RESEARCH
too small t o justify t h e cost of: evaluation, says N S F , while others say t h a t too m u c h emphasis on monetax-y return m i g h t t e n d t o inhibit t h e exploration of n e w ideas. T h e n e e d for more basic research to provide a b a s e for research program expansions is stressed b y mamy of t h e companies N S F surveyed. Th*ese companies say t h a t a shortage of -qualified personnel is limiting their edForts in basic research. Availability of more basic data, say these companies, would m a k e applied research prograams more effective. • R&D Bill. Private industry spent $4 billion i n 1954 for research, and development, according t o final figures in t h a t p a r t of t h e N S F survey devoted to R&D expenditures. These figures r e p resent a 1 2 % increase over -the $ 3 . 7 billion N S F reported for 195». Other statistics in this final report a-ae virtually u n c h a n g e d from those in* its p r e liminary report (C&EN, Jan. 2, p a g e 24). Copies of "Science a n d Engineering in American Industry—Final FCeport on a 1953—1954 Survey" can be obtained for 7 0 cents from the Superintendent of D o c u m e n t s , Washington 2 3 , D. C
n e w low c o s t synthesis methods through OZONE TERTi&S? ASSISES
SULFIDES
OLEFINS
OZON1DES SULFOXIDES AMINE OXIDES
Desalting the Solar Way ALDEHYDES
Plastic solar stills to b e studied as inexpensive w a y o f freshening salt water
OXY-PEROXIDES
SULFONES
if LASTIC SOLAR STILLS have l>een s t u d -
ied in t h e past as a w a y to clistill salt water. T h e stills proved impractical because t h e transparent plastic film n e e d e d could not withstand outdoor exposures, particularly ultraviolet light. Studies at Bjorksten Research L a b o ratories indicated that a transparent plastic capable of withstanding t h r e e years of outdoor weathering would make a still economically feasible for many purposes. A special tyype of Teflon, n o w only in experimental stages, may provide t h e answer, and plans are under "way for t h e Departmernt of I n terior t o build stills to test the material. Du Pont says t h e Teflon can withstand 10 years of outdoor exposures a n d is particularly resistant t o uv. T h e proposed solar still will be simple a n d inexpensive t o build. T h e evaporation p a n will b e made o f a b l a c k polyethylene resin. T h e cormdenser is the transparent Teflon film. Inflating the still w i t h air pressure provides all the support n e e d e d . E v e n t u a l price of t h e plastic depends on o u t p u t . However, Interior is n o t a t
PRIMARY ALCOHOLS
ACIDS
PERACIDS
AMINES
OZONE is the versatile new tool for low cost organic synthesis which features specific, high yield reactions with proven dependability and the utmost in convenience. Information and ozonators to meet any requirement from laboratory size to tonnage plants are available from
TECHNICAL SERVICE
WELSBACH OZONE
LABORATORY U N I T S PLANT INSTALLATIONS
THE WELSBACH CORPORATION—OZONE P R O C E S S E S D I V I S I O N — î o O J c W A L r i U . S T . . Γ ^ ϋ - Λ ΰ Ε Ι - Ρ Η ϊ Α . i . ? A .
DEC.
10, 1 9 5 6 C & E N
6053
"A piasticiz&i for every purpose"
when your plastics STEP OUTSIDE . . .
a c e c * ·»/~Μ
the moment t o o concerned over price because the films, 1 o r 2 mills thick, require little plastic a n d should last 10 years. For now, D u Pont puts the cost of construction as low as 4 0 cents a square foot, which means fresh water at 7 5 cents or less per 1000 gallons. T h e figure is low enough t o make Interior interested in further studies. Under an agreement D u Pont a n d Interior have signed, the company will supply the plastics a t no cost. T h e Government will construct and operate prototype stills about 2 feet wide a n d 100 feet long. T o b e ready i n early 1957, they will be tested a t a seashore location. D u Pont will supply limited quanti ties of the Teflon to research groups suggested by Interior. The department also plans to try t o develop accelerated aging tests for t h e Teflon, to obtain earlier indications of the project's success.
