INDUSTRY
Glass Production Growing Pittsburgh Plate plans major window glass plant in Illinois; Owens-Corning Fiberglas to build N e w Jersey plant V^LOSE O N T H E HEELS of recent news
of new glass research facilities by Owens Illinois and Libbey-Owens-Ford (C&EN, Oct. 3, page 4 1 7 8 ) , come statements by two other glass firms that they are planning new manufactur ing facilities. Pittsburgh Plate plans a multimillion dollar window glass plant at Decatur, 111. It will b e located on an 80-acre site southeast of Decatur. Initially, the plant will include one glass tank, and the glass ribbons will be drawn off through four drawing machines. It will use the Pennvernon process of window glass manufacture developed by PPG. The company says the new plant will use newly developed me chanical find electronic eoninroenf to make window or sheet glass. Availability of extensive gas supplies provided by transcontinental pipelines and proximity to high grade silica sand and other raw materials required in window glass manufacture contributed to the selection of the Decatur location. Ground will be broken for the plant site early next year. PPG expected to
have the plant in full production 12 months later. • Glass Building M a t e r i a l s . OwensCorning Fiberglas' plans call for a new plant on a 120-acre site adjacent to the New Jersey Turnpike, seven miles southeast of Camden. This plant will be devoted chiefly to making Fiber glas insulations, noise control products, and other building materials. Construction of the new plant will begin this winter. T h e company hopes to have production started by next fall. Plant employment is expected to be about 250 initially and to reach about 1000 when t h e plant is completed and in full operation.
Esso Education Foundation Jersey S t a n d a r d a n d five affiliates pledge $1.5 million this y e a r f o r e d u c a tion in p r i v a t e colleges
must riding demand group of its affiliated companies in the U. S. have organized t h e Esso Educa tion Foundation to continue a n d co ordinate their programs of financial assistance to privately supported col leges and universities. This foundation has received "initial pledges for $1.5 million in contributions from the participating companies for
1955. Besides Jersey Standard, these companies are Esso Standard Oil, Esso Shipping, Esso Research & Engineer ing, Esso Export, a n d Interstate Oil Pipe Line. Setting up t h e foundation is another step in Jersey Standard's long range program of aid to education. I t b e lieves that companies, both as good citizens and in their own interests, should give positive support to colleges and universities. F o r many years Jersey Standard a n d its affiliates have assisted education b y providing grants, fellowships, a n d scholarships for specific projects a n d studies of basic interest to their busi ness. Last year, following clarification of t h e legal situation b y a court deci sion, the company broadened its sup port to education when it undertook an experimental program of unrestricted grants to aid education at t h e under graduate level. At t h e time $450,000 was given to 138 privately supported colleges and universities in amounts ranging from $200 to $5000. This brought the total of all educational grants for 1954 to about $1 million. T h e unrestricted grants were an ex periment to determine the most suitable way of proceeding in the future. Estab lishment of the foundation is an out growth of further study based on last year's experiences. O n e advantage of t h e foundation a p proach is that t h e financial assistance need not be dependent on year-to-year business conditions. T h e program can be readily broadened as may become desirable and possible in the future. T h e foundation's charter provides that it "shall b e operated exclusively for educational or scientific purposes . . . to aid . . . by gifts, loans, dona tions, or contributions out of t h e assets or income of the corporation, in t h e . . . maintenance of institutions o r organizations engaged in educational o r scientific activities."
Critical Facility Scheduled
φ GAF Chlor-Alkdi Plant Construction of this 50-ton-a-day chlor-alkali plant for General Aniline & Film is now under way at Linden, N . J. T h e $ 5 million plant was designed and is being built by Blaw-Knox. It will use the Mathieson mercury cell electrolytic process. GAF will use the output from here at its facilities at Linden and Rensselaer, Ν . Υ. 4398
C&EN
OCT.
17,
1955
Seeking maximum versatility in its atomic research operations, Nuclear D e velopment is planning a reactor "criti cal" facility at its experimental station in Dutchess County, Ν . Υ. N D A intends this facility for use i n its reactor engineering program carried out for governmental and industrial clients. NDA is applying to A E C for a license to carry out nuclear experiments at t h e facility. It is also maintaining close liaison with the reactor safeguard committee of A E C in developing plans for the facility. I n a critical facility a great variety of reactor experiments m a y be carried o u t
