explains, "the idea usually is that the more grain b o u n d a r i e s you have—the more defects you put into the material—the h i g h e r is the current-carrying capacity/' Although for some applications, such as microcircuitry, single-crystal films may be a suitable form for superconducting materials, many potential applications will require polycrystalline materials. "You can't make a single crystal hundreds of miles long for use in a cable," Present says. "The next challenge is to see how you can make polycrystalline materials exhibit that kind of current density." The new materials also have problems with inherent strength and brittleness that will need to be overcome before they will be practical for many uses. D
Montedison, EniChem continue merger talks Officials at Montedison were busy seeking corrections last week to press reports that implied the big Italian chemical company was close to merging with another large firm, EniChem, the chemicals arm of the Italian-state-owned oil company Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI). A Montedison official confirmed that talks are going on. "We are talking, but we are not elaborating," he says. "It is a fake to say Montedison has announced anything." According to Albert Alonzo, securities analyst with London firm Barclays de Zoete Wedd, "The talks have been going on for some time, particularly since autumn of last year." Those talks arose following the breakdown of negotiations for Montedison to sell one of its plants to EniChem; talks broke down when the price could not be agreed upon. After that, the two began talking about a possible joint venture. But Alonzo questions whether the talks will lead to anything, at least in the near future. One reason is Montedison's climb back to profitability after years of losses. He attributes Montedison's success to, among other things, the restructuring of the Italian chemical industry in 1982, when the industry
was essentially polarized. EniChem took over commodity chemicals, M o n t e d i s o n the more specialty products. Montedison and EniChem exchanged assets, Alonzo says, "and EniChem got the duds. I don't see a great deal of enthusiasm on the part of Montedison for going through with this—it is doing quite well on its own." EniChem would be the beneficiary of any combination, he believes. Montedison, on the other hand, would want to look outside Italy to improve its international strength. One factor that could inhibit an agreement would be the Italian state involvement in EniChem. Montedison previously was partly owned by the state, but in 1981 the state's share was purchased by private individuals. Moreover, earlier this year, some 40% of Montedison— effectively, a controlling share—was acquired by Feruzzi Group, an agricultural commodities firm run by an aggressively individualistic owner. The significance of a linkup between Montedison and EniChem is important enough that, when the talks first began, they were discussed at the Italian Cabinet level. But the government would not be in a position to order the venture or impose an agreement. D
Carbide, India tighten Bhopal liability cases By the middle of next month, the tempo will be quickening in the bitter legal wrangle between Union Carbide and the government of India over liability in the Bhopal methyl isocyanate gas disaster of December 1984. Last week an Indian legal team flew into Washington, D.C., and met with its government's U.S. attorneys to review strategies to be taken over the next several weeks. The case is currently in the discovery process. Some observers believed at first that a major purpose of the visit was to discuss a settlement with Carbide. But both sides quickly quashed that idea. Both agreed that a settlement will be reached, perhaps before fall, but that the time is not yet ripe. Hopes for settlement ride on the scheduling of legal events in the Indian district court in Bhopal where the litigation is taking place. In about three weeks the Indian government will submit its brief to Judge M. W. Deo outlining why Carbide cannot escape legal blame for the disaster. Deo was appointed judge to succeed G. S. Patel, who reportedly was found to have secretly
Drickamer wins Welch Award in Chemistry Harry G. Drickamer, professor of chemical engineering, chemistry, and physics at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign, and a dominant figure in high-pressure research, has won the 1987 Robert A. Welch Award in Chemistry. The award totals $225,000 and is given annually for outstanding career contributions in chemical research. This year it recognizes especially Drickamer's discovery of pressure tuning spectroscopy at very high pressures, work that has led to major advances in the detailed understanding of molecular, atomic, and electronic properties of matter. Author of more than 350 scientific papers, Drickamer, 68, has won a number of major scientific awards. He will receive the Welch award during ceremonies in Houston next Nov. 2.
May 18, 1987C&EN
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