INTE RNATIONAL
50,000 feet
German Export Growth Slows German chemical exports were up last year, but the rate of growth seems to be tapering off The more figures that become avail able on West Germany's 1961 chemi cal performance, the more obvious it is that last year marked a significant turning point for that country from boom to tough competition. Latest data on imports and exports—just pub lished by the German National Statis tics Office—show that the value of German chemical exports in Deutsche marks rose less than 5% last year over 1960. This compares to an almost 14% rise for 1960 over 1959 and 13.5% for 1959 over 1958. Nonetheless, chemical exports, at $1.62 billion, set a new record high for the German industry. And when the increased purchasing power of the re valued Deutsche mark is taken into ac count, the equivalent dollar value of German exports of chemicals rose 9.5%. As with total German chemical sales (C&EN, Jan. 8, page 63), though, even the effect of the currency revalua tion of early 1961 cannot hide the slowdown of activity. The import ledger, too, shows that
of
Titanium tubing always in stock at TMCA
the era of forced-draft growth is over. After an unprecedented rise of 34% in 1960 imports over 1959, imports in 1961 rose only 1% over 1960 in DM (6.1% in dollar value). This slow down is due in part to the increased productive capacity in Germany from several years of heavy investment. But it is also due to the fact that many of Germany's chemicals did not live up to the growth predictions laid out for them. Consumption of benzene, for example, was slightly lower than in 1960, although experts had figured it would go up 15 to 20%. In export trade patterns, the Euro pean Common Market partners of West Germany continued to become more important. They took some 6.5% more last year than the year be fore (in D M ) , while customers in the European Free Trade Association bought only about 2 % more. Thus, the share of German exports going to ECM countries reached about 2 6 % ; the share going to EFTA has dropped to 26.8%. In 1958, first full year of
Slower Chemical Export Growth Means Fewer Imports, Too
• 24-HOUR SHIPMENT from TMCA warehouse, Toronto, Ohio. All sizes 3 / 8 " to 2>Vi".
EXPORTS Year
Total
Plastics
1958 1959 1960 1961
1100 1300 1480 1620
186 209 255 287
Organic
Inorganic
209 262 295 314
121 134 154 156
Organic
Inorganic
Miscellaneous
• RESERVE CAPACITY and tested quality assured b y nation's only o r g a n i z a t i o n d e v o t e d solely to titanium. • MARKET DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE f a b r i c a t i o n consultation . . . nation's l e a d i n g producer makes its compre hensive e x p e r i e n c e a v a i l a b l e to titanium users.
• WRITE FOR STOCK LISTS, Corrosion D a t a Publications Department.
Note:
TIMET
TITANIUM METALS CORPORATION O F AMERICA 2 3 3 Broadway, New Y o r k "7, N.Y. NEW YORK · CLEVELAND · CHICAGO · DALLAS · LOS ANGELES
114
C&EN
Millions ο dollars
IMPORTS ,.®
APRIL
16, 1 9 6 2
Year
1958 1959 1960 1961 Note: Source:
102 124 146
Total
Plastics
429 575 610
45 64 78 82
77 99 141 142
Millions of dollars Der Aussenhandel der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
30 42 65 65
Miscellaneous
..
50 65 60
™QfamM
CHEMICAL DIVISION
Technical service
md
VIRGINIA CHEMICALS & SMELTING COMPANY WEST NORFOLK, VA.
SO2
HELP IN UTILIZING LIQUID SULFUR DIOXIDE Few industrial chemicals are obtainable at such high purity (99.98%) and such low cost as liquid sulfur dioxide manufac tured by "Virginia." Functioning both as an acidulating and a reducing agent, sulfur dioxide adds no residue to your end product and—in certain instances —is readily recovered and reused. For your current production opera tions (chemicals, pulp and paper, tex tiles, protein manufacture, Edeleanu Re fining Process, etc.) or for research proj ects leading to development of future products, sulfur dioxide offers tremen dous potential as a process chemical. And no one is better prepared than "Virginia" to help you evaluate and utilize this chemical.
installation of storage facilities, piping, metering, everything down to individual valves. Our acquaintance with the prac ticalities of S 0 2 applications is second to none in the industry.
Fast, Dependable Source of Supply
Trial Application Unit Through its Technical Service Depart ment, "Virginia" makes available this portable unit for running controlled plant trials on proposed processes utilizing sulfur dioxide. "To the best of our knowledge, no one offers as much practical assistance in eval uating and utilizing S0 2 as a process chemi cal as 'Virginia.' Frankly, we consider such service essential to maintaining a favorable competitive position."—Jesse Weatherford, Director of Sales field service representatives and its Tech nical Service Group in West Norfolk— is highly qualified to help you set up full-scale operations utilizing sulfur di oxide. On the basis of broad experience —both practical and theoretical—we are prepared to assist you with design and
Back of this technical service on S 0 2 stands "Virginia's" modern production and distribution facilities, which can be of great importance to you. "Virginia" operates two automated S0 2 plants in West Norfolk, with com bined capacity more than ample to meet present and expected future demand. Further, only "Virginia" offers you the added security of large reserves of liquid S0 2 available for immediate bulk ship ments from other strategic locations. "Virginia" is prepared to ship you sulfur dioxide by the fastest, most economical means— 150-lb. cylinders, ton drums, multi-unit carloads or truckloads of ton drums, single-unit tank cars or tank trucks, 1-lb. cans for laboratory use. Let us know your requirements.
