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Speakers at the symposium shared the head table with a sample guayule plant
Development prospects for guayule improve Prospects for future commercial via bility of guayule—the desert shrub with potential as a domestic source of natural rubber—improved a notch last week in Washington, D.C. As the week got under way, markup was completed on a bill in the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works that would provide $30 million over the next four years for develop ment work on guayule. In a separate activity shortly after, guayule gained the publicity spotlight at a minisym posium on the plant's development prospects. Guayule has a broad appeal. And the symposium, sponsored by the Washington Rubber Group, a part of the American Chemical Society's Division of Rubber Chemistry, brought together a panel representing the many and varied interests: in dustrial, Congressional, agricultural, defense, preparedness, and Indian interests. The guayule bandwagon got rolling about a year ago, when the National Academy of Sciences issued a report recommending that the U.S. initiate an R&D program to commercialize guayule rubber. Mexico has been op erating a pilot facility at Saltillo that can process a ton a day of guayule. The current interest in guayule is actually a resurgence of interest. The U.S. initiated a cultivation program during World War II but with suc cessful development of synthetic rubber abandoned the effort. Now the plant is being seen as a way to decrease dependence on for eign sources for the natural rubber that plays a vital role in the rubber industry. As a cash crop, it also is visualized as a source of economic development for severely depressed I
Indian reservations of the Southwest. And the symposium heard from Ed ward Zabrowski, chief of the stockpile policy and objectives division of the Federal Preparedness Agency, that successful development of guayule rubber would reduce stockpile needs of natural rubber by 3 lb for every pound of production brought on line. Currently, about 100,000 long tons of rubber is stockpiled, with a goal set for more than 500,000 long tons. Industrial interest is growing as well. Goodyear Tire & Rubber, for example, which used more than 350,000 long tons of natural rubber in 1977 (about 10% of world consump tion), has made studies of guayule rubber obtained from Saltillo. Jack Riedl, general manager of Goodyear's plantation operations, told the Washington symposium that the studies showed no significant struc tural differences between extracted and purified guayule rubber and hevea rubber. Guayule lacks hevea's beneficial "impurities" such as nat ural antioxidants, proteins, and amino acids, and contains resins that must be removed. But, Riedl says, this is entirely correctable with the technology available today. Congressional passage of the Sen ate bill would give R&D on agricul tural and processing techniques for guayule a good boost. The bill would provide $5 million each for 1979 and 1980 and $10 million each for 1981 and 1982. It would authorize the Secretary of Commerce to carry out the program. D
Geologic questions fog nuclear waste disposal Consensus seems to be forming that high-level radioactive wastes even tually will be disposed of under ground in stable geologic formations. A newly released report from the U.S. Geological Survey, however, makes clear that not as much is known as needs to be about potential waste disposal sites. "We do not intend to slight the extensive effort currently going for ward to find safe repositories," the report's authors state. But "the dif ficulties and uncertainties connected with the geologic disposal of highlevel radioactive waste . . . are signif icant potential stumbling blocks that need critical attention." An example of the uncertainties cited by the five hydrologists and ge ologists who prepared the report is the effect that heat from the nuclear wastes will have on surrounding rock. Increased temperatures would de crease the mechanical strength of salt
formations that might be used for waste storage. Hydrated minerals might be broken down, releasing water and volatile gases. Water flow in the area surrounding the repository also might be significantly changed. Until these effects are better under stood, it may be necessary to restrict underground disposal to lower tem perature wastes, the authors suggest. The report suggests five specific targets for future research. First, many questions need to be answered about the behavior of rock salt. Sec ond, other media, such as shale and crystalline rock, need to be further examined. Third, costly and timeconsuming studies of groundwater transport around potential reposito ries need to be made. Fourth, more tools to evaluate potential reposito ries need to be developed. And fifth, more research needs to be done on the effects on the surrounding environ ment of developing the repository it self. To counteract the uncertainties that persist about geologic contain ment, the report recommends a mul tiple barrier or "defense in depth" approach to radionuclide disposal. This approach would provide several independent barriers to the move ment of radioactive wastes. These might include a waste form that is resistant to attack by groundwater or material packed around the waste that adsorbs the toxic radionu clides. Copies of the report, "Geologic Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Wastes—Earth-Science Perspec tive," USGS Circular 779, are avail able from the Branch of Distribution, USGS, 1200 S. Eads St., Arlington, Va. 22202. D
Allegheny Ludlum sells Chemetron gas division Apparently Allegheny Ludlum wanted Chemetron for reasons other than its industrial gases business. Last week, Allegheny Ludlum an nounced that it will divest the gases division that it acquired when it took over Chemetron in late 1977. The buyer will be Liquid Air of North America, which is 78% owned by France's Société Air Liquide. Air Liquide is the world's largest producer of industrial gases and industrial gas equipment. Under terms of the agreement in principle reached by the two companies, Allegheny Ludlum will acquire a one third interest in Liquid Air. The deal with Liquid Air excludes Chemetron's Cardox carbon dioxide operations. May 8, 1978 C&EN
