MARKETS Copper Sulfate Is in Demand Almost half of production goes abroad to fight plant disease; lead salts trend downward Jr RICE ADVANCES that have taken place
in copper sulfate are not expected to retard sales in either the domestic or the export market. Sulfate, which moves with the price of the metal, is now $11.05 per 100 pounds, carlots, and $14.05 per 100 in less than carlots. These are u p 30 cents. Few chemical products made in the United States have export markets amounting to almost one half the total annual production. Copper sulfate was exported in 1956 to the extent of 47';< of the output. I t will vary from year to year b u t generally remains well above the average export ratio for chemicals. Copper sulfate may b e produced from copper ores or scrap, or may be a by-product of copper refining through crystallization of refinery liquors. I t was turned out to the extent of 70,780 short tons last year a n d 66,808 tons in 1956. • Uncertain Metal. Sulfate, for t h e most part, moves with prices for t h e metal, and the market for copper is anything b u t definite in trend at the moment. Phelps Dodge moved its price for electrolytic copper before the holiday to 26V2 cents per pound, following a similar move b y Anaconda previously. T h e latter, however, continued to meet competition at 25 cents per pound, and before the holiday r e affirmed its price at 2 6 1 / 2 cents. Other producers and independent fabricators remained at 25 cents. In t h e trade it is not believed that t h e copper price situation will strengthen itself out until and unless Congress enacts the law for putting 150,000 tons of the metal in t h e stockpile. Fairly recent use patterns assign 60fA of t h e copper sulfate production in this country t o agriculture, 2CKA to industrial uses, and 20 c/< to miscellaneous. As to agricultural consumption, most of it at o n e time was used as a fungicide in t h e potato growing areas. Other agricultural outlets have developed meanwhile. 28
C&EN
JULY
14, 1 9 5 8
T h e export markets almost entirely meet the fungicidal uses in Latin America, led by Honduras, Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Honduras two years ago took 18.9 million pounds for Bordeaux mixture, a combination of copper sulfate and lime. It is used by banana growing companies on the north coast there. A total of 11.2 million p o u n d s was exported to Colombia, a n d Panama brought in 10.2 million pounds t o fight the Sigatoka disease on banana plantations. Panama has also t e e n using some of the newer organics. Costa Rica imports both copper sulfate a n d lime for the same purpose, and in 1956 the fruit companies there accounted for 4.2 million pounds of the U. S. export total. • Lead Chemicals. The reverse price movement has taken place in lead oxides as t h e result of the half-cent drop in t h e metal to 11 cents. A previous advance in lead of the same dimensions failed to hold. Dry red lead is nowback to 1 4 1 / 4 cents; it w a s previously 13:V4 cents. Litharge and orange mineral came down by the same amount. • Pesticide Exports. Business and Defense Services Administration calls attention to the rising volume of exports in insecticides, weed killers, and other chemicals used against plant disease. Last year these amounted to over 317.7 million pounds, representing a dollar value of more than $86 million. Compared to the prewar year of 1939, exports of pesticides have thus shown an increase of value of more than 15007c • Glycerol Stocks Down. Increased export movement and s u m m e r shutdowns at soap making plants for vacations have h a d t h e effect o f strengthening the market for glycerol. A drop of over 3.5 million pounds took place in stocks of t h e refined p r o d u c t during April a n d May, the total dropping to 52.7 million pounds. Export demands are said to have accounted for most of the sharp curtail-
ment in stocks. Domestic demands from industrial consumers are below last year, according to the trade. All grades of refined glycerol, byproduct as well as synthetic, were turned o u t during M a y to t h e extent of 15.7 million pounds, which compares with the April output of 15.9 million pounds. Prior t o vacation shutdowns in the soap industry, crude production r a n a t fairly high levels. T h e figure for April was 15.2 million pounds, and for M a y 16 million pounds. • H e a v y Chemicals. After showing slight upturns in their movement t o industrial consumers, heavy inorganic chemicals a r e reported slower. Seasonal demands a n d summer shutdowns are a factor in this, and shipment should resume a t a better rate from September on. The Census Bureau report for inorganic chemicals in its latest issue, for April, shows an uneven trend in heavy inorganic supplies, compared with t h e same month last year. Decreases are shown b y finished sodium bicarbonate, liquid a n d d r y sodium hydroxide. I n creases in stocks on h a n d are reported for finished dense soda ash, for 6 8 74r/c liquid caustic, a n d for liquid chlorine. Production in most of these categories was lower in April as against a year ago.
