THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK PROCESS INb
C. Ν . Rabold ( r i g h t ) , president o f AATCC, presents O l n e y medal to Werner von Bergen o f Forstmann Woolen C o . Bight. R. H. Blakcr (left) of D u Pont explains a few details o f
MtiriUUD
t h e c o p p e r dyeing of Orion to Francis Richardson of Waldrich C o . I n this method, dyeing is controlled b y t h e redox potential of t h e d y e bath. Conventional equipment can b e u s e d
bath is maintained b e t w e e n 40 and 120 millivolts. The rate of dyeing will b e greater if the millivolt value is held near the lower limit; the rate is much less at 120 millivolts, still less at higher values. T h e control procedure consists of t w o steps: First, the reduction potential of the dye bath is measured t o determine whether or not sufficient reducing agent is present Redox potential measurements facilitate copper to reduce the cupric ion t o cuprous ion and, second, the reducing agent is added dyeing of polyacrylonitrile fibers to t h e d y e bath at a rate sufficient to maintain that value of redox potential BOSTON.—Although annual production o f plastic fibers that may be present as part which indicates that the cupric ion has bonded-fiber, nonwoven fabrics amounted of the w e b , or b y the addition of adhe- been reduced. to only a few thousand pounds 10 years sives in solid or liquid form. A s m a y be In the determination of the redox po ago, that output lias been tipped to more expected, he said, these various means of tential, u s e is made of a p H meter than 2 5 million pounds today. With new producing bonded-fiber fabrics residt in equipped with a millivolt scale. One of equipment being developed and addi a wide range o f properties and uses. the electrodes is a conventional calomel tional manufacturers entering the field, Studies are now under w a y for the more electrode and the other is a high-tempera II. E. Shearer, American Viscose Corp., economic production of bonded-fiber fab ture platinum electrode. A recorder may believes it is safe to assume that this new rics with improved drapeability, wear re be used t o provide a continuous record of industry will double its output about every sistance, and other properties, a n d a con the reduction state of the d y e bath. three years for the next 10 years or more. siderable expansion in the use o f these ma Successful Orion Dyes. As has been Dr. Shearer outlined the development of terials can be expected. reported previously, the copper dyeing bonded-fiber fabrics at the 31st national With a n attendance of over 1400, the method, which w a s first described for the meeting of the American Association of AATCC program featured a dozen papers, rlyeing of dynel, has been developed into Teixtilc Chemists and Colorists held here as well as a panel discussion on continuous a successful commercial process for the Nov. β to 8. dyeing methods. More than 5 0 c o l o r a dyeing of Orion, Dr. Blaker indicated. Uonded-iiber fabrics are an outgrowth tions and technical publications partici This process is t h e only o n e now available of the development of glazed and bonded pated in the association's annual exhibi by which Orion can be dyed in a full waddings known for the past century, Or. tion. At the award luncheon, the Olney range of colors at temperatures obtainable Shearer noted. They have only recently Medal was presented to Werner von Ber in conventional dyeing equipment. T h e b e c o m e familiar to a large segment of t h e gen, research director of Forstmann textile industry and are as yet practically Woolen Co. (C&EN, Aug. 1, p a g e 3 1 7 1 ) . process is also applicable to the dyeing of unknown as a textile to the consuming T h e personal history and scientific con Orion at higher temperatures. T h e copper d y e i n g method is unique publie. The slow spread of technical in- tributions of the medalist were outlined fori turn on this subject may be attrib by C K. Hopkins of t h e Wool Bureau and among d y e i n g procéda»es in that the use of a n inorganic salt, a cuprous salt, peruted, h e said, to the reticence on t h e part J. l b Dillon, Textile Research Institute. of those who have developed special C o p p e r Dyeing. T h e use of redox po mits Orion to b e dyed b y acid dyes, a equipment and manufacturing techniques tentials to control the copper dyeing of class of compounds which ordinarily have to reveal the details of their operations at polyacrylonitrile fibers was discussed bv little or no affinity for this fiber. T h e an early stage of their development. R. II. Blakcr of Du Pont. H e indicated method consists of adding copper sulfate Bonded-fiber fabrics, he said, are gen that if hydroxylatnine sulfate is^ used as the and a reducing agent to a bath containing erally produced by carding, blowing, and reducing agent in the copper dyeing of the fiber and t h e acid dye. T h e copper otherwise collecting almost any desired these fibers at o r near the boil in a pi I sulfate and the reducing agent react to fiber in the form of a w e b , which is range of 2,5 to 3.5, satisfactory dyeings form cuprous ions. T h e s e ions are a b bonded cither by t h e activation of thermo will result if t h e redox potential of the sorbed b y the Orion, and thus they create
C&EN REPORTS: American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists
Annual Output of B o n d e d Fabrics Exceeds 2 5 Million Pounds in ' 5 2