Another Look at PAM
try
KP-90 for
all-weather protection
PLASTICIZER ll the weather protection you need—in one plasticizer; low temperature flexibility, ^ ultra-violet light stability and heat stability. If your plastic product has any application outdoors these properties are vitally important—so why not consider them all in one plasticizer. T H E HEAT A N D LIGHT STABILITY imparted by KP-90 can save you money Η you are currently using expensive stabilizers for end products that require a high degree of clarity. Without sacrificing clarity or stability, the cost of your product is substantially reduced by substituting KP-90 for a portion of your present expensive stabilizer. None of the desirable properties of the plastic will be sacrificed when KP-90 is used. A L O W TEMPERATURE FLEXIBILITY of - 4 9 ° C . (Clash and Berg) makes KP-90 a desirable substitute for other more expensive low temperature plasticizers in outdoor applications. In any formulation requiring low temperature flexibility KP-90 can be substituted for the more expensive adipates, sebacates, azelates, etc. at a savings and with no loss of low temperature flexibility. Truly the all-weather plasticizer KP-90 should be evaluated if your plastic "steps outside." It is an epoxy type primary plasticizer and is compatible with most resins.
A
Technical data and sampies of KP-90 are availab/e and will be sent immediately upon request.
OHIO-APEX
DIVISION
FOOD MACHINERY AND CHEMICAL CORPORATION
N i T R O , WEST V I R G I M I A Department 47 Π Send technical data. Π Send KP-90 sample. NAME_ COMPANYADDRESSCITY
6054
C â Ε Ν DEC. Ι G, i 9 5 ô
_STATE_
PAM, a new compound 100% effec tive against D F P and paraoxon poison ing, has now been proved equally ef fective against T E P P , another highly toxic insecticide, says I. B . Wilson of Columbia's college of physicians a n d surgeons. The chemical, 2-pyridine aldoxime methiodide (C&EN, March 26, page 1446), has again been proved (in vivo and in vitro) t o reactivate the en zyme cholinesterase, responsible for vital nervous functions. Proof, adds Wilson, came from t w o Columbia co workers, David Nachmansohn and Hel mut Kewitz. In their work, PAM w a s injected into mice; then the animals were sacri ficed. Certain body organs such as the brain and diaphragm were r e moved, the protein extracted and solubilized. Since activity is measured b y hydrolysis of acetylcholine, it was a case of adding the protein t o the latter and measuring extent of hydrolysis. For some years n o w t h e Columbia researchers have been digging into facts involved in enzyme mechanisms. Nachmansohn h a d shown that cholin esterase is immediately involved in that part of body chemistry which even tually conducts and transmits nerve impulses. As a corollary of their in terest in enzymes it was noted that cer tain insecticides, and some nerve gases too, get their lethal punch b y damag ing cholinesterase from addition of a phosphoryl group to the protein in t h e molecular group responsible for func tional activity. This in turn blocks vital nervous activity. To repair t h e damage, remove t h e group. j . A W Y o r ν/χ, u i v i o
J.O v a x i a L X U i i
i-ix CXXC
CHEMICALS OUTLOOK
December, 1956
This news bulletin about Wyandotte Chemicals services, products, and their applications, is published to help keep you posted. Perhaps you will want to route these and subsequent a combinationsof FACTS to by interested members of your organization. Additional information and trial
WYANDOTTE WYANDOTTE CAUSTIC SODA AND CHLORINE CAPACITY INCREASED.
PLURONICS FOR LOW-COST SURFACTANTEMULSION DRILLING MUDS
quantities of Wyandotte products are available upon request . . . may we serve you?
Plans have been announced for construction of a large—capacity chlorine—caustic manufacturing plant at Wyandotte's new plant site near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This 1200-acre site on the Mississippi River, where an $8 million ethylene oxide plant is already under construction, has been named the Geismar Works. The new electrolytic plant will require an investment of over $20 million, and is scheduled for completion in the last half of 1958. The Geismar facilities will increase, by nearly 60 per cent, the total caustic soda and chlorine capacity of Wyandotte Chemicals, which is already one of the largest suppliers of caustic soda and chlorine in the United States. With this increased production, Wyandotte will continue to meet the growing demand for these products. The Pluronic* series of polyols has recently been used successfully in preparing low—cost oil—well drilling muds. Properties of the Pluronics that are desirable for this application include emulsifying, viscosity control, lubricity, deflocculation and filter cake improvement. In addition, a built—in anti—foam action keeps foaming at a minimum. For those areas where water is used for drilling, Pluronic L61 is recommended. Viscosities can be held low when passing through formations which add solids to the mud. Further, increased bit penetration and decreased bit wear result in cheaper and faster holes. In the preparation of oil emulsion muds, Pluronic F68LF is outstanding. 1% of Pluronic F68LF, based on the weight of the bentonite, effectively emulsifies 8% lease crude oil in the drilling fluid. The inclusion of 500-1000 p.p.m. of calcium chloride with the Pluronic-emulsion system completes the mud preparation. Nothing further need be addedI Viscosity will be low and drilling rate high. The filter cake will be thin and strong with water loss below 10 c.c. More detailed technical information is available. Address inquiries to Department CO for prompt attention. * R E G . U . S . P A T . OFF-
Im/anJoffe
CHEMICALS
W Y A N D O T T E CHEMICALS CORPORATION W Y A N D O T T E , M I C H I G A N · OFFICES I N P R I N C I P A L
CITIES
SODA ASH · CAUSTIC SODA · BICARBONATE OF SODA · CALCIUM CARBONATE · CALCIUM CHLORIDE · CHLORINE · MURIATIC ACID · HYDROGEN · DRY ICE GLYCOLS · SYNTHETIC DETERGENTS (anionic and nonionic) · CARB0SE (Sodium CMC) · ETHYLENE DICHL0RIDE · DICHL0R0DIMETHYLHYDANT0IN CHLORINATED SOLVENTS · OTHER ORGANIC AND INORGANIC CHEMICALS
DEC.