• S t e p a n Chemical, Chicago, h a s r e duced prices 3 cents per pound on its Makon series of nonionic surfactants, bulk deliveries. N e w tank car o r tank wagon price is 2 2 1 / 2 cents compared with 2 5 V 2 cents formerly. T h e drum price, truckload, is now 25 cents p e r pound against 2 7 1 / 2 cents previously. E. J. Black, sales manager, says price reductions were made possible by expanded production. • M a n n Research Laboratories, N e w
York, issues a new schedule showing price reductions for /?-hydroxy-/3methylglutaric acid, DL-mevalonic acid, and DL-mevaldic acid. T h e compounds are intermediates in t h e biosynthesis of cholesterol and the steroid hormones. • Ethyl Corp., N e w York, h a s increased prices of E t h y l antiknock compounds, effective July 2 4 , i n cents p e r p o u n d of tetraethyllead content. N e w prices
When a fine finish counts specify
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If you make surface coatings—protective o r decorative—you'll find the answer t o both quality and economy in solvents and resins from Shell. Shell's family of solvents meets or exceeds highest standards, providing complete formulating flexibility. F o r resistance t o abrasion, impact and chemical attack,
products
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Shell's Epon® resins are prowing unsurpassed in a wide range of coating applications. And, in the manufactur-e of alkyd resin and ester gum coatings, SIhell glycerine assures both quality and performance. For information and technical literature on specific products to solve your specific needs, write to:
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BECCO's high-purity Peracetic Acid is available for immediate delivery! Seems that there a r e still a few people who don't know they can get immediate delivery on high-purity Peracetic Acid. Fact is, commercial quantities of Becco's Peracetic a r e available right now, in a solution of the following typical composition— uncontaminated with a n y other organic material: CH3COOOH . 4 0 % CH3COOH. . . . 3 9 % H 2 S0 4 . . . 1% H20. . . . 1 5 % H202. . . . 5 % (Plus a stabilizer, 500 ppm)
Becco research has studied m a n y epoxidation techniques and stands ready now, as always, to help you use high-purity Peracetic Acid to meet your particular epoxidation requirements. For example, under reaction conditions developed b y Becco, high yields of epoxides are obtainable from a wide variety of difficult-to-epoxidize olennics. Moreover, this versatile oxidant has proved superior i n t h e production of amine oxides, sulfones. metal salts, etc.
Progress in Peroxygens BECCO
CHEMICAL
fmc
DIVISION
Becco Peracetic Acid is also widely used as a bleaching agent, as a germicide, and as a polymerization catalyst. T h e essential points to remember are t h e s e : If you are currently using Peracetic Acid, rely o n Becco a s the source for the high-purity product. If you a r e not now using Peracetic, but would like to investigate its u s e in epoxidation reactions (or the use? of H2O2. for t h a t m a t t e r ) , Becco research will work with you—and there's no obligation on your part. Feel free to consult us. In the meantime^ you will find t h e following bulletins of interest—they're free a t your request: BULLETIN No. 4 — Peracetic Acid 40% B U L L E T I N N O . 69
- Epoxidation a n d Hydroxylation with Becco Hydrogen Peroxide and Peracetic Acid.
B E C C O Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation Station B, Buffalo 7, New York
F M C C H E M I C A L S I N C L U D E : BECCO Peroxygen Chemicals ·
WESTVACO Phosphates, Barium and Magnesium
Chemicals • WESTVACO Alkalis, Chlorinated Chemicals and Carbon Bisulfide · NIAGARA Insecticides, Fungicides a n ^
FOOD MACHINERY < AND CHEMICAL CORPORATION
-_
Q y
industrial Sulphur · OHIO-APEX Plasticizers and Chemicals · FAiRFIELD Pestidde Compounds a n d Organic Chemicals
WEEK'S PRICE CHANGES July
7, 1958
TYGON flexible plastic
Advances CURRENTT
Copper sulfate, CAvt.: Crystals, carlots Less carlots Tribasic, carlots Less carlots G u m styrax, Honduran,
S 11.05 14.05 25.15 29.15
lb.
