Chemical shipments by water to soar A sharp increase in shipments of chemicals by water is projected in a recent assessment of prospects for U.S. waterborne commerce. Total tonnage handled by marine transportation in the U.S. will roughly triple by the year 2000 to about 2.7 billion tons a year, a study prepared by the Chicago management consulting firm A. T. Kearney, Inc., for the Department of Commerce's Maritime Administration forecasts. But the volume of chemicals moved by water will climb by more than 500% to nearly 200 million tons by then, up from close to 31 million tons carried in 1969. This would push chemicals past iron ore and general durable manufactures to fifth rank in total marine tonnage (behind fuels and lubricants, mining products, coal, and crude oil and gas). The study finds that about 29% of the chemical products that might be carried by water are now actually shipped that way; by 2000, it estimates, marine shipments will have captured a 40% share of their then-potential chemical market. The sharpest growth in marine shipments, both overall and for chemicals, is projected for domestic ocean trade: intercoastal and coastwise operations and trade between Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska and the mainland U.S. Total growth in marine tonnage on these routes is projected to increase by about 325% to 1.5 billion tons by 2000, with shipments of chemicals rising about 675% to nearly 67 million tons from 8.7 million in 1969. The overall pattern of development for ocean shipments will be greatly influenced, however, by progress in completing the trans-Alaska pipeline and by the availability of deepwater ports off the Atlantic Coast. Traffic on the inland waterways will more than double by the year 2000, the Kearney study projects, to nearly 900 million tons overall. And here, expansion of chemical tonnage will be far faster than that for any other major commodity. Chemical shipments are expected to rise by 500% to 128 million tons, compared with 21 million in 1969. The inland waterways handled 35% of the chemicals that potentially they could have carried in 1969. By 2000 they are expected to have won a greater-than-45% share. Growth will be more limited in the Great Lakes area, on the other hand, with chemical shipments increasing from 900,000 tons in 1969
to 2 million tons in the year 2000 and total marine tonnage doubling during the same period to 325 million tons. Prospects for the nation's domestic marine freight industry are closely linked with the movement of fossil fuels, the Kearney study emphasizes. Petroleum products, gas, and coal, which accounted for more than 500 million of the 900 million tons shipped by water in 1969, are expected to provide 1.7 billion of the 2.7 billion tons waterborne in 2000. But beyond 2000, it notes, as substitute sources of energy such as nuclear power gain predominance, this major market for domestic water carriers is likely to decline.
Aramid fiber hits radial tire market Goodyear Tire & Rubber has begun a major marketing effort for aramid fiber-belted radial tires with the introduction of its new Customguard GT line. The tires, already on sale on the West Coast, will become available nationwide this summer. Goodyear calls the new tire cord Exten. Starting material is Du Pont's Kevlar aramid fiber (formerly called Fiber B). Goodyear buys Kevlar in yarn form, then twists it into cords and weaves the cords into fabric. The fabric is treated with a combination of heat, stretching, and application of a proprietary adhesive to achieve bonding between fabric and rubber. The resulting Exten belt is about five times stronger than steel, on a weight basis, Goodyear says. Thus, using Exten instead of steel cord permits weight reductions of 1 to 2 pounds per tire. Since the weight reduction is at the circumference of the tire, the centrifugal force exerted by an Exten-belted tire is some 20% less than from a steel-belted tire. The Exten tires also have lower rolling resistance, Goodyear says, adding that that, combined with the lighter weight, means better gasoline mileage. The tires are also said to be cooler, quieter, and smoother-riding than steel-belted radiais. Goodyear currently is producing Customguard GT tires, with polyester body plies and two Exten belts, in four passenger-car sizes. Prices range from $76.65 to $85.20—about 5% more than comparable steel-belted radiais. Although Goodyear appears to have stolen the march on marketing, other tire companies also are
Customguard GT: stronger than steel
pursuing the development of aramid tire cords. For example, Firestone notes that it has been producing an aramid fiber-belted radial tire for compact cars for about two years at its Bowling Green, Ky., plant, and that it is now going into pilot production of larger sizes at its Decatur, 111., plant. A B. F. Goodrich spokesman says that the fiber has been approved for use in company tires but that it isn't in production except for test purposes. BFG agrees that the aramid fiber has advantages but adds that it is also "very expensive." Uniroyal comments that it, too, is studying uses for the aramid fibers, but that it still believes steel to be the material of choice for radial tire belts.
Mariella elected to ACS Board Dr. Raymond P. Mariella will fill the vacancy in the position of director-at-large on the ACS Board of Directors created by the election last fall of Dr. William J. Bailey as 1974 President-Elect (C&EN, Nov. 19, 1973, page 4). Dr. Mariella will fill the unexpired portion of Dr. Bailey's term ending Dec. 31, 1975. Dr. Mariella has been dean of the graduate school at Loyola University, Chicago, since 1970. He has been an ACS member since 1942. Dr. Mariella was elected to his Board position by the Council in a four-way contest involving Dr. Eugene N. Garcia, Dr. James D. D'lanni, and Dr. Lockhart B. Rogers. Dr. Mariella and Dr. D'lanni were nominated by the Council Committee on Nominations and Elections; Dr. Garcia and Dr. Rogers were nominated by petition. The full election results are as follows: Raymond P. Mariella 117 James D. D'lanni 98 Lockhart B. Rogers 96 Eugene N. Garcia 50 Total valid ballots 361 Total invalid ballots 8 Feb. 25, 1974 C&EN
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