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THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK an affinity for the acid dye. T h e attrac tion between the cuprous ion and the Or ion fiber depends upon the ability of t h e ion to form complexes with the nitrile groups of the polyacrylonitrile. T h e dyeing procedure for Orion, said Dr. Blaker, has been guided by five basic principles: ( 1 ) T h e eopper must be in t h e cuprous valence state to b e effective in promoting the dyeability of acrylic fibers; (2) the amount of cuprous ions absor"'*d by t h e fiber is proportional to t h e concen tration of these ions in the dye bath; ( 3 ) the amount of cuprous ions absorbed d e pends on the pi I of t h e d y e bath ( p i I 2 to 3.5 is preferred ) ; ( 4 ) t h e rate of cop per absorption depends on the tempera ture, the rate being extremely slow below 212° V.; and (5) the amount of d y e a b sorbed is proportional to the amount of cuprous ions absorbed by t h e fiber. Polymer Chemistry. N e w polymers for the formation and modification of textile fibers were described by H e r m a n F. Mark of t h e Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. Four general types of copolymers were outlined. If the monomers are designated as A and B, the copolymers are of t h e fol lowing types: ( 1 ) regular polymers, in which A a n d Β a p p e a r alternately in t h e chain; ( 2 ) random polymers, in which a few A's a r e hooked onto a few B's, which in turn a r e hooked onto a few A's, etc.; ('}) block polymers, in which a long chain of A's is attached to the end of a long cliain of B's, etc.; and ( 4 ) graft polymers, in which small chains of A are attached at \.irions points to a single long chain of B's, which serves as t h e "backbone" of t h e molecule. A t present, much experimental work is being d o n e on both the block and grait types of polymers because of their u n i q u e properties. In particular, these polymers have unusual solubility characteristics a n d can act as detergents a n d emulsifying agents because their chemically dissimilar parts are well segregated in t h e molecule. ()ne portion of the molecule can impart oil solubility while another portion pro vides water solubility, as in the case of graft a n d block polymers composed of polyvinyl alcohol and polystyrene. T h e possibility of using graft polymers as antistatic agents for plastics a n d syn thetic fibers was mentioned. W h e n ordi nary materials of low molecular weight are lived, t h e danger t\dsts that they will b e readily washed off. On t h e other hand, long-chain graft polymers have the ad vantage of greater permanence a n d . in fact, may he m a d e a part of the polymer that they protect from static buildup. Dr. Mark emphasized that polymeriza tion reactions of t h e future will consist more a n d more of a series of well planned steps designed to produce a well defined product. In each step, there will b e built into the molecule a part of t h e properties desired in the final polymer. Thus, said Dr. Mark, polymer manufacture will m o r e nearly resemble the stepwise procedures characteristic ξ organic syntheses.
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J. D . McPherson (at m i c r o p h o n e ) , American American Cyanamid, discussed the uses a n d abuses of market research. Looking on were (left (left to r i g h t ) : J. H. Twiss, advertising execu tive; O. F . Minor, Shell Oil; E. A. Bush, SAACI SAAC president; and Bert Cremers, Wyandotte C & E N REPORTS: Salesmen's Association of the A m e r i c a n Chemical
Industry
Vital Role For Sale Salesmen Seen In Chemical Industry Each salesman must know himself, his job, his company, and his industry N K W YOKK.-Both the shortcomings a n d ,· value of salesmen and sales managers in t h e chemical industry were brought into the open and discussed for some 11 hours in a day-long ""chemical sales clinic" held here Oct. 28, t h e first held by the Sales men's Association of the American Chemi cal Industry, There were speakers on heavy chemicals, fine chemicals, building better sales executives, market research, advertising, and other related topics. O n e of the stronger addresses to the sales group was given by the man w h o diil most of t h e work in organizing t h e clinic, Ralph L . Ericsson, vice president of t h e Sumner Chemical Co. Mr. Ericsson withheld no p u n c h e s anil declared that the public. Including plant personnel, has come to feel that there is something sala cious about selling. T o give selling a professional stature, the speaker suggested, each salesman must be endowed with knowledge—of himseli, his job, his c-ompany, and his industry. With this, IK* thought, would come pride in the job. Meanwhile, the chemical in dustry today has a sales volume around $15 to $20 billion annually and is grow ing more rapidly than any other branch of industry, Reseerch fret· the C r e d i t · Research is getting the public's credit for this growth (research in long white coat and a large lab filled with complex a p p a r a t u s ) , but salesmen and their bosses know, he said,
CHEMICAL
that this kind of research falls flat on its face without consumer contact. Behind every successfully-developed new prod uct, as well as t h e expanding market for older products, t h e r e is always a salesman somewhere in t h e picture. In discussing the sale of heavy chemi cals, Bert Cremers, Wyandotte Chemicals Corp., said that today approximately 1 5 % of our total production is for military preparedness, while up to 40% of total production is "postponable." W h a t will happen, h e asked, when military needs are met, when luxury dollars have been drained off, and the inevitable catching-up period sets in? 4 T11 tell you what will happen. T h e American salesman will again come into his own. There will be an opportunity for the salesman to prove that in a sound economy and u n d e r what we hope will he a stronger free enterprise system, people can be persuaded to buy, and by persuad ing them to buy, we can prevent or cer tainly cushion t h e effect of a serious 1929 type of depression." Mr. Cremers said that he was frightened at the expansion, new processes, and new products on the d r a w ing boards today that will have to find a market somewhere. Fine C h e m l c a l i . Charles P. Walker, Jr.. sales manager for Chas. Pfizer & Co., called attention to changes that are tak ing place in t h e fine chemical business. One is that perhaps the long-range future
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