h
INDUSTRY
A. Harm of Welsbach Corp. A n d , Welsbach is introducing a. n e w t y p e ozonator which it expects "will reduce investment costs 25%. Otli«r develop ments n o w under w a y may lower t h e price of ozone-making equipment even more and make it practical for "tons per day" plants. Trick*' though it m a y be? ozone al ready finds a place in indutstry. Cur rently, t h e largest ozone p»Iant is o n e Emery Industries has in Cincinnati. It turns out tonnage ozone *hat Emery uses to convert oleic acid to azelaic and pelargonic acids. Armour also has a pilot process under w a y fo>r oxidation of fatty acids. T h e ozone i s more specific than the chromic acdd formerly used. Upjohn has a process for rising ozone to oxidize certain steroids. Although larger than many ozone priants, it is small compared t o Emery's plant. Hann says that further developments will make it possible to bring t h e price for very large ozone plants down still more. H e predicts that s o m e d a y it may be economical to use o z o n e oxida tion for large-tonnage petrochemicals.
NW Pulp and Paper Group Pulp and paper compagnies in the Pacific Northwest are getting together to form a permanent researoh and edu cational organization, C a l l e d the Northwest Pulp and Paper Association, it will represent 16 companies w i t h 28 mills in the area. Better w a y s to handle ozone m a k e its future The group will h a v e thr^ee basic ob jectives: brighter as an oxidant in large-scale syntheses 1. To plan and carry out educational programs to acquaint the public with can also be used to desorb the ozone. the social, economic, and financial sig ο ZONE is TRICKY stuff to handle. It is If pure ozone is desired, applying a nificance of the pulp and p a p e r indus so active that traces of impurities are vacuum would remove ozone from th e try to t h e Pacific Northwest. likely to start violent reactions. Ozone solution. has a big potential as an oxidizing 2 . To sponsor and finamce scientific agent in industrial-scale syntheses, It's not practicable now to sell cylin research projects t o redu&e t h e effect however, and here's the outlook from ders of liquid ozone, but one possi of pulp and paper industry operations trie International Ozone Conference in bility would be to ship ozone adsorbed on air and water. Chicago last week: on silica gel for desorption at the 3 . To collect, study, anc3 publish in point of use. formation relating to the effect of pulp Ozone is made by passing oxygen Since handling ozone is not easy, and paper industry operaftions on air through an electric discharge. For most people make ozone where i t is to and water. chemical reactions, a stream containing be used, rather than to transport it. The association expects to sponsor 2 ozone in oxygen is normally used. But having an ozone generator adds to research studies i n cooperation with However, if fairly large quantities of 29fc ozone in oxygen are used, discard costs. However, need for a generator universities, colleges, and research or doesn't always put ozon 3 at a disad ganizations in its area. It says this will ing t h e unused oxygen may b e costly. vantage when compared t o other oxi supplement activities of ttte individual Putting i n equipment t o purify the dizing agents, such as chlorine. Wil companies in research a a d plant in "spent" stream so it can b e recycled son & Co., for example, wanted t o oxi stallations to improve water and air t o the ozonator may also b e expensive. dize diluted cyanide waste at its Salina, conditions in their operating areas. One out: separate the ozone from Kan., plant. Wilson found it would b e oxygen and transfer it to another car Companies participating: in t h e asso cheaper to put u p a n ozonator at the ciation to date include: rier. Columbia site rather than provide a railroad spur River Paper Mills, Oregon Pulp & Gerhard A. Cook, Linde Air Prod ucts, has taken a step in this direction and other equipment to handle chlo Paper, Crown Zelierbach, Fibreboard Products, Inland Empire P a p e r , Longand developed a small pilot plant for rine. ' O z o n e is cheaper than many com view Fibre, Publishers' Paper, Puget separating ozone and oxygen. T h e mon oxidizing agents n o w and, under Sound Pulp & Timber, Raryonier, Scott method: Silica gel adsorbs ozone from favorable conditions, i s e v e n as cheap Paper, Coos Bay Pulp, St. Hegis Paper, the oxygen mixture, and nitrogen or or cheaper than chlorine/' says Victor Simpson Paper, Western Kraft, W e s t argon then desorbs it. .Liquid solvents
This bank of Welsbach-built ozonators has been in operation at E m e r y Industries, Cincinnati, for several years converting oleic acid t o azelaic and pelargonic acids
Ozone Looks Up
DEC.
17,
1956
C8cEN
6173
INDUSTRY
Tacoma Newsprint, a n d Weyerhaeuser Timber.