Specialized transport equipment such as this self-loading and unloading ton-drum truck is indicative of the fast, efficient delivery you can expect on "Virginia" sulfur dioxide.
Chemical Division, Virginia Chemicals & Smelting Co. Dept. 150, West Norfolk, Va.
The great value of this equipment— which accommodates up to four 150-lb. cylinders—lies in its accuracy (±1/10 lb/hr). Only with accurate trial data can you confidently estimate the cost of a new process—something rarely possible with do-it-yourself trial hookups.
Aid with Full-Scale Setups Besides helping you run preliminary trials on S0 2 , "Virginia"—through its
Please send me the following technical bulletins: D "Virginia" Sulfur Dioxide D Portable Demonstration Unit for S0 2 D (other information desired) Name_ CompanyAddress— City_
_Zone_
-State-
C & Ε Ν 115
cw
VARIABLE SHEAR
RATE
PLASTI-CORDER
BRABENDER
The chemical industry's model of the time-proven Brabender Plastograph. Under typical processing conditions, the C.W. Brabender Plasti-Corder forecasts processability as no other flow tester can! Saves you plant experimentation, scrap expense and down time.
KNOW YOUR POLYMERS' FLOW PROPERTIES BEFORE PRODUCTION BEGINS!
SHOWN WITH EXTRUDER HEAD. OTHER ATTACHMENTS AVAILABLE.
SEE FOR YOURSELF! Bring or send us samples for FREE testing to determine. Molding and Extrusion Performance Dynamic Oxidative Stability Melt Flow at Processing Shear rates Effect of Each Additive Heat stability
• • •
Temperature—ViscosityShear Rate Relationships Extrusion Rates and Surface condition Dispersibility of Colorants
cw È21 brabender Instruments Write for technical application bulletins.
S O U T H H A C K E N S A C K , N . J. · 51 E. Wesley Street · Diamond 3-8425
Surface goes all the way thru
the ECM, these proportions were 23.4% and 27.1%. So as ECM internal tariff barriers have come down, Germany has been able to increase its exports to its partners by 56%. Its exports to EFTA in the same period have risen only 39%. Meanwhile, Germany has done well in South America and Asia. About 15% of its total chemical exports went to Asia last year, worth some $230 million. This was 6.8% up on 1960's results (in D M ) . Biggest sellers are industrial organic and inorganic chemicals destined for further processing. Chemical exports to South America rose more than 20% in 1961 to $110 million, now make up 7.3% of total export sales. Pharmaceuticals as well as industrial organics and inorganics hold the lead, with Brazil and Argentina the best customers. But according to the Association of the German Chemical Industry, Germany's chemical markets in South America are beginning to be limited by the "soft-currency" problem. The solution to some extent lies in the old adage, "He who wants to sell must also buy," the association says, adding, "Most desirable along this line would be the destruction of the tax burden which stands against an increased import of South American products. In the first rank of such burdens is the very high (German) coffee tax which damps domestic coffee consumption." Perhaps, in the light of hardening international competition, the association can be forgiven this gentle bit of lobbying for cheaper coffee breaks.
BRIEFS
can be scrubbed, scoured or honed without harming the surface
Hindustan Antibiotics, Ltd., an Indian government-owned corporation, has dedicated a streptomycin plant at Pimpri, near Bombay. Know-how came from Merck & Co., Inc. Capacity is 90,000 kilograms of streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin per year—half of India's needs. Local production will save India $2 million a year in foreign exchange.
Pittsburgh Plate Glass International
ALBERENE STONE
for 75 years the only permanently satisfactory material^ for chemical laboratory table tops, shelving, sinks, splash backs, drain boards and fume hoods. Prompt delivery. ALBERENE S T O N E - A DIVISION OF THE GEORGIA M A R B L E COMPANY. For FREE literature and technical assistance address: THE ALBERMAR COMPANY, 386 PARK AVE. SOUTH, NEW YORK 16, N. Y., DEPT. N.
116
C&EN
APRIL
16,
1962
S.A. of Geneva, Switzerland, has bought a majority interest in a French paint manufacturing company, Peintures Corona. The French company has manufacturing operations at Valenciennes, research facilities in Paris, and distributing units at Paris, Lyon, Nice, and the plant location.