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The industrial gases division was Chemetron's most profitable unit up until the merger with Allegheny Ludlum last year. In 1976, gases contributed $212 million to Chemetron's total sales of $461 million and $25.7 million to pretax earnings of $30.4 million. Also, sales of industrial gases were improving even more during the first three quarters of 1977. Chemetron was considered to be the number five industrial gas producer in the U.S., behind Union Carbide, Air Products & Chemicals, Airco, and Big Three Industries. This latest move now means that two of the top five producers are controlled by foreign companies—Airco by BOC International and Chemetron's business by Air Liquide. It also will raise Liquid Air well into the top five, barring any blocking action from the federal government. Besides the industrial gases division, Chemetron's chemical business
also may be up for sale. A spokesman for Allegheny Ludlum declined to comment. The chemical group produces pigments, flame retardants, colorants, and other additives and concentrates for plastics, and phosgene and phosgene derivatives. If the chemical business is indeed for sale, it would leave Allegheny Ludlum only Chemetron's metals group and a venture management group that also might be disposed of. The metals group produces welding supplies and valves, regulators, actuators, and couplings. Allegheny Ludlum acquired Chemetron in a rescue operation. Crane Corp. earlier had tried an unfriendly takeover of Chemetron, which was fought in the courts by Chemetron. Allegheny Ludlum then moved in and acquired Chemetron (C&EN, Sept. 19,1977, page 7). The two firms merged formally in December. D
NSF poll finds hiring of Ph.D. s increasing Nearly half of the representatives from industry responding to a National Science Foundation informal poll say that the proportion of Ph.D. holders being hired by industry for research and development work is on the rise. And about 30% note that the trend upward will probably continue. The survey, which NSF says "does not represent a statistically valid sample of all industrial employers of scientists and engineers," was directed to almost a hundred leaders in industry—about two thirds responded. All are members of the NSF Industrial Panel on Science and Technology. The panel includes members from a range of U.S. corporations, including the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Nearly one half of the firms note a shift since 1970 in hiring practices, according to the survey. More Ph.D. holders and fewer with M.S. or B.S. degrees are being hired in the private sector—even where the number of R&D slots is held constant. Several reasons are cited for that shift. For example, about 20% of those surveyed said that the greater availability of people with Ph.D.'s in the past eight years has led to a general upgrading of science staff being hired. Also, "Ph.D. holders have adopted more realistic attitudes toward work in industry, and they cost little more than the lesser trained." Thus some firms note that salary differences have narrowed between those with Ph.D.'s and those with lower degrees. Moreover, salary itself is considered a "small part" of the cost of keeping 6
C&EN May 8, 1978
someone in an industrial lab. Ph.D. holders are also considered "more versatile" than those with lower degrees because their advanced training "enables them to cope with a large number of different enterprises." Though 30% of those responding to the poll expect their firms to continue hiring proportionately more people with Ph.D.'s, the majority expect to maintain present levels. One reason cited is that a firm can get top heavy without proper support staff. Hiring too few technicians can "under utilize" the R&D efforts of the Ph.D. holders on the staff. Copies of the report summary are available by writing for NSF 78-301, Division of Scientific Resources, 1800 G St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20550. D
OSHA issues new tough standard for arsenic The Occupational Safety & Health Administration, after four years of work, last week announced a permanent standard for employee exposure to arsenic of 10 micrograms per eu m. Arsenic is a known human carcinogen. The new standard is expected to have its largest impact on copper and other metal smelting industries but it also will apply to pesticide and herbicide makers who use arsenic in their products. According to the timetable laid out by OSHA the standard will go into effect Aug. 1,1978, when respirators will be required for employees ex-
Wrenn: many one-of-a-kind operations
posed to more than 500 micrograms per eu m, the previous OSHA exposure standard. Industries thereafter will be expected to meet a series of deadlines. They must complete as soon as possible, but by no later than Sept. 15, 1978, initial workplace monitoring. By Oct. 1, 1978, they must complete establishment of regulated areas, provide respirator protection for employees exposed to more than 50 micrograms per eu m, complete initial training of employees, and notify OSHA that arsenic is used in the workplace. Other deadlines are Dec. 1, 1978—respirator use for more than 10 micrograms per eu m, completion of initial medical exams, and completion of a compliance plan; July 1, 1979—completion of lunch room and hygiene facilities; and Dec. 31, 1979—complete installation of engineering controls necessary to meet the standard. OSHA is aware that many smelter operations may have trouble meeting the standard. As Grover Wrenn, OSHA director for health standards development, puts it, many smelters "are unique one-of-a-kind operations and they can't just open a catalog and get the control equipment that they need." According to Wrenn, the operation likely to be hit the hardest by the OSHA standard is Asarco's huge smelting operation in Takoma, Wash., "which has literally thousands of emission sources." "One novel and exciting aspect" of the arsenic standard, Wrenn says, is that the Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA will work together on a joint enforcement plan for the Takoma plant. He says that the two agencies already have staff people at the plant examining the smelter operations—the ores and processes used—to determine which controls have the best chance of reducing emissions into the workplace and air and water surrounding the plant. D
