RESEARCH
At Air Reduction Chemical's lab in Murray Hill, N. J., continuous acetylene reactions are studied in the prepilot plant. Above, a general purpose reactor and other equipment are mounted on a pipe scaffold in a large bay in the center of the lab building
Commercializing the Triple Bond A concentrated research effort at A i r Reduction Chemical hopes to bring a b o u t c o m m e r c i a l d e v e l o p m e n t of a l a r g e l y u n t a p p e d f i e l d , acetylenic c o m p o u n d A BASIC POSITION IN ACETYLENE
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***• more than 20 years experience in its chemical applications are being parlayed, by means of concentrated research effort, into commercial development of a largely untapped field of chemistry: that of acetylenic compounds. Air Reduction Chemical Co. was formed for this purpose a little over two years ago, when research work at the parent Air Reduction Co. indicated the soundest basis for rapid and profitable expansion was a core of organic-chemical-producing facilities to serve as a starting point for new, volume-chemical products. Chemical research had been maintained by Air Reduction for a number 1466
pentynol, a hypnotic, and methyl butynol. Versatility of the glycols is rather striking. Dimethyl hexynediol and dimethyl oxtynediol have surface-active properties. They also have antigelling effects in media containing polyvinyl alcohol, act as pigment dispersion stabilizers in water-based systems, reduce viscosity in inks and in vinyl plastisols, and have corrosion-inhibiting properties. In addition, dimethyl octynediol is a fair light stabilizer in liquid vinyls. Longer chain acetylenic alcohols and diols are currently being evaluated for developmental scale production. Surface activity of some of these materials is so strong that they are being introduced as a new class of nonionic surface-active agents. Use of the diols in synthetic resins and in a number of other syntheses is another promising development. Intensive development work is now being done on several derivatives of the acetylenic alcohols and glycols, including saturated diols and isopropenylacetylene, produced by dehydrating methylbutynol. The bulk of this research and development work is being done in Airco's laboratory at Murray Hill, N. J. Built in 1947, the building originally housed research and development staffs on mechanical, metallurgical, and chemical problems. With the decision to increase emphasis on chemical research, mechanical development facilities were relocated at Union, N. J., and the additional space converted to chemical use. Chemical research staff now numbers Acetylene generator house has a "weak wall" on the side away from the main lab, about a hundred yards distant. At left are four hopper-fed generators; at right a battery of filters
of years, but it had been aimed entirely at processes rather than products. Over the past two years the research staff has been greatly enlarged t o allow emphasis to be placed on new products. Several promising siewcomers have already advanced to largescale pilot production, with many encre in all stages of research and development. First products to reach commercial development were a group of tertiary acetylenic alcohols and glycols, deirivecl by the addition of a ketone to acetylene. Dimethyl hexynediol is used as a starting material in the synthesis ocf the insecticide allethrin. Stabilizers for chlorinated hydrocarbons are methyl CHEMICAL
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Both oxygen and nitrogen are trailer-truck delivered and can be piped directly from the above station throughout lab building. One tank in building is scale-mounted to record amounts used over 100, of whom 651 r are classified as professional. T h e background of the laboratory is reflected in some of its features. Acetylene, oxygen, nitrogen, and air are piped throughout the building and are available at the laboratory benches. Liquid oxygen is delivered by tank truck and stored in several large Dewar-type tanks. One oxygen tank, inside the building, is scale-mounted so the amount removed for direct use in pilot experiments can be directly determined. Acetylene is produced from calcium carbide in a special building about a hundred yards from the lab and piped underground directly to the benches. T h e acetylene generator house has a "weak wall" facing away from the main building. Gas, water, and other services in the large central organic laboratory are located on service strips, which divide the room into four bays. Furniture and racks are thus independent of the services, lending flexibility to the arrangement. All permanent facilities, such as exhaust hoods, are located on three sides of the room. Double aluminum apparatus racks, unitized and independent of the furniture, are separated by 3/8-inch sheets of transparent methacrylate. These safety shields lessen the possibility of injury without blocking light. Product development laboratories are hard at work on finding applications for derivatives turned out by research. Production processes are developed in the prepilot plant at Murray Hill, then moved to Airco's full size pilot plant at Bound Brook, N. J., where chemicals are produced in drum quantities. When the market warrants further expansion, a site for a multimillion pound V O L U M E
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Reaction temperature is checked in prepilot plant, glass-lined reactor. Production processes are developed here in Murray Hill, then moved to Bound Brook for drum quantity production
pi;kmt is available at Calvert City, Ky., where a new National Carbide acetylene plant (largest in the U. S., capacity 300,000 tons of carbide a year) assures an adequate raw material supply- So far, this budding chemical
company is not making tank car q u a n tities of any of its products but is concentrating on developing the commercial aspects of a relatively unknown but potentially promising field of chemistry.
Perfect Iron Crystals Produced; Are Strong and Resistant to Rust
First observations of the whiskers were made at Bell Telephone Labs. Telephone relays under test failed mysteriously; research showed that whiskers of tin had grown and caused a short circuit. Suits, speaking on a forum 'Tomorrow and Science," in connection with the centennial of Omaha, Neb., said the crystals "provide a new a n d exciting dimension in metallurgy."
