IMPORTANT STUDY OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES IN
ST. LOUISIf you are a decision-maker in the chemical business, this report should be in your hands. It contains detailed inform a t i o n a b o u t existing chemical and chemicalrelated process industries in the St. Louis area, plus a valuable analysis of potential opportunities. Complete with maps, tables and charts. Prepared for the Industrial Development Division of Union Electric by an independent consulting engineering firm. No cost or obligation. MAIL TO: Mr. Arthur G. Baebler, Manager Industrial Development Division Union Electric, St. Louis, Mo. 63166 Nafne Address_ City_ _Zip Code_
State.
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C & E N OCT. 3, 1966
Avibest stem from its rodlike microcrystals and new polar sites on the surfaces of the microcrystals. These particles, about 200 A. in diameter and about 5000 A. in length, are extremely shear dependent in gel form. At low shear or at rest, gels made with Avibest have a very high viscosity. However, these gels behave thixotropically, becoming extremely fluid when stirred or pumped. In addition, the microcrystals have very high temperature resistance, melting at about 1500° C. Avibest's properties can be demonstrated when it is used in making such products as epoxy-tar paint or polyester resins. When added to an epoxy-tar paint, Avibest produces a mixture having a high viscosity at low shear or rest and relatively low viscosity at high shear rates. Thus, when the paint is sprayed, brushed, or rolled on, the viscosity is low. Yet once it is applied, the viscosity increases and it does not sag. When used in a typical epoxy-tar paint formulation, the material sprays well, FMC states, and thick coatings of 20 mils or more can be applied to vertical surfaces without sagging. Avibest also aids the manufacture of glass-fiber-reinforced plastics. Polyester, for example, tends to flow away from sloped or vertical sections unless flow control agents are used to give high viscosity to the resin at rest. Avibest helps avoid this problem. FMC foresees other uses for Avibest to obtain viscosity and reinforcing advantages in: • Silicone formulations to ensure stability at high temperatures. • Lubricants, paints, greases, and similar products. • Acid and alkali cleaners, such as oven cleaners and grease-cutting alkali pastes. • T h i n mineral silicate papers of high purity.
Cell converts moisture into usable oxygen An oxygenating-dehumidifying device has been developed by scientists at General American Research Division ( GARD ). The new unit, basically an electrolysis cell, produces oxygen from moisture in either air or oxygen passed through the cell. As a result of the process, relative humidity is lowered from 5 to 20%. Compact in size, the device could be used as a personal oxygen generator in aircraft (which now use stored oxygen), says Robert A. Bambenek, group leader of life 'support systems at GARD. The new system is an outgrowth of life support system studies at GARD, the research division of General Amer-
ican Transportation Corp. Over the past four years GARD has built several small-scale electrolysis cells to develop the matrix for the device. Currently a full-scale cell containing two matrixes is being tested. The matrix for this cell consists of five layers in a rectangular frame. The layers are a microporous membrane, two plastic screens, and two electrodes. The membrane, a microporous polyvinyl chloride film which prevents cross-leaking of gases, is the center layer. It is sandwiched between the two platinum-screen electrodes. A glass-fiber-reinforced polyester screen is placed on each side of the membrane to control spacing of the electrodes and to hold electrolyte—a mixture of phosphorus pentoxide, phosphoric acid, and inert binders. The outer frame, made of polyvinyl chloride, is sealed to the membrane and has holes for distributing gas. A complete cell is made by bolting two or more matrixes between the end plates containing gas manifolds. In operation, moist air or moist oxygen enters the manifold over the anode platinum screen and is adsorbed in the electrolyte. Two reactions take place. The water in either the air or oxygen reacts with phosphorus pentoxide to give phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid then electrolyzes to form oxygen, hydrogen, and phosphorus pentoxide. The dehumidified air or oxygen containing increased oxygen comes off at the anode. Hydrogen generated at the cathode is vented. To generate oxygen in flight, it would be necessary to use a rebreather unit which recycles unused oxygen and removes the carbon dioxide and moisture generated by the pilot. Advantage of the GARD device is that it generates oxygen from moisture in the rebreather loop and so eliminates the need for a separate dehumidifier, Mr. Bambenek says. In a rebreather loop, the oxygen output of the GARD device would be a function of the pilot's metabolic activity—as oxygen demand increases, the amount of water available for electrolysis increases. When operating at design conditions the cell will deliver 0.1 pound of oxygen per hour with an input of 300 watts. The oxygenating-dehumidifying device consumes more power than do oxygen concentrators, which also are being considered for aircraft. However, use of the GARD approach would eliminate the need for a dehumidifier, which also requires electric power and adds to the complexity of the system, points out George A. Remus, supervisor of GARD's atmosphere control section. Oxygen concentrators, which generate pure oxygen from outside air, are
Help stamp out thermal degradation. Use a V-C Phosphite. ELECTROLYTIC CELL GARD's oxygenating-dehumidifying device, shown here in a lab test, produces oxygen electrolytically from moisture in the air
being studied by a number of firms, including Allis Chalmers, General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and TRW. Both A-C and TRW have built prototype units which operate by a process called electrowinning. In electrowinning, air is passed into an electrochemical cell composed of two reversible porous oxygen electrodes separated by an electrolyte of aqueous potassium hydroxide. The electrolyte is contained in an adsorbent asbestos matrix. As a potential is applied across the electrodes, oxygen is selectively extracted from the air at the cathode by adsorption and ionizes to form hydroxyl ions in conjunction with the water from the electrolyte. The hydroxyl ions migrate to the anode where they react to reproduce oxygen and water. Nitrogen gas is given off at the cathode during the reaction. Both A-C and TRW have already submitted data to the Air Force concerning use of their oxygen concentrators in aircraft. The Air Force has indicated interest in such devices and is actively working in this area at its Flight Dynamics Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. GARD's oxygen generator-dehumidifier has other possible areas of application, such as in hospital ships, field hospitals, armored vehicles, submarines, spacecraft, and laboratory work. Since the polarity of the unit can be reversed to generate hydrogen instead of oxygen into the dehumidified air stream, the device could also find use in the chemical processing or gas transmission industry.
Thermal degradation causing discoloration in polymers like polyvinyl chloride, polyester ethyl cellulose and GR-S rubber can be prevented. So, why let it happen? The best answer to color problems is the use of V-C Phosphites. These versatile organic phosphorus compounds prevent discoloration in esterification reactions, polymerization reactions and high temperature processing of fats and oils. They are mild, colorless, reducing agents and acid acceptors that complex metal salts. Purity is another virtue of V-C Phosphites. Need a color inhibitor in your process? Looking for an ideal chemical intermediate? You'll find one listed here. Or, just call or write and ask about a custom-made phosphite.
PHOSPHITE Dimethyl Diethyl Dibutyl Bis(2-ethylhexyl)
Sp. Gravity 20°/4°C
1.200 1.079 0.995 0.937 1.046 **Trimethyl 0.969 **Triethyl 0.914 **Triisopropyl 0.925 **Tributyl 0.891 *Triisooctyl Tris(2-chloroethyl) 1.353
Boiling Point
Flash Point Cleveland Open Cup
72-3°C/25mm 65-6°C/6mm 118-9°C/7mm 163-4°C/3mm 108-108.5°C 65-6°C/24mm 94-6°C/50mm 118-21°C/7mm 161-4°C/0.3mm 119°C/0.19mm
205°F 195°F 250°F 330°F 105°F 130°F 165°F 250°F 385°F 375°F
Percent Phosphorus
28.1 22.4 15.9 10.1 25.0 18.6 14.9 12.4
7.4 11.5
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