Steel's Best Month A new steel-making record was m a d e in October when furnaces turned o u t 11 million tons of ingot and steel for castings. This first 11-million-ton month topped a series of weekly a n d monthly records set earlier in t h e year. By November t h e steel industry seemed headed t o w a r d the second most productive year in its history. I n dications pointed to a total raw steel output of about 114 million net tons, exceeded only by t h e record 117-million tons in 1955. T h e summer steel strike accounted for a loss of more than 11 million tons a n d k e p t this year's steel production from a n e w record. Shipments likewise seem to b e edg ing u p to a next t o record level at an estimated 83 million tons for t h e year. This is less than 2 million tons short of last year's 84.7-million-ton peak.
Heavy Water Shut Down
ANTI-SLIP COATINGS FOR CONTAINERS . . . another new use for Du Pont LUDOX® " L u d o x " c o l l o i d a l silica, o n e o f D u P o n t ' s m o s t versatile chemicals, is performing a n o t h e r vital service f o r industry. N o w , it's helping make m u l t i w a l l p a p e r bags a n d corrugated c a r t o n s safer a n d better-looking than e v e r , providing anti-skid characteristics a t very n o m i n a l cost. Bag a n d c a r t o n m a k e r s a r e coating smooth paper w i t h " L u d o x " — g e t excellent slip resistance and improved appearance. Moreover, s m o o t h p a p e r offers a far superior printing surface . . . makes labeling easier a n d the t o p coat of " L u d o x * ' minimizes ink s m e a r . Container coatings based o n " L u d o x " effectively increase surface
friction. T r e a t e d containers can be stacked solidly, safely. Versatile " L u d o x " has found many other novel uses in industry. It is well known for providing slip resistance in floor w a x e s . . . it reinforces latex foam rubbers . . . strengthens textile fibers . . . retards soiling of rugs, carpets and painted surfaces . . . is used to pre-coat photosensitive papers for bet ter contrast a n d a s a b o n d i n g agent for inorganic fibers. " L u d o x " m a y be the answer to p r o b l e m s in y o u r busi ness. W h y n o t write for m o r e infor mation today? E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. (Inc.) Grasselli Chemicals Department, Wilmington 9 8 , Delaware
«
*HEIP L U D O X
BETTER THINGS FOR BETTER LIVING . . . THROUGH CHEMISTRY
6174
C&EN
DEC.
COLLOIDAL
17,
1956
SILICA
D u Pont has started shutting down the Dana, Ind., heavy water plant. AEC has decided to discontinue its op eration a n d to place it in standby con dition. Shutting down t h e plant will re quire about nine months. First layoffs of t h e about 900 employees will begin
Ψ Bringing Plant Home Elmer H . Bobst, b o a r d chairman of Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical, for mally opens the n e w Lambert-Hudnut plant in his h o m e town of Lititz, Pa. Most of t h e operations of t h e new plant were formerly conducted in a loft build ing in Manhattan. At present 3 5 0 people, 90% from t h e Lititz area, are employed in the p l a n t ; this is expected to increase to 750 in a vear or two.
New Text «Is II
. 1
For Straight Through Flow, Less Pressure Drop.
& GLOBE VALVES
For Throttling Service. Controls Flow To Any Desired Degree.
GATE VALVES
For Straight Through Flow, Less Pressure Drop, \ LUBRICATED P l U G VALVES
For Quick Positive Shut-off.
^~-t\, ^ràV^ * v # ^
HORIZONTAL LIFT CHECK VALVES
For Pretention Of Back Flow * Through The Une.
NUCLEAR. VALVES >
**Y" VALVES
Combines Advantages , , ί-*>* Powell Can Supply^ ^ Η ^ ; X ^ - Of The Gate.^Special· Valves And Globe Valves. * * ?M^For Complex Problems^ -^» With Straight Line Flow. " * Facing Modern Industry« v^* ^
ANGLE VALVES
For Throttling Service. Eliminates Use Of Elbows And Extra Fittings.
M-y f l o w c o n t r o l p r o b l e m t h e r e i s α r i g h t Powell can supply this right valve—made right of the right material*. Every part of every valve must pass rigid inspection. And as a final step in manufacture, every Powell Valve has Performance Verified through an actual line test. As an aid in selecting the right valve, the basic valve designs are illustrated The W m . Powell
here. For complete information on the wide range of sizes and materials avail able in each type of the basic valves illus trated above, consult your Powell Valve distributor. If none is located near you— or if you have a special flow control prob lem—write direct to The Wm. Powell Company, Cincinnati 22, Ohio.
C o m p a n y , Cincinnati 2 2 , Ohio
Γ
Valvi
PERFORMANCE
D\/ Γ V VERIFIED
. HOfh YEAR
i
New Text •'BRONZE.
IRON.
STEEL
AND
CORROSION
RESISTANT
VALVES.
DEC.
