CANDID CAMERA AT KOBUTA Kobuta, one of the largest plants furnishing materials in the Nation's synthetic rubber program under direction of the Office of Rubber Director, is operated b y Koppers United Co., Pittsburgh. It covers an area o f 200 acres along the O h i o River and is one of the greatest units of its kind in the synthetic rubber chemicals field, producing butadiene through catalytic conversion of ethyl alcohol, and manufacturing styrene, by cracking ethylbenzene. These products are shipped to copolymer plants for conversion into synthetic rubber. Kobuta*t annual production is about one seventh of the entire synthetic rubber program, having a rated production capacity of 3 7 , 5 0 0 short tons of styrene and 8 0 , 0 0 0 of butadiene, already being exceeded. Between 8 0 and 100 million gallons of alcohol are used per year.
This huge 8-story plant furnishes more than 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 pounds per hour, first driving turbine generators producing 3 5 , 0 0 0 kilowatts to operate stills, superheaters, and compressors
