Thii C H E M I C A L W O R L D THIS WEEK in o r d e r to satisfy d i e total 1955 d e m a n d of s o m e 380 million gallons. N a p h t h a l e n e has s o m e similarity to benzcne with respect to t h e economic aspects and to its relation t o t h e petroleum indus try. It h a s been in d i e forefront of t h e chemical news for t h e past 10 years, h e said, because t h e r e has rarely b e e n a time, in w a r or p e a c e , w h e n t h e r e h a s b e e n enough of it. This is d u e primarily to t h e steadily increasing m a r k e t , for phthalic anhydride, its principal derivative. D e m a n d f o r P h t h a l i c . Phthalic anhy dride is entering, in growing v o l u m e , plasticizers for vinyl .resins a n d alkyd resin paints a n d coatings. N o w , our current and prospective mobilization will impose other a n d n e w d e m a n d s on p h t h a l i c an hydrides. For e x a m p l e , even t h e employ ment of small a m o u n t s of p h t h a l i c anhy dride in rocket fuel m a y d e v e l o p into military r e q u i r e m e n t s t h a t could exceed anything we h a v e envisaged so far. O i s r e g a r d i n g t h e business lull d u r i n g the first half of t h e year a n d t h e steel strike, it is a p p a r e n t t h a t w e d o not h a v e enough n a p h t h a l e n e w h i c h is mostly d e rived from coal. P h t h a l i c a n h y d r i d e p r o ducers h a v e been " g e t t i n g b y " t h r o u g h imports from E u r o p e , b u t this is a dimin ishing source. T o e n s u r e a d e q u a t e supply, the speaker c o n t e n d e d , m o r e n a p h t h a l e n e must be recovered from coal tar streams or from petroleum streams. E i t h e r that, or m o r e alternate r a w materials for phthalic anhydride must b e p r o d u c e d , such as oxylene or, p e r h a p s , m e t h y l n a p h t h a l e n e . P r o d u c t i o n C o s t s . Cost of production will he t h e controlling factor in all of these alternatives, t h e m e e t i n g was told, and for years w e h a v e lived on t h e cheap, easily recoverable portion of coal tar naphthalene. This did not e n c o u r a g e t h e petroleum refiner t o extract t h e low per centages of t h e p r o d u c t which occur in some petroleum streams. Nor did it justify many xylene p r o d u c e r s in m a k i n g t h e rather difficult a n d expensive separation β of ο-xylene from its associated isomers. M o r e recently n a p h t h a l e n e prices h a v e encouraged expansions in t h e coal tar in dustry. NPA has set a target of 5 5 5 mil lion p o u n d s of n a p h t h a l e n e five years hence, a n d certificates of necessity have been granted for 5 1 5 million. M r . T r a c y said t h a t w h e n a situation similar to b e n z e n e develops, in which d e mand exceeds s u p p l y and t h e price jus tifies more expensive recovery, t h e n t h e production of n a p h t h a l e n e and of more ii-xylene may b e expected. Tt may h a p pen sooner t h a n w e now think. On t h e otlior h a n d , t h e r e is a n e w factor in t h e future situation—coal h y d r o g é n a t i o n . This has the possibility, h e said, of materially altering the s u p p l y picture for n a p h t h a lene, o-xylene, and several other aromaties. C o k e Gocfs. T h e Defense Production Administration goal of 81 million tons ol coke b y the end of 1953 should prove sufficient tor the steel a n d metallurgical industries, said C h a r l e s \V. Connor, Delensc Solid Fuels Administrator. This is 4262
an increase of 10 million over 1951 a n d it may not be an easy task. A large n u m b e r of slot-type ovens (which p r o d u c e chemicals) in operation at t h e start of this year w e r e 20 or m o r e years old, a n d t h e y constitute 5 2 % of the nation's coke-oven capacity. Another disturbing circumstance is t h a t some utility plants h a v e switched from coke ovens to the use of natural gas. Good Coal Outlook. Notwithstanding the inroads m a d e b y p e t r o l e u m a n d n a t ural gas u p o n coal, t h e outlook for t h e solid fuel was h e l d promising b y J o h n D. Battle, assistant to t h e president, N a tional Coal Association. T h e prospects for p e t r o l e u m on t h e other h a n d w e r e h e l d less promising for t h e future. Chief a m o n g domestic m a r k e t s taking m o r e coal is t h e electric utility field. T h e chemical industry is also using m o r e
coal than before. T h e c u r r e n t year m a r k e d t h e opening of t h e coal h y d r o g é n a t i o n plant in West Virginia ( C a r b i d e a n d Carb o n ) which, t h e speaker said, w a s an indication of t h e growing d e m a n d for coal chemicals. T h e h y d r o g é n a t i o n m e t h o d , he felt, will s u p p l e m e n t r a t h e r t h a n supplant t h e p r o d u c t s of c a r b o n i z a t i o n , at least for as far as we can see i n t o t h e future. Reference was m a d e b y the speaker to t h e s t a t e m e n t of t h e r e c e n t Paley report w h i c h called n a t u r a l g a s a "boom fuel." " T h e very t h i n g that w e in t h e coal a n d ceke business h a v e b e e n s a y i n g for a long t i m e , " Mr. Battle d e c l a r e d , "is that pipelines b e i n g built n o w will some day be used to send gas—made f r o m coal —back to Texas a n d t h e o t h e r s t a t e s t h a t h a v e been all too lavish w i t h t h e i r natural resources."