10,
1956
C&EN
6055
To the engineer with a bent for research...
RESEARCH
constituents of the phosphoryl g r o u p , for example, different alkyl or aryl components. Therefore, P A M is b y n o means a universal antidote; it's quite selective. It works against D F P (diisopropylfluorophosphate), paraoxon, a n d tetraethyl pyrophosphate a n d also against t h e nerve gas sarin. I t is ineffective against octamethylpyrophosphoramide or the nerve gas tabun. I n many cases, administration along with atropine will greatly enhance PAM's activity, b u t again, only where t h e compound is effective in the first place. Nevertheless t h e n e w chemical i s a contribution t o t h e antidote arsenal. Conceivably i t could b e tested for effectiveness against t h e whole realm of insecticides a n d nerve gases t o determine its extent of usefulness. T h i s is a j o b for others, explains Wilson.
New Group at NBS
WHIRLING WET AIR with tornado speed, AiResearch water separator wrings it dry... makes sure no vapor enters aircraft cabin from the air conditioning system.
The Garrett Corporation operates under the principle that the units and systems which we research, design and produce must be the best of their kind. That's why we need forwardlooking engineers. Stimulating assignments in the work you like best are only part of what we offer. We p a y a p r e m i u m for ability. You'll work with the finest research and laboratory facilities at your disposal... live in the most desirable areas in America — California, Arizona, the East Coast. All modern U . S . and many
foreign a i r c r a f t a r e Garrett e q u i p p e d . We have pioneered such fields as refrigeration systems, pneumatic valves and controls, temperature controls, cabin air compressors, turbine motors, gas turbine engines, cabin pressure controls, heat transfer equipment, electro-mechanical equipment, electronic computors and controls. We are seeking engineers in all categories to help us advance our knowledge in these and other fields. Send resume of education and experience today t o : Mr. G. D. Bradley
T h e National Bureau of Standards has organized a n e w section in its metallurgy division. T h e new group, called t h e metal physics section, will supplement t h e present program of t h e division's other sections — mechanical, chemical, thermal, and corrosion. L. M . Kushner Heading t h e new group is L a w r e n c e M. Kushner, former assistant chief of the surface chemistry section. Kushner, a member of t h e A M E R I C A N C H E M I C A L SOCIETY, has been a t N B S
since 1949. The group will direct its primary effort t o experimental a n d theoretical investigations of b o t h single metal a n d alloy systems. T h e ultimate objective of this effort will b e a clearer concept of these systems in terms of t h e characteristics of the constituent atoms a n d their arrangement in metal crystals. Specific areas of research are diffusion in metals, electric a n d magnetic p r o p erties, interstitial compounds, a n d solid state transformations.
• The g l o w o f t h e night sky is d u e to
TME l i ! i l L l i J _ i J j C O R P O R A T I O N 9 8 5 1 S. SEPULVEDA
BLVD..
