cmm ÉLlïl S t r a f e s
Today's news of the chemical world likely to influence the happenings of tomorrow
J U R O M the National Research Council comes word that the U. S. need no longer be dependent upon foreign sources for its supplies of painkillers. Combined efforts of pharmaceutical companies, universities, medical schools, the Public Health Service, and the armed forces have m a d e possible development of painkilling replacements for opium, morphine, and codeine. Substitute drugs: Demerol, methadone, L-isomethadone. and Dromoran. At least as effective as morphine, synthetics can be produced cheaply and in large enough quantities to meet all medical needs. For the time being, however, imported drugs will be essential. But once the new synthetics are available in quantity and win acceptance of the medical profession, it may be goodbye imports.
Benzene Bandwagon
Standard Oil Co. of California isn't taking the Government's request for increased benzene production lightly. Company just announced that it's going to build a benzene plant with annual capacity of 13 million gallons at its El Segundo refinery in Southern California. T h e plant, being designed to use the platforming process developed by Universal Oil Products, will cost over $10 million. If all goes well, project should be in operation by middle of next year. Besides helping out critical benzene situation, it will increase considerably the refinery's output of aviation gasoline. In addition, plant is designed to produce 3,200 barrels of toluene daily. Thin Tin to Meet Can Ban
A more-than-adequate answer to NPA's recent order of 1 0 % cut in use of tin for tin cans appears possible through new process developed by Weirton Steel Co. T. E. Millsop, Weirton president, says new production method could cut tin consumption in this field by an impressive 25 to 5 0 % . Method: Plate surface for inside of can to normal thickness, b u t plate outside with m u c h lighter layer, providing only the amount actually required for protection against atmospheric exposure. Former practice allowed equal weight of coating on both sides of plate. Mother Hubbard Revived
Here's a new twist to the big antitrust suit against Western Oil (C&EN, May 22, 1950, page 1711). Legal powers of the companies involved claim that the "Mother Hubbard'' case (pending since 1940 against the API and most of the larger oil companies in the U. S. ) covers substantially the same charges. But the case has never been brought to trial. On Feb. 5, attorneys asked a federal court in Los Angeles for a postponement of the current suit until the Department of Justice can finally dispose of the first case. Oil comVOLUME
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panics also object to the interrogatories filed by the antitrust division in the West Coast case. Covering the last 20 years' operations, these questions would require an estimated 500 man-years of work on the part of management and operating personnel, to be answered properly. Companies feel their time is well taken u p in attempting to supply military petroleum requirements in addition to civilian needs. In Place of Alloys
Stainless steel and other alloys required for chemical processing equipment mav become harder to get when the defense program moves into high gear. General Electric chemists have brought out an intermediate which can be used in finishes to impart alkali and acid resistance to ordinary steel, obviating the need for alloys in particular applications. GE declines to reveal composition of intermediate, but has it labeled "R-108" tor time being. It says that the life of drums will b e extended if interiors are coated with formulations containing new ingredient, also that it shows promise in coatings for replacing tin in food containers. Expensive Fumes
Air pollution has become more than just a "big" problem. Looks as though it's becoming one of industry's biggest. In 1948—and again in 1949—more than 100 Oregon farmers, orchardists, bulb growers, a n d others claimed damages of several million dollars in a series of suits filed against Reynolds Metals Co. because of fumes emanating from the corporation's large aluminum plant at Troutdale, Ore. T h e trial, which lasted for many months, came to an end last May. A U. S. district judge has ruled recently that the plaintiffs are entitled to substantial amounts, t o compensate for the damage done to their trees, gladioli, lilies, and livestock, and their attorneys have been directed to submit a detailed schedule of evidence specifving actual damages suffered. Sulfur Getting Tighter
Fertilizer industry is getting hot under the collar about recent limitations placed on its sulfur supplies. Steel, rubber, and petroleum industries haven't b e e n subjected to such restrictions, but sulfur supply to fertilizer manufacturers has been slashed 20 ζ;λ . Fertilizer spokesmen argue that sulfur cut shouldn't be bigger for their industry than for others, particularly since fertilizer is so essential to food production. Its use accounts for about 2 0 % of U. S. food output, accord ing to USD A. T o alleviate domestic shortage, U. S. exports should be reduced still further, says one industry representative—even below current level of about 800,000 tons a year. Fertilizer industry uses sulfur almost exclusively in sulfuric acid production for superphos phate. T o a very limited extent, elemental sulfur is a p -
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plied directlv to soils to reduce alkalinitw particularly out west. Our Tung Is Out
