M a y ’ s HEADLINES
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Events of Interest to Chemists, Chemical Engineers, and EXeCUtiveS---Reviewed ‘ Mar- 1. David E. Lilienthal, chairman 1.. S..itoniic. Erirrgy Commission, says our military security depends partly on sccrecy regarding vital atomic energy information, but points out same secrecy is handicap t o our on-n scientific progress.War Assets Administration offers for sale six carbon black plants (channel type) vhich cost Government total of $20,282,0001.-Set%-observations on meson behavior challenge fundamental theory about forces t h a t hold nuclei of atoms together, reports a t American Physical Societj- meeting state.
ager manufacturing Ytanolintl Oil and Gas Co., says gasoline. from natural gas on a commercial scale d l be reality in 1049.
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7 hlai- 8. President Roxas recommends approval by Philippine Congress of Standard Oil Co. (S.J.) application for franchise to develop Island’s petroleum resources.--Pittsburgh Coke and Chemical Co. anticipates additional expenditure of 51,000,000 t o complete partially-built government phthalic anhydride plant mineral deposits of nickel, purchased from F A A h 3 .--,Important sulfur, coal, asphalt, oil, and antimony located on Celebes Island east of Borneo, East Indonesian Department of Economic Affairs reports. --Selman -1.R a k s m a n , discoverer of streptomycin, selected t o receive 1947 Passano Foundation award of 83000 for discovery.--Humble Oil 6- Refining Co.’s Baytown, Tcx., plant processes billionth barrel of crude oila.
MAY2. M , L. Crossley, director reeearcli .Imerican Cyanamid Co., receives annual Gold Medal an-ard of American Institute of Chemists “in recognition of scientific n-ork and leadership in re. c m ~ l i ,and of activities in behalf of profession of chemists.”-$30,000,000 expansion program at
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1 I a u 4. Edwiri J. Tliunias, president Goodyear Tire Br Ruhbrr Co., declares Gt~riiianrubber industry may increase to extent where it will cnmpt~towith .inioriran industry in most world markets.
‘-ILLY5. Izrestitr c.h:irpcs r e t a r y of State 3laraliall with “distortion, evasion,” and nforming .Imerican public” in S. will press radio address on Big Four Moscon. meeting.---P. for internationd ntoniic control agency plan from PS by Septcmhcr, n-hetlier or not it meets with immediate Russian approval. proposcs and State Department accepts plan for ex--Russia ciiangr~of fivrl mrtcor in what may be beginning of culE. researrli director Rrilly Tar and tural plan.--F, i Section, .I.C.S.. that exploitation Chemical Co., tells 11 of pyridine compounds yields \Titall!- important produc,ts. a n i ( ~ n g them vitamins, n e ~ vdrugs, and nen- synthetic i~ulllx~i~. S u v y Depirtment announces three neiv liureau of Ships-.ltomic. Warfare Defense, Radiologii~ulSafety, :tnd S u c l c a r Ponc~1-11:ive been given task of developing,atomic of Mines vi11 open power for naval ship propulsion. --Bureau P2,000,000 oil-shale demonstration plant M a y 17, J. A. Iirug. Secretary of Interior, announces*.- -James C. Khite, president and general manager, says Tennessee Eastman Corp. has ceased operation of government-ovned Oak Ridge uranium plant, and names Carbide Br Carbon Chemicals Corp. as successor to cont ract. --Felix S. JYillianis, vict, president in charge plastics division, says llonsanto Chemical Co. will attain original production goal of 80,000,OOO Ib. polystyrene plastic in 1047 despite loss of Texas City plant.--At annual convention of Society of Plastics Industry, Harry .A. Barth, director merchandising devolopment IT. T. Grant Co., suggests plan for industryxide, industry-supported laboratory to duplicate in plastics industry dutirs of underwriters laboratory in electrical industry.--London platinum refiner cuts price of platinum $3 per ounce.-Attorney General Toni Clark and Kendell Berge, former chief mititrust division, tell House Appropriations Conmiittee Departmc.nt of .Justice is investigating monopolistic practices among nation’s largest corporations.--GE announces $300,000,000 large-scale production expansion program will doublr prewar H. Forrclstrr, nianniitnufarturing s p m ‘ and cmployeeF. --J.