LOS ANGELES
«45,
CALIFORNIA
DIVISIONS: by
a
combinationsof
by
by
6056
C&EN
a
a
combinationsof
combinationsof
DEC. ! 0 . 1956
photochemical processes in t h e u p p e r air, according to Air Research a n d D e velopment C o m m a n d . I n a night-time sodium emission experiment a rocket released four pounds of sodium vapor at an altitude of 3 0 to 8 5 miles. A yellow trail clearlv visible to t h e eve was formed from 3 0 to 6 0 miles. T h e
INHERENT
IMPARTED Pei-manent Flexibility
Non-hygroscopic
Low Volatility
Compatible
Ease of Processing
Miscible
Heat and Light Stability
Practically odorless
Resistance to Extraction by oils,
Stable
by a combinationsof
Practically colorless
Resistance to mildew-type fungi growth
THE PROPERTIES O F FLAME-RETARDANT CELANESE TRICRESYL P H O S P H A T E
THE NEWEST A N D M O S T M O D E R N PLASTICIZER PLANT
CELANESE TRICRESYL PHOSPHATE H O W , WHERE A N D W H E N Y O U NEED I T ! N o w "on s t r e a m " in the newest a n d most m o d e r n plasticizer p l a n t , located in Point P l e a s a n t , W e s t V i r g i n i a , C e l a n e s e b r i n g s y o u f o u r g r a d e s of Tricresyl P h o s p h a t e produced in quantities which satisfy all possible requirements. By utilizing stra tegically located warehouses and terminals, C e l a n e s e is introducing a new high in d e p e n d a b l e deliveries . . . a n e w high in meeting the " w h e r e to b e delivered" a n d " w h e n to be delivered" p r o b l e m s en countered in t h e procurement of plasticizers. Now, m o r e t h a n ever before, Celanese, the first a n d original p r o d u c e r of Tricresyl P h o s p h a t e in t h e U. S. Α., is y o u r most d e p e n d a b l e source.
v_eiù i i e s c ^
v-eiiunex^
LindolO
Celluflex 179A—contains lowest ortho content commer cially available Celluflex 179C —general purpose g r a d e . . . provides tke best combination of balanced properties Celluflex 179EG—electrical grade especially developed for the wire and cable insulation industry... offers a high degree of volume resistivity Lindol—lowest color tricresyl phosphate produced in com mercial volume M a k e C e l a n e s e y o u r h e a d q u a r t e r s for T r i c r e s y l P h o s p h a t e ! C e l a n e s e C o r p o r a t i o n of A m e r i c a , Chemical Division, Dept. 654-L, 180 Madison Ave-, N e w York 16, Ν. Υ. η cP
CHEMICALS
DEC.
10,
1956
C&EN
6057
RESEARCH intensity along t h e rocket trail was recorded photometrically; visible portions were photographed by special cameras. The rate at which the glow faded, intensity a t various altitudes, and the sharp upper limit of t h e visible glow will furnish A R D C scientists information which may allow determination of the exact processes taking place in the upper air. • A s o l a r furnace is being built b y Arthur D . Little, Inc., in an expansion of its activities into the high-temperature research field. Said to be of a significantly different design than existing units, it will serve as a model for others to be offered to other research labs in 1957. • A scale of s u g a r color has been developed by the National Bureau of Standards. Using standard commercial equipment, t h e transmittancy of a sugar solution is determined at two wave lengths. A simple chart gives the color of the solution in NBS units without calculation. • Thin films of g o l d on auto windshields a n d w i n d o w glass filter out the sun's heat-producing rays, but allow cooler beams of light to pass. I n studies a t Ford Motor gold foil and a glass plate are placed in a bell jar. Vacuum is applied a n d the gold melted electrically; gold vaporizes, coating t h e glass. In its light insulating studies, Ford is also studying other metals, as well as minerals with unusual optical properties. • A n e w u r a n i u m silicate has been found in Emery County, Utah. Chemical analysis and a spectrographic study indicate it is a potassium uranyl silicate near K 2 ( U 0 2 ) 2 ( S i 0 3 ) 2 ( O H ) 2 5 H 2 0 in ratios. According to Clifford Frondel and Jun Ito it is t h e only uranyl silicate known that contains an alkali as an essential cation. In Science, Nov. 9, the Harvard mineralogists say they have named the mineral boltwoodite, in honor of Bertram B. Boltwood, a Yale radiochemist who provided evidence t h a t lead was the final disintegration product of uranium. • Fire d e s t r o y e d the chemical propellant room of Armour Research Foundation recently. Damage was estimated at $20,000. Work on a Navy project w a s involved. • A topical o i n t m e n t containing 0 . 5 % of a n e w steroid, hydrocortisone diethylaminoacetate hydrochloride, is b e ing marketed by Pfizer. T h e steroid is 500 times as soluble in water as hydrocortisone and is also less soluble in fatty tissue underlying t h e skin; this means faster absorption into the skin 6058
C&EN
DEC.
10.
1956
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