17,
1956
C&EN
6175
INDUSTRY in early spring. AEC says a slow clo sure is planned to permit maximum re covery of heavy water in the plant ves sels and to assure preservation of equip ment. The plant is expected to be i n full standby condition late next year. This plant, which furnished the Srst heavy water for the production reactors at the Savannah River plant, vvas started in June 1950. Later, a similar unit was built at Savannah River, with the exception that more corrosion-re sistant materials were used. Botli plants have been run at capacity since
start-up. A E C says they have made sufficient heavy water for t h e initial charge of the Savannah River reactors plus a stockpile for possible emergen cies. AEC forecasts of water requirements indicate that only one of the plants will be needed during the next f e w years. The Dana plant was selected by AEC for shutdown because of the lower cost of producing heavy water at Savannah and the greater corrosion resistance of the Savannah equipment. D u Pont operates both plants.
the lowest cost material off construction'?
T o evaluate t h e economics o f titanium try i t where y o u have severe corrosion problems. Test and operating data indicate o u t s t a n d i n g performance i n contact with some o f the most troublesome industrial chemi c a l s — nitric acid, moist chlo rine, chlorinated organic or i n organic compounds, e t c . A s t o original cost o f titanium, per-pound price is n o t indica tive, since titanium weighs only 5 6 % a s much a s steel. Also, fabrication and other costs o f any equipment usually far out weigh t h e material costs. O n t h e basis of typical processing equipment which has been produced, t h e u s e of t i t a n i u m versus stainless steel increases
MALLORY
original cost b y a factor o f 3 . Where there are s u b s t a n t i a l savings in replacement and downtime, titanium quickly p a y s for itself. T i t a n i u m i n several cases h a s lasted u p t o 15 times longer t h a n c o n v e n tional materials. L e t us h e l p y o u e v a l u a t e t i t a nium. I t m a y well be t h e l o w e s t cost material of construction for your processing e q u i p m e n t . You can obtain Mallory-Sharon titanium a n d titanium a l l o y s in standard shapes—sheet, strip, rod, bar, wire, etc.—for equipment fabrication. F o r booklet on T i t a n i u m Corrosion Properties write D e p t . N - 5 . TYPICAL PRESENT APPLICATIONS OF TITANIUM Anodizing racks Condenser inserts Filters Heat exchangers
6176
C&EN
DEC. 17. 19 56
Impellers Piping Process vessels Steam jet diffusers
S HARON C O R P C R AT ! C N ,
Ν ! !_ Ε S
• Coastal Chemical has awarded a con tract to Fluor Corp. to design, engineer, and construct a phosphate fertilizer plant at Pascagoula, Miss. T h e plant will include a 75-ton-per-day phosrVVirkrir» o r » i r l
T»r»if- f**-»d 2 . 3^0-*" r » r »-'»^****-' : li* , l 3 r
granulated ammonium phosphate ferti lizer unit. Fluor says this will b e the first plant in the U . S. t o utilize t o St. Gobain phosphate fertilizer process, developed in France. Cost of the proj ect is about $2 million. ί General Dynamics has invited a limited number of California construc tion companies t o submit proposals to serve as the basis for negotiating a con tract for construction of t h e first units of General Atomic's John Jay Hopkins Laboratory in San Diego. T h e com pany expects to negotiate a contract with one of the firms this month and t o let subcontracting work on a bid basis.
wmiraiityjGSi Although known a s a highpriced metal, titanium is actu ally t h e l o w e s t - c o s t material available in a surprising number of applications. For titanium has exceptional resistance t o many corrosive media that severely attack other specialty metals.
Contracts · · ·
OHIO
• Anderson-Prichard Oil Corp., Okla homa City, has awarded a contract for the engineering, procurement, and con struction of a 3000-barrel-a-day pro pane deasphalting unit to Badger Mfg. Work at the Arkansas City, Kan., site is expected to b e completed late next year. The process is said to b e one of a n e w type and is licensed by Esso Re search & Engineering. • Fine Organics, Inc., has received two contracts to supply Foamwilt to both N e w York City and Nassau County for their sewage disposal plants. The com pany says that this foam control agent, for plants using the activated sludge aeration method, controls foam in a concentration of 0.5 p.p.m., not only killing off foam, but inhibiting its formation.
Laboratories . · . • St. Regis Paper is setting up an ad hesives laboratory at Pensacola to b e responsible for development, manufac ture, and quality of all its bag factory adhesives. In addition, it will furnish formulations, test reports, and technical service to St. Regis licensees. The company says that the lab is responsible for making adhesives on a scale which exceeds many paste-making operations of adhesive manufacturers—an average of 250,000 pounds of dry products and 100,000 gallons of finished adhesives a month. • Catalan plans a new lab at its Fords, N. J., plant. Its success in antioxidants and oil additives, fields it entered only recently, prompts the company to seek still further diversification by develop ing special chemicals. T h e lab will „*. 3- ~r ~ u~u: w iii,v« ^^n—v w o t u p w a i u o υ ι a. i x a u m i i u v i n
viuuaia.