‘. MAY10. Results of 8-n.ec,k scicxntific survel of atom-bombed t~attleship*\-ew I-ork n-ill be kept military s indicate.--Two Standard Oil (S.J. cutires, speaking befort. ciation of America, r x meeting of Independent Petroleum press vier7 t h a t major problem facing industry today is lack 1 1 1 iarilities tu satisf! unprcwdrnted dt,niandc: for oil.
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31.~19. Depaitmrnt of Commerce Office of Materials Distribution announces initial streptomj-cin allocations of 553,900 grams for May, comparable to 478,600 grams for April6.--WAA off(11.son bids 6,00U,OOO lb. liquid sulfuric acid, intended for use in manufacturing explosives at De Soto, Iians.--Recently inaugurated geochemistry course a t Pennsylvania State Collrge believed to be first of kind in country offered t o students.-Sn-cdish Atomic Commission reveals limited amounts of uranium produced from slate, promises mass production in near future.
1 1 . 11. ~ ~ c‘. C. Concan~iori,clliicf chciiiical a i d drug division, Department of Commerce, states Mexico’s plastic industry will this year; polystyrene and cellulose acetate assunit’ expand lead among thermoplastics. -Unclerwritern’ Laboratories, Inc,, undertakes research project covering properties of ammoniuni nitrate that are significant t o fire and explosion hazards as row l t of Texas City disastere. -Grologists at -4ntarctica study ore traces; finds indicate possibility of commercially exploitahlt~ deposits of minerals, notably iron and copper, near Keny Island. --Department of Commerce Office of Technical Servivri report describes German production of phthalic anhydride from naphthalene and its conver.sion t o “Palatinol” plasticizrrb.
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‘ 3 l a 12. ~ KAiAi announces sale of 100-octane gasoline refinery in Sn-eeney, Tex., to Phillips Petroleum Co. and group of indtlpendent Houston operators for $13,000,0007, and rejects as “inadequate” bids for Los .Ingeles Torrance aluminum plant, reciimmending that its machinery and equipment be removed for pussible use eluervhere.--High sources say subsidiary of Iraq Petroleuni Co., Petroleum Development (Trans-Jordan) Ltd., has been g r a n t d 75-year right to explore and develop oil and gas resources for all Trans-Jordan, and hopes to produce million tons prtroleuni annually after thrre years*. Ibid., Ibid., Ibid., ;I b i d . ’ Ihid.: 3 4
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Cheni . Eng. News, 25, 1608 (June 2 , 1947). Ihiil , 1592 (.Jiine 2. 1947)
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1447 ( M a y 19, 1947). 1518 ( M a y 2 6 . 1947). 1679 (June 9, 1947). 1514 ( h l a y 2 6 , 1947). 1519 ( > l a y 26, 1947). Ibid.. 1517 (.\lay 2 6 , 1947).
