THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK stance, that in states with two or more state universities, the schools have as "distinguished" (5 points), "strong" often tried and failed to achieve qual(4 points), "good" (3 points), "adeity programs in identical fields. They quate" (2 points), "marginal" (1 suggest a division of labor, with copoint), or "not sufficient for doctoral ordinated efforts among the schools. training" (0 point). Dr. Roose and Mr. Andersen also In an attempt to "de-emphasize the suggest that "in the future a more than pecking-order relationships inherent sufficient supply of Ph.D.'s for most in most scoring systems," the authors traditional uses can be trained in the didn't present numerical scores in the graduate programs of, say, 50 or so report. Instead, the schools in the top top-rated institutions." NYU chancelrange of 3.0 to 5.0 for each discipline lor Cartter has made similar suggeswere listed by rank. Schools were tions in recent weeks (C&EN, Jan. 4, simply listed alphabetically within the page 9 ) . But Dr. Roose and Mr. lower divisions of 2.5 to 2.9 ("good"), Andersen bear the additional responand 2.0 to 2.4 ("adequate plus"). sibility of accompanying their suggesAt a press conference held to introtion with a convenient list of ratings duce the report, ACE president Logan for the reference of government Wilson also pointed out that the repolicy makers. port was designed to play down "invidious characterizations of institutions." He was referring at least in CAPITAL SPENDING: part to claims after a similar report in A Drop in 1971 1964 that Berkeley was the best-balanced university in all fields. HarA Commerce Department-Securities vard was hurt on that score by relaand Exchange Commission (SEC) tively low ratings in the engineering joint statistical report backs up prefields. dictions by C&EN and others that capThe 1969 report avoids any direct ital spending by the chemical indusranking of institutions based on total try will fall this year. Commerce-SEC scores. The ratings in each field can pegs the drop at 5.6% below a 1970 be manipulated to put either Berkeley level of $3.46 billion. C&EN puts it or Harvard on top. Dr. Wilson noted at 5.0% under a $3.26 billion level. that Berkeley appeared among the top A survey by the Manufacturing five institutions in 32 of the 35 disChemists Association is more optimisciplines in which it was rated. Hartic. In its year-end report on the vard was rated among the top five in chemical industry MCA included a 27 of the 34 disciplines in which it poll of 32 of its chemical manufacturwas rated. ing members. About 50% of those Chicago, University of Michigan, surveyed expect capital expenditures Stanford, and Yale are other schools to be 1 to 5% higher this year than in appearing most frequently among the 1970. In 1970, according to Corntop five institutions in each of the rated disciplines. In chemistry, Harvard was given the top score for its reputation for faculty quality, followed in descending order among the top 10 schools by Caltech, Berkeley, and Stanford (equal scores), MIT, Illinois, UCLA, and a quartet of equal scores for Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, and Wisconsin. Wisconsin ranked first for faculty quality in chemical engineering. Minnesota ranked second among the top 10, followed by Berkeley, MIT, and Stanford (equal scores), Illinois and Princeton (equal scores), Michigan, Caltech, and Delaware. Chemical engineering and geology were the two fields in which Harvard was not ranked. The 1969 report will probably follow the 1964 survey in generating controversy on the validity of ranking universities on the basis of reputation. The authors of the 1969 report have made a further bid for controversy, however, by suggesting guidelines for Maurice Stans government policy on support of graduate education. They note, for inOptimistic about capital outlays
merce-SEC figures, CPI capital spending was 11.6% above 1969. Capital outlays by all U.S. business, according to the Commerce-SEC survey, will reach $81.7 billion this year, about 1.4% higher than in 1970. Industries joining the chemical industry in trimming capital spending include textiles (8.8%) and rubber (10.7%). Industries that plan to boost capital outlays include petroleum (4.8%) and nonferrous metals (5.5%). The Commerce-SEC figures are based on a survey conducted in late November and December of 1970. An earlier quarterly survey by the Government found businessmen planning to make capital investments in the first half of 1971 at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $81.8 billion. The two surveys together suggest little change in the rate of capital spending in the second half of 1971. Commerce Secretary Maurice Stans largely agrees. Commenting in a yearend statement, the Secretary said that capital spending will not show the kind of strength that will add buoyancy to the business expansion in 1971, but he is optimistic that "a pickup in capital spending may develop later in the year in response to rising outputs and profits."
