RESEARCH^ PC6H5. But results witli (CDF3P)4 lead Burg and Walter Mahler t o suggest that phosphobenzene may ha.ve an analogous polymeric ring structure. A new molecular weight for phosphobenzene, worked out by W . Kuchen in Germany, seems to confirm their ideas. Practical significance of t h e work is still hard to evaluate, Burg says. It hasn't turned u p a good plastic yet, although some of the resinlike products have proved quite stable at higher than 400° C. A representative formula for these would b e (B E0 H 12 [ ( C H 3 ) 2 P ] 2 ( C H 3 ) 2 N) X. Mechanical strength, however, has n o t accompanied heat stability. Another recent product ^iound -under ONR contract) contains only b>oron, nitrogen, carbon, and hydrogen; it forms a transparent polymer film at 380° C. I t comes from thermal decomposition of an aminopolyborane, but its formula and other details aren't known yet. In any case, says Burg, plastics aspects of t h e program are still in an early stage. Many modifications remain to b e tried.
Better Tire Compounding N e w process f o r carbonblack addition reduces p o w e r input, gives longerw e a r i n g t r e a d stock
5% to 1 0 % lower road wear than drymixed (Banbury) treads having t h e same composition, according t o Braendle. H e blames this on surface active agents used to keep carbon black adequately dispersed in its water carrier. He feels that these protective colloids, irreversibly adsorbed on t h e carbonblack surfaces, block sites a t which the rubber could cross link. T o get beaded carbon black thoroughly deflocculated in water without using dispersing agents, Braendle uses a blendor-type of high-speed (3600 r.p.m.) stirrer. H e adds latex to t h e slurry, maintaining continuous agitation. The high mutual activity of the black and t h e rubber produces within seconds a n extensive coating of carbon on the individual latex particles. This affinity results, too, in simultaneous creaming. Most of the compounding oil—or even, in the case of oilextended rubber, all the necessary o i l can be added at this time. Acid coagulation (with H 2 S 0 4 ) then gives a porous crumb for good washing and drying b y conventional means. • Product A d v a n t a g e s . A typical LTP masterbatch m a d e this w a y contains: Polymer Carbon black Processing oil
100 parts 5 0 to 55 parts 8 to 10 parts
This formulation has an added advantage: T h e final pressed cake is soft enough so that a whole bale can be safely dropped into the Banbury. Besides, the process eliminates t h e job of adding oil to mixtures of rubber and NOVEL APPROACH to rubber compounding may double tire-production black alone. Milling in a Banbury or rates and increase road wear h>y an extruder is still necessary to work the black into the rubber and to generate average of 1 5 % , says H. A. Braendle of Columbian Carbon. H e told the ACS enough heat to tighten the carbon/ Rubber Division Meeting i n Montreal, rubber bond, Braendle states, but procheld jointly with the Chemical Institute essing time can b e halved. This new Columbian Carbon procof Canada, that these advantages can be attained through a continuous opera- ess, described in U. S. Patent No. tion where carbon black is dispersed 2,769,795, is said to provide: directly into latex in making low-tem• Lower Mooney viscosity. perature polymer (LTP) masterba.tches. Power requirements—excessive in • Better dispersion. modern solid compounding where high • Improved hysteresis (because of throughput is needed—are greatly reduced in this new process, now i n the better dispersion). • 15% increased tire wear on the advanced pilot plant stage. In addiroad. tion, 2 5 % to 37.5% oil extension of high molecular weight rubbers, containing u p to 5 0 % of carbon (extended- The process gives a slightly faster-curpolymer basis), is possible. ing rubber, somewhat inclined to be • Process Details. M u c h research scorchy in spite of lower Mooney has been done over the years on carbon viscosity. addition to latex, and about 100,000 But the big advantages in wear, in tons of synthetic masterbatch are made speed and ease of handling, a n d in reeach year. But this productioxi has duction of power requirements, have declined more than 30% over t h e past aroused widespread interest among five years, probably because tire stock compounders a n d tire-makers alike, made from these masterbatches gives Braendle says. 30
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1957
Animal Nutrition Research Commercial Solvents plans an extensive grant-in-aid research program to support its animal nutrition operations. The program wall try to determine the reasons w h y antibiotic a n d vitamin feed supplements are effective in poultry, swine, a n d mminants. CSC decided to go into this program because: • I t calls for basic research, a type best conducted in agricultural colleges and experiment stations. • I t will help these institutions exp a n d facilities and staff to meet future needs. More than 30 institutions in 28 states will share in the grants.
