h e a d of the division's cereal crops section. But b e c a u s e t h e plastics work has b e e n only t o u c h e d o n so far, it's only in a "gleam i n t h e e y e stage," says Dimler. Success here probably will dep e n d on finding suitable plasticizers, as well a s on derivatives of dialdehyde starch a n d combinations with other plastics materials. • Source of O r g a n i c Chemicals. Besides the possibility of using dialdeh y d e starch these ways, t h e starch oxidation process is being considered as a practical route t o organic chemicals. Specifically, these are erythrose, erythritol, and glyoxal. Glyoxal from other sources is used in shrink-proofing cloth, b u t not m u c h h a s been done with the other two b e c a u s e of their limited availability and high cost. T h e trick here is complete and economical oxidation of starch. Before the electrolytic periodate process, cost of periodic acid was too high t o consider oxidation practical- The reaction took from 1 to 1.5 moles of H I 0 4 or i t s salts per glucose unit. B u t t h e electrolytic method gets b y with using only 7.5^c of t h e theoretical amount of periodate. Arid most of this is r e covered for further use, since t h e b y product iodate is changed back t o periodate continuously b y the electric current. Progress of t h e reaction is traced via sodium borohydride r e d u c tion of the a l d e h y d e groups or by a simple method b a s e d on reaction with alkali. Using these control techniques, oxidation can b e s t o p p e d at any level from 0.5 to 1 0 0 % Completely oxidized starch can b e broken down b y acid hydrolysis to its basic parts—erythrose and glyoxal. These presumably c o u l d be separated for use as such—an operation n o w b e ing studied at t h e Peoria lab. O n e w a y to get at erythritol is to combine hydrolysis with catalytic hydrogénation over R a n e y nickel. Then, ethylene glycol is a by-product. B u t t h e US DA lab is now concentrating on a two-step method. This yields glyoxal a n d erythritol as products by separating the initial hydrolysis products a n d following this with hydrogénation of erythrose. Erythritol h a s potential interest as a raw material for plastics. Even if one or more of these projects come through, USDA doesn't care to hazard a guess on h o w much of the nation's corn surplus would be used u p . B u t t h e entire program, says Dimler, opens new areas to explore in t h e starch field w i t h good prospects for increased industrial utilization of corn.
Argonne Preferred for A-Smasher Rejecting site near Madison, Wis., AEC tentatively chooses Argonne for new high-energy accelerator JC\.
HEATED
CONTROVERSY
has
ap-
parently come to an end. A E C h a s at least tentatively decided to locate the world's most powerful atom smasher at Argonne National Laboratory in hernont, 111., near Chicago. This $100 million ultra-high-energy accelerator would double the size of t h e Argonne lab a n d likely m a k e it the world's biggest atomic research center. Controversy has raged for many months over the location of this giant atom smasher. A E C favored installing it a t Argonne. T h e group developing plans for the machine strongly advocated locating it near Madison, W i s . I n recent weeks, t h e d e b a t e flared up in midwestern newspapers. T h e Milwaukee Journal recently ran a frontpage story headlined "Row on Site Delays Big Atom Smasher." T h e next day, t h e Chicago Sun-Times devoted most of its front p a g e to a report h e a d lined "$100 Million A - S m a s h e r - W i l l Argonne Get It?" Two days later, the decision was out. T h e Chicago Daily News used its boldest t y p e to say "Argonne L a b To Get Biggest Α-Smasher." W h a t A E C had actually stated was that "an installation of such magnitude should actually be p l a c e d at an existing national laboratory, a n d it has concluded t h a t the Argonne Na tional Laboratory . . . would b e most appropriate." This h u g e machine m a y a t t a i n an energy level of a trillion electron volts. The biggest accelerator operated b y the Russians reportedly reaches 10 b.e.v. Largest being operated in the U. S. is the 6.5 b.e.v. installation at Berkeley. T h e new accelerator, which w o u l d give a major boost to nuclear research in the U. S., might take about eight years to build. Actual construction, however, will have to await approval by AEC's scientific advisory groups a n d the granting of funds. • W h e r e t o Put It. Locating t h e atom smasher at Argonne, A E C b e lieves, will mean t h a t maximum benefit will b e gotten from this e q u i p m e n t . AEC also points out t h a t Argonne a l ready has the available site, the sup porting facilities, and at least part of the necessary personnel. F u r t h e r m o r e , a project near Madison would require setting u p another national laboratory.
Main advocate of the Madison site has b e e n the Midwest Universities R e search Association ( M U R A ) , repre senting 15 universities in t h e Nîiddle West. With financial support from member universities, A E C , t h e National Science Foundation, and the Naval R e search L a b , MURA for the past several years h a s been doing basic research that, it hoped, would lead t o building a large-scale atom smasher near Madison. MURA has already built t w o working models of high-energy accelerators and is working o n a third (C&EN, Nov. 25, page 5 0 ) . Leading spokesman for t h e Madison group has been R. O. Rollefson, on leave as chairman of t h e University of Wisconsin physics department. Head of the group developing plans for t h e new $100 million machine, Rollefson said late last month that AEC's failure to decide on the location for t h e atom smasher has delayed the building of this vitally needed machine by a year. • Growing Concern. AEC's recent statement favoring Argonne is p r o m p t e d , in part, by the fast increasing public awnreness of t h e need for m o r e basic research. The decision also signifies AEC's determination n o t to let t h e Russians surpass t h e U . S. in this important scientific area. A big question at the m o m e n t : Where will the S 1 0 0 million come from? A similar, though smaller, project is r u n n i n g into financial problems itself. T h i s is the building of a new $27-million atom smasher, also a t Argonne. A r g o n n e has completed plans for this 12.5 b.e.v. machine and is r e a d y to get t h e job under way. Congress authorized the $27 million last summer and voted an initial appropriation of $1.5 million. This would p e r m i t construction to start b y mid1958, completion by end of 1961. However, none of this money has been released by the Budget Bureau. As t h e director of Argonne's particle accelerator division q u i p p e d last week: "Right now, I'd be satisfied with $ 2 7 . " Argonne is hoping that release of these funds will get priority consideration by James R. Killian, recently appointed Scientific Adviser to President Eisenhower. Otherwise, the project may be seriously delayed. DEC.
9,
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C&EN
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