichloroethylacetate or chloracetal can readily be obtained and these halogenated derivatives a r e readily condensed with other materials to g i v e heterocyclic ring compounds. T h e vinyl group is also very active in all halogen a n d halogen acid reactions, and addition reactions with other unsaturated o r polymerizable m a terials as ethylene, aniylene, coumarone, and t u r p e n t i n e .
ACETOJNITRILE J u s t recently availaJble in quantity, acetonitrile is already a n important r a w m a terial in the manufacture of plant hormones and t h e vitamins. Chloracetonitrile reacts w i t h aromatic compounds t o give aryl derivatives of acetic acid, of proven value i n the hormone field. Acetamidine, readily prepared from acetonitrile, can be condensed with a properly substituted ester t o give t h e pyrimidine half of vitarnin B x . Otiier commercial synthetic possibilities are practically u n explored.
O T H E R PRODUCTS Inquiries for n e w cfieniieais which c a n b e prepared from any of o o r products are welcomed. Your request for information, samples, or quotations on siny products we make or m i g h t make will receive our p r o m p t attention.
