Chemicals lavish fringe pay Except for bankers and oil men, chemical employees received more fringe benefits last year than any other industrial group in the U.S. In its 10th biennial study of fringe payments at 1181 companies (including 56 chemicals), just released, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce finds that chemical workers' extra take amounts to 27.4% of company payrolls (the national average is 24.7%). Other employees in both manufacturing arid nonmanufacturing industries were similarly showered with added income in 1965. Rubber, leather, and plastics companies marked a payroll equivalent of 25.2% for nonstraight-time pay; primary metals firms issued an even 25.0% in benefits; the petroleum industry's additional contribution ran to 28.0% (the high for manufacturers); and banks topped the list with 32.1%. As fringe benefits, the Chamber of Commerce includes a combined package of legally required payments (such as the employer's part of social security), pensions, insurance, rest-period pay, vacation and holiday pay, profit sharing, and special awards made by employers to full-time employees. In dollar amounts, annual fringe pay for the average U.S. employee, earning $6081 per year, came to $1502. For the average chemical employee, who made $6175 a year, the fringe figure was $1692. As his own share of pension, insurance, and other programs, the chemical employee lost 4.7% of his paycheck ($290) in deductions last year (nationwide averages were 4.4% and $268). The present omnibus fringe coverage crests a historically rising curve. According to Chamber records for 84 companies since the beginning of its surveys, benefits have climbed from $450 per year per employee in 1947 to $1874 last year. However, the payroll percentage of these 84 companies' benefits has actually declined since 1963 (from 28.8 to 28.1%), the Chamber notes. For the first time, employees are receiving an increased cut of their pay as ordinary salary or wages. For the total of 1181 companies, the 1965 survey turned up striking variations in fringe pay depending on company size and regional location. The Chamber observes that larger firms tended to pay higher benefits than smaller firms, particularly among manufacturing industries. Nevertheless, in the chemicals field, peak payments (31.8%) came from middlesized companies (1000 to 2499 employees) and fell off toward the extremes. Chemicals also differed from the na-
tional trend in regional payment differences. The average U.S. employee pulled down the most fringe pay in the Northeast (26.6% ) and less in the East North Central (24.6%), West (24.1%), and Southeast (22.1%). For chemicals, the most lucrative area was the East North Central (29.2%); then came the Northeast (28.5%), the West ( 2 7 . 4 % ) , and the Southeast (20.8%).
Dow fights Rock Creek silt Rock Creek, a much revered little stream that wends its way through Washington, D.C., is playing a big role in the nation's water pollution control campaign. And a prominent participant in the current tale of Rock Creek is Dow Chemical, which is testing the effectiveness of its various flocculants in precipitating the creek's silt (see also page 4 0 ) . Washington's famed Rock Creek Park takes its name from the creek, which empties into the Potomac about 20 miles from its source and contributes slightly to the Potomac's serious sedimentation problem. Controlling the sediment in Rock Creek could give some answers to pollution abatement questions on the Potomac and elsewhere. "If we can't clean up Rock Creek," Interior Secretary Stewart Udall proclaimed recently, "we can't clean up anything." Peering over Dow's shoulder is the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, which is out to make the Potomac a model for the rest of the country. Dow has been working since early last year on the project, whose cost is shared with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The company is using its Purifloc C-31, a high-molecular-weight polyalkaline polyamine. The material sells for about 30 cents a pound, and the cost could drop with larger use. Dow, in fact, will be trying to work out maximum dosage efficiency for poststorm runoff and gives one to five parts per million as a ballpark figure. A side benefit could be tons of agriculturally beneficial land fill. The experiment is now moving into the development phase as Dow scientists wait for the local power company to start supplying juice for a small pumping station. This facility, located just above a new dam built to create a recreational lake, will automatically control flocculant dosage. The resulting silt will settle in a small impoundment (at a rate of about 11,000 cubic yards a year) and will be collected periodically for use elsewhere. Meanwhile, park goers in crowded Montgomery County will enjoy fishing and eventually swimming.
Computer controls batch dyeing A Honeywell computer system is directing batch dyeing of synthetic fabrics and blends at Lyman (S.C.) Printing & Finishing Co. In operation since February, the system provides constant on-stream monitoring and control of the dyeing of a broad range of synthetics including rayons, polyesters, and acrylics. Textile dyeing ha's become increasingly complex because of the growing popularity of synthetic fibers and blends and constantly changing fashion demands. More exacting fabric quality and delivery requirements have compounded the problem. The computer system is one solution to the problem. It enables Lyman to standardize its dyeing operations, maintain consistent product quality, and make better use of equipment. The system includes a Honeywell 610 digital computer, various teletypes, consoles, and display and acknowledgment systems for communicating with and receiving information from the computer, system instrumentation, and a manually operated backup control system that assumes the computer's role in an emergency. The computer's memory stores preprogramed dyeing procedures. To start the dyeing process, precoded information is fed to the computer on the fabric lot and style-shade numbers, the dyes, chemicals, and dyeing procedure to be used, type of beck (dyeing tank), yardage and weight of cloth, and any deviations from the computer program. After the beck supervisor assigns a fabric lot to a beck, verification by the computer then initiates the process program.
