Phthalic Price Up on Rising Costs Most producers quoting anhydride at 19 cents; crude naphthalene in short supply After a year of uncertainties and depressed prices, phthalic anhydride has been moved up 1 cent by four manufacturers to 19 cents per pound for the flake material in carloads. One producer, Reichhold Chemicals, advanced its quotation as much as 2 cents to 23 cents. The four who went to 19 cents: American Cyanamid, Witco, Koppers, and Pittsburgh Coke. Reichhold's action led to much eyebrow raising in the industry. The company's only explanation, however, was that the increase was due to high raw material costs beyond its control (C&EN, July 4, page 17). Amoco chemicals, which caused some dismay in 1959 when it knocked the price of phthalic down to IT 1 /2 cents, moved its price up to I8V2 cents. Effective date for the new phthalic prices is July 1. Two manufacturers who had previously advanced prices to 19 cents, Allied Chemical and Monsanto, held the line at that level. The raw materials which are bringing grief to phthalic manufacturers are domestic coal tar and imported crude naphthalene. The supply position for both has once more become critically short. Some improvement took place early this year in domestic naphthalene on the resumption of steel production following last year's strike; more recently, however, steel operations have again fallen off. Recently steel plants have operated at only about 50% of capacity. At the start of the year the operating rate was better than 9 5 % . Foreign naphthalene suppliers, U.S.S.R. and West Europe, meanwhile are finding more chemical uses for their naphthalene and sending much less to the U.S. Russia is the supplier which upset the apple cart this year, says one phthalic processor. During the first three months of 1960, he contends, naphthalene imports fell off to around 14 million pounds, against approximately 24 million during the same time in 1959, with the U.S.S.R. accounting for most of the decline. Domestic crude naphthalene prices, reflecting this tight supply position, are up by about 1 cent per pound to 6 cents.
Sinclair Completing Chemical-Petroleum Barge • Sinclair Oil soon will be barging combination loads of petrochemicals and finished petroleum products up the Mississippi in this 250-foot barge. The barge, Sinclair PetroChem No. 1, is nearing completion at the Decatur, Ala., shipyard of Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp. It is designed specifically for shipping xylenes from Sinclair's Houston, Tex., refinery to Du Pont's Old Hickory, Tenn., plant. Along the way, it will unload heating oil, kerosine, and gasoline. It can haul 546,000 gallons of chemicals in its centerline tanks and 504,000 gallons of petroleum products in five port and five starboard tanks.
California to Study Pesticide Residues Governor names 15-man committee to develop ''clear, consistent" policy California joins the ranks of states studying the use of agricultural chemicals in food production. Governor Edmund G. Brown has named a 15man committee to survey its public policy with regard to agricultural chemicals. He asked for a report before Jan. 1. He created the committee, Gov. Brown said, because of public concern over pesticides and chemical residues in food products. He pointed out that considerable confusion has arisen over the whole matter of pesticides and chemical residues since the federal ban on cranberries last Thanksgiving. "We need a clear, consistent, firmly established public policy on the matter," Gov. Brown declared, adding that legislation may be needed. The new Special Committee on Public Pol-
icy Regarding Agricultural Chemicals is composed of representatives from farm, food packer, and medical groups and California's state government and universities. There is no representative of agricultural chemical manufacturers on the committee. Chairman is Dr. Emil M. Mrak, formerly professor of food technology and microbiology at the University of California and now chancellor of the Davis campus of the university. Other members are: Dr. Charles E. Hine, toxicologist of the City and County of San Francisco, and pharmacology professor, University of California medical school. Louis A. Rozzoni, president of the California Farm Bureau. George A. Gooding, California Packing Corp. Dr. Elwyn Turner, Santa Clara County's health officer. Dr. Clinton Thiene, toxicology professor, University of Southern California school of medicine. Dr. Daniel Aldrich, dean, college of agriculture, and member, state Board of Agriculture. Dr. Ralph C. Teall, vice chairman JULY
11, 1960
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