• The k n o w n o r g a n o - c h r o m i u m comp o u n d s , apart from t h e anionic cyanide and ethynyl complex of chromium ( I I I ) , are compounds of chromium ( 0 ) , chromium ( I ) or chromium ( I I ) which generally do not contain simple carbonchromium bonds, say F.A.L. Anet and E. Leblanc of University of Ottawa. Now, they report (May 20 JACS) the
v Chemical Prospects In Gas Turbines W h a t role can chemical industry products and metals play in the development and use of gas turbine engines? D o w Chemical aims to find out via a new research project it has started at Southwest Research Institute. D o w claims it is the first chemical company to announce such a study.
NEED PRODUCT IDEAS? Give this new Dow Booklet a look
You've found, we're sure, that a little spade work into facts uncovers profitable ideas for new as well as existing products. This new 29-page D o w booklet can help!
P1200, P2O00, P3000, and P4000. It discusses properties, effects, and t h e widening areas where these clean, light-colored, slightly oily liquids are increasing in use. Possibilities seem unlimited, because the excellent lubricating and solvent qualities of polypropylene glycols are helpful to so wide a variety of products.
It digs right into the interesting and stimulating meat of seven polypropylene glycols — P250, P400, P750,
Examine the facts yourself by mailing coupon, today. You'll want to refer to this booklet often!
H a n d y r e f e r e n c e o n 7 p o l y p r o p y l e n e glycols m a y l e a d to n e w products a n d i m p r o v e m e n t s !
THE DOW CHEMICAL C O M P A N Y
Name-
M i d l a n d , M i c h i g a n , Dept. G D 8 2 8 B Firm
Please send new Polypropylene Glycol
Booklet
StreetCity
YOU
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CAN
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ON MAY
2 7,
1957
C&HN
31
RESEARCH
NUCLEAR
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first preparation (in solution) of a simple organo-chromium compound of the type C r ( H 2 0 ) 5 R + + where R is benzyl. T h e y have not yet obtained t h e crystalline compound, b u t solutions of the p u r e perchlorate in dilute perchloric acid solution have been obtained a n d are fairly stable.
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A 4-million-volt Van 4e Graaff-injector lor a proton synchrotron. Van-de Gfaaffs are available in ratings of. 1, 2, 3. and 5.5 million volts and i n vertical configuration. Λ
the ideal source is the
Wmm t f e €mw®aafÊr® particle accelerator
because
k it p r o d u c e s a b e a m of any f u n d a m e n t a l p a r t i c l e or radiation — electrons, x-rays, p r o t o n s , d e u t e r o n s , tritons, n e u t r o n s ; |» i t s b e a m is i n t e n s e , h o m o g e n e o u s , of k n o w n energy, a n d of p r e d i c t a b l e direction and dimensions; ^ its b e a m characteristics a r e stable and c o n t r o l l a b l e over a wide r a n g e of energies. Write for TSIEW B U L L E T I N H -applications and catalog of Van de Graajffs for positive-ion and neutron research
The Van de Graaff is being used in such diverse applications as Nuclear cross-section measurements Cancer therapy Radiobiological research Chemical catalysis and polymerization Chemical analysis of surface films Neutron activation analysis Radioactive isotope production Industrial radiography Sterilization of foods & drugs Cross-linking of polymers Instrument calibration Radiation standards Injectors for giant accelerators Metallurgical research Radiation damage Geophysical research Fundamental problems in physics and chemistry
H I G H VOLTAGE E N G I N E E R I N G C O R P O R A T I O N BURLING TON:
32
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1957
COMMENT
Many customers are influenced in their buying by the reputation a company has acquired through its research efforts. In the consumer field, much of this reputation is acquired indirectly through advertising and promotionOn the other hand, in many types of heavy industry in which sates negotiator are generally in the hands of technically trained individuals, the prestige of a company's research may be established by participation in technical committees and research papers which are published in the trade press and in the engineering society publications. When major capital equipment is purchased, research may be assigned a dollar or a percentage value in the analysis of competitive bids. Under these circumstances, the company which, does a great amount of research but which for reasons of its own does not publicize such work may be penalized. A company doing smaller amounts of research worh but frequently presenting the results in engineering society reapers or technical magazine articles may thereby gain an advantage over a larger competitor voith a more restrictive publication policy. One of the most difficult management tasks is to attempt to draw the line between beneficial results of research disclosures and potential losses through free release of information that was gained after considerable expenditures of time and money. However, the unmistakable trend of today is in the direction of more publicity of research results upon which companies hope to capxtalize through advertising and public refotions benefits. WILBUR H. ARMACOST, vice president, engineering and research, Combustion Engineering, before the National Industrial Research Conference in Chicago