C&EN REPORTS: Pharmaceutical Council of Greater New York
Antibiotics M a y Be Greatest Contribution to Medicine Hematology research program set up following FDA clearance of Chloromycetin N E W YORK.—Many authorities believe that antibiotics m a y well represent t h e greatest contribution ever m a d e to m e d i cine, according to G r a y d o n L. Walker, director of United States and C a n a d i a n sales for P a r k e , Davis & Co., speaking b e fore the Pharmaceutical Council of Greater N e w York, a t t e n d e d by some 600 pharmacists Oct. 1 to 3 . Although the use of antibiotics and other potent d r u g s has b e e n questioned in some quarters recently, W a l k e r predicted a sound future for antibiotics—a prediction made since t h e speaker's firm's major antibiotic, Chloromycetin, w a s cleared by the Food a n d D r u g Administration after a nation-wide s t u d y of blood disorders. Though giving t h e green light to that antibiotic, F D A cautioned that t h e potent drug should not b e used indiscriminately, or for minor infections. Chloromycetin has b e e n administered to over 8 million people since its introduction in 1949, t h e speaker said. F r a n k A. Weiser, director of education and clinical research at G r a c e Hospital, Detroit, recently summarized the situation as follows : "Of the 8 million cases treated with Chloromycetin, aplastic anemia a p p e a r e d in about t h e same percentage as might be expected in a population of 8 million sick people w h o had not received the antibiotic. Probably if the other antibiotics be given the same searching scrutiny t h e incidence of aplastic anemia will b e no different t h a n in t h e Chloromycetin group of patients." C H E M I C A L
Mr. W a l k e r said further t h a t , s t a r t i n g late in 1950, several p a p e r s in t h e m e d i c a l journals h a d r e p o r t e d i n d i v i d u a l p a t i e n t s with blood disorders. T h e s e p a t i e n t s h a d taken some C h l o r o m y c e t i n a n d o t h e r antibiotics, or o t h e r drugs, or all t h r e e . T h e r e were 16 such papers involving 4 8 case histories, b u t in not a single one of these cases w e r e blood studies carried o u t prior to t h e administration of t h e a n t i b i o t i c . More t h a n 1800 p a p e r s h a v e b e e n p u b lished on Chloromycetin, i n c l u d i n g 5 9 reports involving 1700 p a t i e n t s on w h o m blood studies w e r e m a d e . T h e s e h e m a t o logic tests w e r e carried out prior t o t h e administration of d r u g , d u r i n g a d m i n i s t r a tion and following a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , a n d there is no e v i d e n c e of b l o o d d i s o r d e r s in this entire g r o u p of 1700, W a l k e r said. "If a p o t e n t d r u g is a factor of a n y statistical i m p o r t a n c e in causing a specific condition such as aplastic a n e m i a , a n d if that d r u g is used as widely as C h l o r o m y cetin d u r i n g t h e past t h r e e a n d a half years, how could die d e a t h r a t e r e m a i n about the s a m e , or d e c r e a s e ? " t h e s p e a k e r asked. Mr. W a l k e r stated t h a t P a r k e - D a v i s is financing a very substantial basic r e s e a r c h program in hematology to assist t h e m e d i cal profession to find out w h a t factors do cause blood disorders, since that lias not been definitely established. In connection with t h e t h r e e - d a y session 66 companies p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h e exhibits at t h e Stat 1er, involving b o t h drugs and auxiliary p r o d u c t s . AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