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
806
7 MAY13. I n view of Trunian .idministration’s request for 1year export control extension as essential t o nation’s domestic economy, Office of International Trade outlines possible decontrol dates on follon-ing: sugar, Oct. 31, 1947; crude rubber, within nfxt few months; steel mill products, second quarter 1918; nonferrous metals, J u n e 30, 1948; fertilizers-nitrogcnous, J u n e 30, 1948--pot:rssium, afier 1918 spring demand-phospli:ite, July 1, 1017; industrial chemicals, control until AiF:Cis organizcd to license export of fissionable materials; medical and l)harn!:rceutical preparutioiis-streptoniy~iii, insulin, quinine, nnd I J i q mu$h-June 30, 1948.--R. P. Dinsmore, vice president i n charge research mid development, announces initial step:, to i i i crease Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s Thy1 plnstics prtrduc,tion with plant opening of subsidiary, Pathfinder Chemical Corpfi. 11.1~14. Ileynolds Metals Co. suspendi ftir year operatiori at Longview, K a s h . , aluminum plant to c o m p l ~ ~improvemeiit~, te R. S. Reynolds, president, disclo 11.~115. Secretary of Interior Icrug, first witness of Scnate subconiniittee investigating vur natural resources, states n-hilr general mineral resources outlook is “favorable,” our t!c~pcntl(~rlcy upon foreign sources for industrial minerals in v-liich ~ v earcs I!(*ficient n u s t contiiiuc, and urges dynamic program of rescarvii and exploration. -.lntonio Bermudez, general manng~tr Pet roleos Nexicanos, 1Iesican Government’s oil monopoly, minouiliw Pemes is engaged in drilling 35 new oil n-ells, and expects t u spt>iid about $4,640,000 this year in exploration and drilling. -.Sta~rtiard Oil Co. (Calif.) receives authorization of Office of Housing Expediter to begin construction on Richmond, Calif., plant for grease manufacture a t estimated cost of %2,2?~5,000~~.
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7 ~ I A16. Y Department of Interior report statcxn U. S,1ian less than 25 years’ supply of copper and petroleum under present conditions.---;irizona Department of 1Iinera.l Resources disclows discovery of large deposit of ore containing 1 1 , ? ? uranium in rapper claim”. --Borger, Tes., area strilic closcs all Pliillipc Pl9troleuni Co. plants, curtailing SOYo channel hlack pi.oduetioii. 1 Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. start- $3,500,000 q u i j j ment installation program at \T-yandotte, Mich., alkali plant”. U. S.Plywood Corp. has begun construction of Portland, Ore., plant t o manufacture synthetic resins for its plants and those of associated mills, and plans erection of additional rescarrh lahoratory on site. 1
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7 11.4~17. Glenn L. Martin, pioneer aviator and head Glenn L. hLarrin firm, tells subcommittee of Senate Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee of esperimentation b>- llrniy and Xavy with a radioactive cloud a mile square which can he released in series from aircraft by nonexplosive atomic shclls and sweep with lingering death and corrosion over great areal2,
7 MAY 18. P m ~ l aasserts
“aggressive monopolistic circles” in
U. S. plan liquidation of 1-S because that body opposes aggression.- -.imcrican hssociation of Scientific IYorkers issues 10,000-word technical summary n-ithheld during n-ar o n complete knowledge of potentialities of bacterial n-arfare up to 1942, but authors, Theodor Rosebury and Elvin .\. &bat, express hope t h a t findings might lead t o abolishment of xvarfarc instcad of making i t more terrible.--Reynolds SIetaIs announces reverse in plans to lease government-built aluminum rod and bar mill near Newark, Ohio, stating drop in orders means deniand can be met by Illinois plant. --Joint report on Texas C’ity disaster released by Fire Prevention Bureau of Texas and Sational Board of Fire Undertvriters outlines 14 precautions to be observed in handlirlg a n d transporting ammonium nitrate’~.---B. IT. Dyer h eo., sugar econonii-t h and brokers, offers Y5000 n-ager against correctness of “fant:tstic” prediction by John L. Henn a Chem. Eng ,%’iu.a, 2 5 , 1607 10 Ibid., 1342 (:\Ia>. 1 2 , 1947). 11 12
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I h i d . , 1077 c,Jiinc> 9 , 19471. I h i d . , 1676 (.June ‘3, 1947). I b i d . , 1594 (.June 2 , 1947).
( J u n e 2, 1947)
Vol. 39, No. 6
sultant to Secretary of \Tar Patterson, that sugar prices vi11 rise 25,to 30 cents per lb. within two months after decontrol.