NUCLEAR POWER:
Sharp Rebound The nuclear power industry rebounded sharply last year from a two-year slump, while other uses of radioisotopes continued to make healthy gains. Forecasters continue to predict that 150 million kw. or 22% of U.S. electrical power will be generated in nuclear-fueled plants by 1980. With about 85 million kw. of nuclear capacity on line, under construction, or on order, nuclear plant sales during the next four years will have to average 15 million kw. annually to hit the forecast—assuming six years to build a unit. Nuclear plant sales for 1970 exceeded the average, totaling 16.4 million kw. for 15 new units (including one in Puerto Rico) and accounted for one third of all steamelectric plant additions. The contract winners were General Electric (six), Combustion Engineering (four), Westinghouse (four), and Babcock & Wilcox (two). Units ordered in previous years totaled seven plants (7.2 million kw.) in 1969, 14 plants (13 million kw.) in 1968, and 30 plants (25 million kw.) in 1967, the record year. Rising fossil fuel costs are cited by the Atomic Industrial Forum as the prime reason for nuclear power's good showing in 1970. Although the capital cost per kilowatt in nuclear JAN. 11, 1971 C&EN
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THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK
plants runs up to $40 more than in a fossil-fueled plant, uranium fuel prices are and will be stable at about 20 cents per million B.t.u/s in the 1970's, AIF points out. For comparison, coal prices have jumped in the past few years from 28 cents to 45 cents or more per million B.t.u/s for low-sulfur coal. The industry still faces two adversaries, however—controversy over radioactive and thermal discharges, and delays in getting plants on line because of construction problems and protracted licensing proceedings. For the first time, two units were delayed from starting up by contested Atomic Energy Commission license hearings. The units are Northern States Power Co.'s unit at Monticello, Minn., and Consumers Power Co/s Palisades unit at South Haven, Mich. The Consumers Power unit is ready for startup, but the hearings are far from being over. The company estimates that it is losing $1 million a month due to the delay. Northern States Power's Monticello unit is currently running at 30% power for testing purposes and only an Atomic Energy Commission okay to go to full power is needed. All hearings have been completed. Although the nuclear power industry's $16 billion commitment for plants and fuel overshadows other atomic developments, nonpower uses of radioisotopes also made significant gains last year. For example, sales of radiopharmaceuticals increased 25% last year to $39 million, AIF estimates. Industrial uses of radiochemicals continued to expand at a more than 10% per year rate and AIF gages 1970 sales at $25 million. Last year 8 million people underwent nuclear diagnostic or therapeutic medical treatment, and a new use became apparent when an isotopically powered cardiac pacemaker was implanted in an Englishman.
CORPORATIONS:
Sale Between Gas Firms Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., plans to purchase the chemicals and plastics business of Air Reduction Co. (Airco). The agreement in principle reached by the two firms is complicated, but the value of the transaction could reach $30 million over an eightyear period. Airco said about a year ago that it had decided to sell its chemicals and plastics division. At that time, George S. Dillon, president of Airco, said that his firm was unable to supply the funds the division needed for expansion of 12 C&EN JAN. 11, 1971
production facilities. In 1970, the division had sales of about $37 million. It produces and distributes vinyl acetate, polyvinyl acetate, emulsions, polyvinyl alcohols, acetylenic chemicals, PVC resins and compounds, and fabricated plastic products. Under the agreement worked out by the two industrial gases companies, the acquisition will be made for