Perfect crystals of pure iron have been produced by G E . The crystalswhiskers about 0.001 inch thick and an inch or so in length—are said to be stronger than any previously known metal or alloy and may attain a tensile strength of nearly 1 million pounds per square inch. They are also inherently resistant to rust. T h e perfect crystals are the first examples of metals as strong as theory predicts, according to C. G. Suits, GE vice president and director of research. Iron crystals previously made were thought to be nearly perfect but actually had irregularities on the atomic scale. These defects cause weakness and are the reason ordinary metals have a strength of at least 100 times less than the theoretical value. Although the crystals are of no practical use they may shed light on the strength of metals and alloys. These crystals—produced by R. L. Pullman and Arno Gatti—are different from "passive iron/' Passivity is due to formation on the metal of a film which resists oxidation. In GE's new crystals, the perfection of the sides of the crystal would be expected to make them less likely to oxidize, and G E is now trying to determine how far this is actually the case. .APRIL
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1954
A perfect crystal of pure iron is shown between an ordinary pinhead ( left ) and a micromanipulator. Strength of the crystals is calculated from the amount of bending they withstand when moved by the manipulator
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RESEARCH High-Purify G a l l i u m P r e p a r e d By Single C r y s t a l G r o w t h
«ϋ@ . . . a structural u n i t Glucuronic Acid is an important basic structural unit of the muco polysaccharides present in essen tially all fibrous and connective tissues. In blood and urine of both animals and humans, it occurs in conjugation with steroids and other physiologically active sub stances. Highly purified, stable forms of Glucuronic Acid are now avail able commercially — crystalline GLUCURONOLACTONE, SODI UM GLUCURONATE, POTAS S I U M G L U C U R O N A T E , and CALCIUM GLUCURONATE. All four compounds are soluble in water and may be used in a variety of reactions for the preparation of interesting new pharmaceutical products. Requests for samples and tech nical information will receive prompt attention.
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C O R N PRODUCTS R Ε FI Ν Ι Ν G COMPATNTT • . « n . H f . j . ^ n . M i V M T W ^
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High-purity gallium has been pro duced at the Naval Research Labora tory by a modification of the Kryopoulos technique of zone purification and single crystal growth. The merJbod is thought to be simpler and faster than various chemical means that could have been used. Since gallium melts at 29.7° C, a simple water bath held as 38° C was all that was required to keep th^ galhum molten. A silica container was used to hold the gallium. Single crystals were grown with a minimum effort; samples were taken from tops and tips of all crystals. After two cycles of crystal growth, there were only five elements that comld b e detected spectrographically as.impuri ties; eight others had been reduced s o that they were no longer detectable. All the impurities had been recluced by a minimum factor of 10 and some by a factor of more than 1000. Total impurity content of the second crop was not more than 0.005% and probably nearer to 0.001. Continued growth could probably bring further purifica tion by at least one factor of 10. NRL's W. Zimmerman, III, reports his findings in March 26 issme of Science. SRI Says Research Needs Louder Voice in Industrial Planning
physicists; they will have to revise up wards their calculations of heat and en ergy potentials of the sun or its solar flares. Identification of the calcium as the cause of a previously unidentified yel low fine in the sun's corona has been unexplained since it was first discovered 16 years ago. Since the line is not found routinely in spectrograms of the corona, some astrophysicists believe it occurs in solar flares, the bursts of energy from the sun's surface. Stripped calcium atoms have not been produced in the laboratory, although it is possible they could be by some of the larger accelera tors. Findings were made by W. O. Roberts, D . E. Billings, and Charlotte Pecker of the coronographic station of the High Altitude Observatory at Climax, Colo. Research was sponsored by Office of Naval Research.
• Erythromycin is more effective against a m e b i a s i s than any other agent so far developed, according to Hamilton Anderson and associates at the Univeristy of California school of medicine (San Francisco) and Sonoma State Hospital (Eldridge). Children suffering from this common chronic intestinal infection were treated; eryth romycin was more effective than fumagillin, the most potent previous agent, the researchers say in March issue of American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Research executives must be given more consideration in industry's longrange planning, says J. E. Hobson, di rector of Stanford Research Institute. In the introduction to SRI's 1953 re • Research on reducing stream pollu port, Hobson points out that industry, tion from spent sulfite liquor made realizing that applied research goals excellent progress in 1953, according to must be compatible with the company's annual report of Sulphite Pulp Manu During financial capabilities, market conditions, facturers' Research League. and techno-economic trends, is giving the year, practical mill-scale operation more attention to research thinking. proved techniques are now available "Research executives are moving u p which substantially reduce undesirable into the policy-making stratum of the conditions in streams below most mills, but whether they will prove economical corporate hierarchy," he says. More than 3 4 0 research clients used has not yet been established. Fifteen SRI's services in 1953, placing 3 8 2 mills in the league have expended over separate studies. SRI itself sponsored $10 million for pollution-control, and 39. Volume for the year was over $5.4 report estimates another $15 million is needed before the job will be com million, 19% greater than in 1952. The year also saw expansions In staff pleted. and facilities: $380,000 was expended for new equipment and leasehold im • University of Vermont and S t a t · two provements; staff expanded 30*%, Agricultural College receives grants from Research Corp.: $7000 to reaching an all-time high of 674. be used towards purchase of an infra red spectrometer and to support Calcium Stripped of 14 Richard G. Inskeep's investigations in Electrons Identified in Sun infrared spectroscopy; $2800 to permit Calcium stripped of 14 electrons has Clinton D . Cook to continue his in been identified in a spectrogram, made vestigations of sterically hindered phe of the sun's rim on Feb. 2, 1950. Find nols. Cook's grant will enable him to ing poses new problems for astro obtain an ultraviolet spectrometer. CHEMICAL
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