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Skilled professional person nel, w i t h t h e i r w i d e e x p e r i ence in producing some 3 500 Eastman Organic Chemicals, will be glad to help you. And our great variety of equipment for all types of organic reac tions is at your service for bulk production. For information or a quota tion, write to Distillation Prod ucts Industries, Eastman Organic Chemicals Department, Roch ester 3, Ν. Υ .
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Standing before the first csixloiid of sod** ssh sïiiTri>™î from DQW'S nçw ΤΓρ.χΏ.ς Di vision plant at F r e e p o r t are George J u n g e r m a n (left), engineer; W . S. Chenault, plant superintendent; A. P. Beutel, Texas Division general manager; A. F . Shorkey, general superintendent of alkali products; and I . R. Schoppe, foreman
Dow Ships First Soda Ash Texas Division enters major alkali market with a new process said to differ greatly from Solvay process JbmsT SHIPMENT of soda ash to a cus tomer has been completed by D o w Chemical at Freeport. Turned out in t h e recently completed Texas Division soda ash plant, the first carload was consigned to Alcoa. It will b e used in one of alkali's principal industrial applications: production of nonferrous metals. Dow's shipment has three points of interest for t h e chemical industry: • It marks Dow's entry into a new and major alkali market, complementing Dow's long established ranking as a leading producer of caustic soda. • It proves out a unique Dow-devel oped process for making soda ash. • It reflects both Dow's long range re search approach and ability to make speed in moving from research to the production level. Dow's plans for entering the soda ash field were first m a d e public in April 1954. Construction, based on labora tory and engineering studies in progress since early 1953, began late last year. Preliminary operations at the new $3
million plant started a few weeks ago as work on t h e 300-ton-per-day plant and its equipment was completed. No details of the process used in the plant have been announced. D o w officials have stated, however, that it differs markedly from the Solvay process which has b e e n the major production method for soda ash for years. Research on the Dow production method was conducted as part of a long range study in 1945. W . N. Smith, now assistant director of the chemical engineering department, car ried the project through a preliminary pilot plant stage at that time. The early exploration paid off in 1953, when the decision was made to pick u p the study with a view to carrying it on to a production plant basis. With the prior research as a take-off point, t h e final research, engineering, construction, and production start-up phases were cov ered in less t h a n three years. Soda ash goes to market as a solid, in granular crystals. The new Texas Di vision plant is set up to ship soda ash in hulk—loaded in hopper cars—or packaged in 100-pound bags.
