tive, it could spell the e n d for boron SfliS Mere Polypropylene fuels. T h e group concludes that the* maxi T e x a s Eastman enters r a c e ; Pentagon postpones until mum foreseeable needs for boron fuels Montecatini joins Reeves as n e x t y e a r final decision o n are well within t h e production capabil source o f fibers HEF p r o g r a m ity of o n e 5 ton-per-day plant. As a result, t h e group recommended that t h e Muskogee plant b e p u t o n a stand-by JLAARD ox T H E H E E L S of AviSun's e o m J O M E T I M E before J u n e 30, 1960, t b e basis "following the completion of rnercial polypropylene plant (C&EX. Defense Department will decide such current operations as may b e Aug. 3 1 . page 19 Κ Texas Eastman has whether it has any need for high energy needed t o demonstrate operability to just announced "commercial production fuels based on boron compounds. produce diborane." of polypropylene plastic on a limited Meanwhile, based on t h e recommenda r W h y M u s k o g e e ? T h e decision to basis." tions of its Joint Working Group on keep Gallery Chemical's Muskogee Unwilling to disclose capacity of its Special Fuels, the Pentagon has taken plant in active stand-by and declare operation at Longview. Tex.. T E says these steps to clarify t h e status of t h e Olin Mathieson's Model City plant only that it h a s issued price lists for the hastily canceled H E F program (C&EN, surplus w a s based on t w o factors: cost material a n d is marketing it o n a com Sept. 7 , page 38) : and flexibility According to t h e mercial scale. In pilot plant production • P u t Gallery Chemical's 5 ton-per- group's analysis, the Muskogee plant for more than a year. Eastman's poly d a y boron fuel plant at Muskogee, will produce diborane a t lower cost propylene is being m a d e in g r a d e s for than the Model City plant, a t full ca extrusion a n d molding i n natural a n d Okla., on a "hot stand-by" basis—ready pacity o r at reduced production rates. colored formulations. to start on 90 day notice. Diborane represents a b o u t 80r/c of t h e T h e company says it can e x p a n d its • Shut down a n d declared surplus total fuel cost. production easily to levels "significant t o Olin M a t h i c s o n s 5 ton-per-day boron Besides, t h e Muskogee plant has us if not to t h e industry as a whole." fuel plant at Model City, Ν. Υ.; units reached a greater state of readiness, t h e Hercules and AviSun e a c h boast 2 θ mil producing boron trichloride will con group says. It would take at least lion pounds a year of capacity at pres tinue t o run to supply O M ' s semiworks three months of start-up operations to ent. plant. bring t h e Model City plant u p to t h e Grace Chemical—one of t h e several • Agreed to continue operation of level n o w attained at Muskogee. T o firms reported in pilot-scale work o n t h e OM's 0.8 ton-per-day semiworks plant do this would cost S4 o r S 5 million. new polymer—though still evaluating a t Model City under t h e present R&D Intermittent operation at less than the situation, indicates it does n o t ex contract until a classified amount of rated capacity will probably be t h e pect t o go into commercial production fuel h a s been produced for t h e Air operating pattern for t h e boron fuel now. Force. plant during t h e next f e w years. T h e Meanwhile, Reeves Brothers, a major Muskogee plant has greater flexibility textile house noted for its interest in In addition, the Defense Department is studying t h e feasibility of converting for this kind of operation, t h e group technological research, announces its plant c a n run at entry into polypropylene textiles. Buy t h e Muskogee plant t o make other says. T h e Muskogee f a rate as low as 10 '< of rated capacity; ing t h e base resin from Hercules, t h e boron compounds such as pentaborane the Model City plant is inoperable at first commercial U. S. producer. Reeves a n d decaborane. is extruding its o w n material i both > Fuel Prospects. Last month t h e lower than 3 5 ' ' of r a t e d capacity.. T h e Muskogee plant does not have monofilament a n d staple), spinning Joint W o r k i n g Group o n Special Fuels m e t with representatives of t h e N'avy facilities for producing pentaborane and fibers, and weaving industrial textiles. a n d Air Force to try to forecast the de decaborane; Model City does. How T h e firm—already established in indus mand for boron fuels over the next five ever, these facilities can be added at trial uses—is pricing its material at S 1.06 years. Based on Navy and Air Force Muskogee at a fraction of what it to S1.2S a pound, looks forward cau research plans, t h e picture looks like would cost to start u p t h e Model City tiously to consumer markets. this: D e m a n d for various boron-type plant, t h e joint Working G r o u p on But Montecatini feels the oudook is fuels could j u m p from t h e present level Special Fuels says. T h e group recom bright for consumer textiles of polypro of 180,000 p o u n d s a year to a possible mends that t h e Defense Department pylene in both wool-like and cotton-like maximum of 5 million pounds a year consider transferring necessary equip blends. It is going commercial in b y the e n d of the five-year period. But ment from M o d e l City t o Muskogee. Terni, Italy, later this month, with a T o take care of estimated require if research results on boron fuels look 10 million pound-per-year fiber plant, unattractive, the need for these fuels ments for t h e rest of this year a n d will sell fiber in E u r o p e for as low as 6 0 next—150,000 pounds of pentaborane cents a pound. Next year Montecatini could virtually cease in a few years. Interest in boron fuels for air breath and 6000 p o u n d s of decaborane—the plans to triple capacity- a t Terni a n d t o i n g p o w e r plants has just about disap group suggests that Olin Mathieson's market its product in semiworks plant at prices competitive with XJ. S . material. p e a r e d , t h e group says. There are no 0.8 ton-per-day 7 plans to use these fuels in manned Model City continue operation until And by 1961, its Xovamont affiliate ex the inventory of sodium borohydride is pects to have a 10 million p o u n d poly turbojet aircraft. And adapting boron If more borohydride is propylene resin plant on stream at Neal. fuels to ramjet propelled missiles is exhausted. only a relatively minor possible use. needed, it should either b e obtained on W. Va. Montecatinfs present major the open market or t h e Muskogee plant polypropylene operation is its plant a t Best prospect is incorporating boron h y d r i d e derivatives in rocket propel- should b e reactivated t o supply boro Ferrara, Italy, now b e i n g expanded to lants. But if this does not look attrac hydride or diborane. 4 5 million pounds a year.
Boron Fueis Mark Time
22
C&EN
O C T . 5,
1959