Batch dyeing process Computer controlled to compete OCT. 10, 1966 C&EN
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The Honeywell 610 then automati cally sequences valves to fill, heat, pressurize and depressurize (if neces sary), cool, and drain a beck. By teletype the computer calls for the proper formulations of dyes and chem icals, which are added automatically. It also tells the operator when to cut a patch (sample) for a color check. Depending on the color check, the dyer can then either direct the com puter to continue, or he can provide a modified programing sequence that continues until the next patch is cut. Throughout the dyeing process a teletype log is kept of process variables such as temperature, pressure, and pH, as well as dye and chemical use, equip ment use, and process delays. From this log a summary teletype selects and collates information of permanent value. This information permits rapid analyses of dyeing operations and serves as source data for cost account ing and control purposes. J. F. Magarahan, Lyman vice presi dent and general manager, estimates greater throughput—between 20 and 30%—has been achieved using the computer-controlled system. More over, with the computer, the company is able to document its dyeing experi ence and make this experience avail able for instant recall. Thus, the company can respond more rapidly to customer needs. According to Mr. Magarahan, Ly man has a five-year program to expand automatic control. The next s t e p computerization of Lyman's continu ous dyeing operations—is now under way.
Thin-film switches patent issues Energy Conversion Devices, Troy, Mich., has received a patent (U.S. 3,271,591) on thin-film switches which, the company says, may herald "an entirely different type of semicon ductor industry" equal in size to that which grew out of the development of the transistor 18 years ago. The pat ent, issued to ECD president Stan ford R. Ovshinsky and assigned to the company, covers devices which can be made to change from a conductive state to a nonconductive state by ap plying an electric field. Transistors and other present-day semiconductor devices are based on conduction through positive and neg ative junctions that are formed by doping high-purity crystals with pre cise amounts of impurities. ECD's thin-film switches, however, are com prised of a single, homogeneous film which can be applied to almost any substrate. When the applied voltage is below the device's threshold limit, the switch 32 C&EN OCT. 10, 1966
has a resistance of about 1 million ohms. When the voltage exceeds the threshold value, the resistance drops to less than 1 ohm. Switching speeds are about 0.1 microsecond. The company says the devices can be made from mixtures of a wide number of substances including ele mental and intermetallic semiconduc tors and other materials, such as alu minum, various metal oxides, and mixed valence transition metals—tan talum and iron, for example. The materials are mixed, fused at suitable temperatures, and either cast into pel lets or deposited as a thin film. The company foresees many ap plications for this concept. Because the switches are symmetrical (not subject to polarity), a single unit can be used for controlling alternating current. Present semiconductor de vices require two units in series to perform this function. When the film is applied to a metal substrate, the resultant heat sink effect allows han dling current up to 250 watts. In addition, if the applied voltage is held to a constant value just below the threshold, the device can act as a sensor amplifier. It can then be made to respond to changes in temperature, pressure, light intensity, or moisture content. But the biggest application for the switches, E C D feels, will probably be in integrated circuits, where they can be applied the same way as passive components such as resistors and ca pacitors. This application will then permit integrated circuits to duplicate transistor and diode functions. ECD has licensed the development to International Telephone and Tele graph and its British affiliate, Standard Telephone & Cables, Ltd., and to L. M. Ericsson & Co. of Sweden and Danfoss, A.S., of Denmark.
Stanford R. Ovshinsky Thin-film semiconductor devices
Ford gives Na-S battery details Ford Motor's research division last week disclosed details of the new bat tery concept (C&EN, Sept. 26, page 24) it has developed—a liquid elec trode, sodium-sulfur system which uses a solid electrolyte. But the com pany says it won't have a car-size pro totype battery ready in time to use in the electric vehicles now being built by Ford and its English subsidiary for testing sometime next spring. The English (and subsequent U.S.) tests will begin with conventional lead-acid batteries. Key to the new battery is a ceramic electrolyte, which is about 90% alu minum oxide (β-alumina form). The electrolyte separates the liquid sodium and sulfur electrodes, and behaves as a molecular sieve—porous to sodium ions but impervious to sulfur or the reaction product. During discharge sodium ions migrate through the ce ramic and react with sulfur to form sodium sulfide, completing the internal battery circuit. Ford chemists say the ceramic's conductivity to the so dium ion current compares favorably with sulfuric acid or potassium hy droxide electrolytes used in conven tional batteries. The ceramic elec trolyte can be readily formed and sintered by conventional methods, the company says. Because the electrodes are liquid, Ford scientists explain, there is no mechanism for deterioration of the battery on repeated recycling or on deep discharge, as is the case with solid electrode-liquid electrolyte sys tems. The use of liquid electrolytes also means that the battery operating temperature must be relatively high— 250° to 300° C. But the heat liber ated during discharge is sufficient to maintain these temperatures and the battery may require cooling during operation at peak loads. Futhermore, scaled-up versions can be suitably in sulated to maintain the battery at op erating temperature for up to 14 days of inactivity. Startup from ambient temperatures would require a warmup period. An energy density of about 150 watt-hours per pound is projected for the 'sodium sulfur battery. This is 12 to 15 times that available with leadacid batteries. Alkaline batteries, such as nickel-cadmium, silver-cad mium, and silver-zinc can achieve be tween 16 and 50 watt-hours per pound but are too expensive for vehicle applications. Ford expects to have a 2-kw. ver sion of the battery by the end of next year. Another year beyond that will be required to develop a 40-kw. unit adaptable to vehicular transportation. But by that time another battery
