BARRETT REPORTS ON CHEMICAL PROCESSING
Anthracene: an aromatic treasure-trove Long familiar in laboratories and textbooks, anthracene is now available commercially as Barrett begins quantity production. Anthracene's unusual properties and attractive price promise a ivealth of future applications. Anthracene is well known as a coal-tar constituent. A reactive chemical, it bears a close relationship in molecular structure to other commercial chemicals, including anthraquinone dyes. It has already found application as an intermediate in the manufacture of these important dyes. Anthracene undergoes both the Diels-Alder and FriedelCrafts reactions. It can be reduced, nitrated, sulfonated and reacted with halogens. Its photochemical reactions include dimerization, photo-oxidation and solvent reaction. Products of anthracene reactions are being investigated as intermediates for synthesizing resins, tanning agents, plasticizers, dyes, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, paper chemicals and oil additives.
B A R R E T T 40
Rector
Street,
The photosensitive properties of anthracene are interesting. It absorbs ultraviolet light and has been used to lend light stability to gasoline. Exposed to certain types of radiation, it emits flashes of light which are put to practical use in scintillation counters. With anthracene as a starting point, you may derive a wide selection of functional groups leading to commercially valuable products. We would be glad to send you a sample of commercial Barrett Anthracene (90-95% purity) so that you may investigate this promising aromatic in your own area of interest. Requests should be submitted on your company letterhead.
D I V I S I O N New York
6, N e w
Allied
York
In Canada: The Barrett Co. Ltd., 5 S 5 1 St. Hubert St., Montreal, P. Q.
Chemical
® VOL. 50, NO. 4
·
APRIL 1958
35 A