MAY 19. David K. Stewart, Eastman Kodak Co., tells Rochester Section, -l.C.S., Carbon 13, used in cancer research, is being produced commercially in ?JOYoconcentration, more than double previous 24y0 concentration. 1 1 . 4 ~20. Senate pabses bill t o establish goverlimcnt-financed Sational Science Foundation’a.--Senators SIeCarthy and Ijriclier introduce legislation to end sugar rationing; express c*onfidence nieasure will pass in viex of overstocked xarehouses. --W-l.i rejects as “inadequate” bids on Dunkirk, S . T., stwl alloy plant valued at $2,144,000, plans re-advertising.
S I a Y 21. \Vestinghouse Electric Corp. receive3 55,700,000 order from Denairi hnizin for electrical equipment to rebuild war(demolished French steel mills. --Joseph H. Slater, Republic Steel Corp., at hmerican Iron and Steel Institute meeting, de-tribes n ( ? \ iiigli-pressure ~ air process for nialring iron which may h o i t 1,las.t filr~iaceoutput 1170 to 20%’,.---Ethyl Coy1j. ~ I ~ ~ S2,000,000 coiistruction prograni to set up nation’, first three hulk ,storage and distrilJution plants with combined capacity of 30,000,000 Ib. Ethyl fluid, to be located a t Edge SZoor, Del., \Test(‘1-11 .Juiictiun near Los .lngeles, Calif., and a n undeterniincd point in niiddle of continent.--Phillips Petroleum Co. strik i i i t ’ i i t promises quick return t o full channel black production.
‘ 31.1~22. \\-amen R. Austin, C. S. delegate to US,presses button in Sen- Tork tvhich formally opens Slid-.lmerica Exposition in Cleveland by activating atom-splitting machine; neviest E. scientific and industrial advances displayed.--Howard Blood, c1i:tirmaii Sational Association of SIanufacturers’ committee on patents and research, denounces government financial aid for developineiit of inventions and scientific techniques as “unwarranted iiivasion of private enterprise’s legitimate sphere of activity.” -Reconstruction Finance Corp. studies Henry proposal for $85,000,000 debt cut for his Fontana, (’alif., .;tee1 plaiit.
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11.1~23. President Truman signifies willingness to end government strc,ptomycin controls by June 30, asks 1-year extension of allocation po\yers over cinchona bark, quinine, and quinide.--John Foster, Jr., executive editor d v i a f i o n Magazine, says Itusaia has n-orld’s fastest jet plane, based on German model, xhich tops 660 miles per hour, 40 miles faster than British world record. r 1lar 25. C. S.Commercial Co., R F C subsidiary, announces latest offering of 1,250,000 gal. Cuban ethyl alcohol is without buyer from L-, S.industry.
C XLY 26. Secretary of Interior Krug frees for general resource developnient 200,000-acre Federal potash reserve in Utah.-J . D. Goodloe, chairman, favors R F C continuation beyond June 30, but on temporary basis only, giving up emergency war powers. S l a u 27. E. R. Squibb and Sons, Argentina. secures 3-year nionopoly for manufacture and sale of penicillin in t h a t country.
7 XLY 28. P.S., Brit,ain, and Canada reject new Soviet plan t o place international atomic control under veto of U S Security Council.- -SIon3anto Chemical terminates AEC Oak Ridge, Tenn., contract because of difference over company’s proposal t o transfer some research t o its laboratories, joint statement by .iEC and 1Ionsanto announces. 3 1 . 4 ~29. 1 - S . i E C working committee adopts Russian resolution plac*ing international atomic control “within framework of Security Council.”
7 1h.u 30. German V-2 rocket containing scientific instruments veers 180’ from course set a t S e w Mexico experimental grounds, falls near Juarez, AIexico. 16
Ihid., 1561 ( J u n e 2 . 1947).
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