Stoppage of all tung oil exports to" U. S. by China's lied government mav shortly reduce our supplies of this important drying oil. To make a bad situation even worse, production of oil from 1950 crop of domestic tung nuts will be less than half of the 1949 oil output. Argentina has had almost the same experience. In J a n u a r y November 1950, tung oil imports came to 103 million pounds, mostlv from China. Tank car market for tung oil recently zoomed from 28 cents per pound to 38 cents at Xew York. Drying oils find application in paints, varnishes, floor coverings, and printing inks. Use of all diving oils in 1949 came to 820,847,000 pounds during January to September 1950, compared with 933,822,000 pounds for all of 1949. To meet military and industrial needs in 1951, we mav have to depend more than ever before on dehydrated castor and oiticica oils. Roth originate in South America. Injecting α N e w Note
Injection molding machines, same as those employed for molding hundreds of plastics articles, are now7 be ing used for the first time in the production of longplaying records, the 3 3 \ / H as well as the 45 r.p.m. variety. Up to now, this industry has been pressing its recordings with old-fashioned compression press, em ploying plastic material in the form of a "biscuit" and shellac. Use of vinyl resin, for LP records, however, has enabled the manufacturers to take advantage of the pla>tic molder's technique for greater speed and effi ciency. Titanium I d o l Has C l a y Feet
In this age of rockets, jet aircraft, and kindred ord nance, the search proceeds apace for metals, ceramics, and other materials that will hold their good properties at elevated temperatures. It was hoped titanium might develop high heat resistance. However, Titanium Metals Corp. announces that the greatest disappoint ment in this metal has been its inadequacy for high tem perature service, unusual in view of its high melting temperature—3,150° F . This is higher than that for steel and relatively high for so light a metal. But the ultimate and yield strengths drop fast above 800° F., and above 1,000° F. irreversible absorption of oxygen and nitrogen from the air takes place, which embrittles the metal. It's hoped titanium allovs will be developed to thwart this absorption. Still metallurgists hold but little hope for worth-while service at, say, 1,500° F. Want Ads v i a TV
TV may one day prove a formidable threat to a familiar institution, the want ad. Take the recent ex perience of Victor Chemical Works. Seeking drafts men and designers to push work on its expansion plans (C&EN, Jan. 8, page 118), Victor has run spot advertisements on Chicago TV stations, with gratifying response. Idea was originated by Harold M. Griffith, management counselor, who receives calls from inter 632
ested applicants and records a preliminary telephone interview. Promising interviews are forwarded to Vic tor, where final selection is made. Cost: low. For a TV advertising schedule which costs one quarter more than a previous newspaper campaign, Victor has received one third more applications. And much wear and tear is saved the advertiser through the first screening of applicants at the recording studio. Chile Chilly on Copper Price
Chilean government is cool toward long established U. S. price oi copper—24.5 cents a pound, or 26.5 cents for foreign copper with 2-cent duty paid. The Chilean government automatically takes as taxes a half of the price on the increment above 20 cents per pound (other half is left as profit for Chilean copper producers). World market price of copper is now around 30 cents. Chilean government throws out a strong; and broad hint that it would like to get the same price from Americans, since it's shipping at least 30,000 tons of its copper to U. S. monthly. If American consumers paid world mar ket price for copper, Chilean government would collect, in taxes, nearly 3 cents more than at present per pound of copper sold to this country. Industrial
Utah
A recent survey of the Bureau of Business and Eco nomic Research at the State University dispels all doubts concerning the scope of Utah's industrial expansion. Study shows that over $130 million in new capital have been invested in manufacturing plants during the past five years—an amount more than the total value of Utah's manufacturing plants in 1940. Steel foundries and primary metals industries steel fabricating plants and a new copper refinery account for a large part of the sum, with petroleum processing facilities accounting for most of the balance. Fog Foiler
New device expected to extend life and improve service of natural gas distribution systems has been an nounced b y Blaw-Knox Co. The apparatus introduces into the pipeline gas stream a stable petroleum fog which wets down dust particles and retards drying out of the jute-joint packing and leather diaphragms in auxiliary equipment. Additional advantage: The fog inhibits internal corrosion of the steel. First commercial installations of the new fogger are now being made along the Atlantic Seaboard. D e p a r t m e n t of W h o - M a k e s - l t
In last week's "conCENtrate" on Endothal ( Feb. 12, page 532) we nearly put the wrong company in busi ness. It's Sharpies Chemicals that manufactures the herbicide, and Endothal is the company's trade-marked name. The herbicide is manufactured in limited—semicommercial—quantities at the Wyandotte, Mich., plant for formulation and marketing by Niagara Chemical Di vision of Food Machinery & Chemical Corp. Promising as a cotton defoliant, Endothal is being tested on the West Coast, will b e sola in limited quantities for the 1951 season. CHEMICAL
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