G u m turpentine. So., gal. P o t a s h , muriate, 6 0 % , July-Aug., ton Soybean meal, Decatur, ton
Tallow, fancy, l b . T a n k a g e , animal, per unit
2.50 0.51
PREVIOUS
S 10.70 13.70 24.40 28.40
TUBING
2.30 0.50 V4
19.50
18.00
.59.50 0.O8V4
58.00 0.08 Va
0.75
(5.50
Declines Lead metal, lb. Lead oxides, carlots. lb.: Red lead, dry, 9 5 % 97% 98%
Litharge Orange mineral Nickel salts, carlots, lb.: Carbonate, hydrogénation Formate P e a n u t oil. crude, l b . Soybean oil, crude, Decatur, l b . Tin salts, l b . : Stannous chloride, nnhyd. Sodium s t a n n a t e Potassium s t a n n a t e Tin metal, lb.
0.11
0.111/2
O.I31/4 0.1345 0.1360 O.12V4 0.1560
O.I33/4 0.1395 0.1410 0.13V4 0.1610
0.78V4 0.71 0.173/8
0.803/4 0.73'Λ 0.17 Va
0.095/8
0.09Ve
0.958 0.6O3 0.750 0.94
0.965 0.608 0.755 0.943A
will be 59.76 for motor mix, 60.76 for motor plus, and 65.66 for aviation mix. • Bakélite Co., New York, effected a 40% reduction for trimethylolphenol, a new phenolic monomer, as the result of increased production of pilot plant quantities. Truckloads a r e now 21 cents per pound as a 10% aqueous solution. Present and potential uses include thermal insulation, bonding, starch and dextrin modification, coatings, adhesives, and laminations. • Union Carbide Chemicals, New York, made a half-cent across t h e board reduction in ethylhexanol, effective July 1. The product is an important alcohol in plasticizer manufacture. Tank cars are now 21V 4 cents per pound; carloads, drums, 2 3 3 / 4 cents; and less than carloads, 24 3 / 4 cents. Same manufacturer recently reduced propylamine to $1.24 per pound, delivered, from previous price of $1.50 f.o.b. plant. Less than carloads, drums, are $1.25. • Coiton Chemical Co., Cleveland, reduced prices on its Vinol polyvinyl alcohol from 3 to 15%. Both partly acetylated and fully hydrolyzed grades are affected.
for e v e r v laboratory application
Tygon T u b i n g , Formulation R-3603, is t h e original t r a n s p a r e n t plastic tubing specif ically developed t o h a n d l e virtually every β Chemically i n e r t laboratory requirement. Flexible a s string, Tygon m a k e s tough lab. set-ups easy. I t s • Tough glass-clear transparency permits better process control. N o w i n standard u s e » Flexible among laboratories all over t h e world, versatile Tygon Tubing i s available i n • Easy t o handle more t h a n 6 0 sizes. •
Gloss clear
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PLASTICS SYNTHETICS
AND
U. S . S T O N E W A R E
DIVISION
AKRON 9. OHIO
495-E
You get ''EXTRAS'7 that really pay off.. With
ROALOX
GRINDING JARS
E I G H T SIZES - f r o m V2 p i n t t o 6V2 g a l i o n s . A l s o steel or stainless steel iars, unlined o r lined w i t h rubber.
jButfft»
EXTRA Wear-Life. Rugged, Burundumfortified j a r body gives double the wear-life of ordinary jars. EXTRA Strength. Higher impact resistance reduces chipping and breakage under most severe grinding conditions. EXTRA Purity Per Batch. Lower silica con tent and greater wear resistance result in less contamination of product. EXTRA Time Saved. Extra wide mouth speeds loading. Lid and lock are one unit for fast, easy opening and closing.
PROCESS EQUIPMENT DIVISION
1©2-F
U. S . S T O N E W A R E AKRON
JULY
9, O H I O
14, 1 9 5 8 C & E N
31
