Relation of the Dyestuff Industry to Other
Industries IVAN GUBELRIANN E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Inc. Wilmirigton, Del.
benzene and aniline and a few other intermediates. We also made trinitrotoluene, an explosive. The manufacture of alkaloids by the extraction of vegetable raw materials had also been well established before the war. We had two organic chemical industries svhich were created by American chemists-phenolic synthetic resins and nitrocellulose plastics. Certain rubber companies had become research-conscious long before the war but did not proceed far in the production of organic chemicals. Many of these industries which had been established over a period of years had the best opportunities to apply their knowledge to the manufacture of a more evtended line of organic chemicals, and especially to the manufacture of the much-needed intermediate products. In those busy years starting with 1915, almost any chemical of reasonable purity could be sold a t a high price. Scant knowledge in organic chemistry was possessed by the technical and operating perbonnel, and the salesman who came around to offer a few products for sale was barely able to pronounce their names. During those yeara the ability t o produce was most important. Many of the simpler dyestuffs and products were made in amounts far out of proportion to the normal requirement, simply because the more coinplicated dyestuffs n-ere not available. There was some hesitation in the industry a t the close of the war, but im-
INTERIOROF RUBBERM I L L W H E R E RUBBER-CO~TED F.4BRICs ARE MADE
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ROM the standpoint of profit, the establishment of an American dyestuff industry did not look particularly attractive a t the beginning of the World War. The yearly dyestuff consumption just prior to the war amounted perhaps to 20 to 25 cents per capita (4). It was made up of many small items, the manufacture of which did not appeal to the -4merican business man accustomed t o large-scale production. Furthermore, there were many other opportunities for profitable investment of capital involving less hazard. It was the textile industry’s persistent demand for action and the absolute necessity of making the country independent of foreign dyestuffs, combined with the prospect of a t least temporary profit, that started American chemical manufacturers in this business. America did produce some dyestuffs from imported intermediates before the war. We also manufactured certain pharmaceutical products, again largely from imported raw materials. p-Acetophenetide or phenacetin was made from imported p-phenetidine. Phenolphthalein was made from imported phthalic anhydride and phenol. Saccharin was macle from imported o-toluenesulfonamide. The manufacture of salicylic acid and salicylates was fairly well established. We made comparatively small amounts of nitro-
Activity in the manufacture of organic chemicals before, during, and after the war are briefly discussed. The accomplishments and problemsofthe dyestuff industry during the last fourteen years are pointed out. The nation’s net dyestuff bill in 1933 was about 40 cents per capita. Through the establishment of the dyestuff industry, many organic chemicals, serving as intermediate products for dyestuffs, became available to other industries. Research by the dyestuff, pharmaceutical, rubber, and petroleum companies resulted in many new uses for organic chemicals. Charts are presented to show the chemical relation618
niediately after there n as a gain feverish activity. Plants used for the production of huge n ar requireinelits of chemicals, such as phenol, were coiir-erted into dyestuff plants. At the close of 1920 the industry v a s hard hit by the depression, was left n ith a tremendous overproduction of certain products, and had little knon ledge or experience in the manufacture of the fa+ter colors, especiallv anthraquinone and thioindigo dyeatuffs. The industry became conscious of the fact that quality n-ould have to be emphasized more and rr>oreif the industry TT as to surm-e. I n 1920 the country had produced 88,200,000 (1) pounds of corresponding to an dyes M ith a value of about S95,600,000, average of $1.08 per pouiid. It was obvious also that costs had to be reduced in order to bring the country’s dyestuff bill better in line with the cost of other commodities. Then came those dark days of 1921 when the investing public and the bankers had almost completely lost faith in our industry. This pe-siiiiisni spread far beyond the dyestuff industry; it reached other branches of the organic chemicals industry, including the pharmaceutical business which had shown good earnings prior to the Tar. The industry had clearly overexpanded, had been overcapitalized, and had maladjusted manufacturing facilities. The financial losses suffered made new appropriations for equipment and research difficult, especially in view of the rumors that European producers would soon swamp the country x i t h all necessary dyestuffs, and a t prices nliich Tould niean great 1o:ses to the American induhtry. It took (courage in those days to ask for an appropriation of a few thousand dollars for equipment or research. During the last fourteen years the industry has made real progress. One of the outatanding accomplishments has been the establishment of ai1 anthraquinone dyestuff industry, the beginnings of which date back to 1919. Our coal-tar distillation plants did not produce cheap anthracene, which abroad is used for the procluction of aiithraquinoiw. One of the American dyeatuff producers imported crude aiithracene, purified it by crystallization from pyridine, and oxidized the purified product to anthraquinone by the Tell-known chromic acid method. Another company undertook the nianufacture of anthraquinone hy the same method but recovered chromic acid by reoxidizing the waste liquors electrolytically. S o n e of these attempts resulted in the permanent establishment of the manufacture of anthraquinone from anthracene. The first synthetic anthraquinone n-as probably made commercially in 1920. I n 1924 it became evident that the method starting from anthracene would probably be abandoned, aiid in 1925 the production of pure
DEPHLEGMATISG TOWER .&T
OIL
REFINING F’L.4YT
anthracene had declined materially in comparison--ith previous year:. Fortunately, plitlialic anhydride had become a1 ailable at a rea5onable price which permitted the economical production of anthraquinone aiid its derivatives by the Friedel-Crafts reaction over benzoylbenzoic acid. The men who have been respondde for the development of a cheap source of phthalic anhpdricle deherre a grwt deal of credit for this accomplishment. The synthetic route ha3 since been generally uqed and improved upon to such a degree that the production from anthracene is unlikely to prove more economical in the future unless a cheap wpply of domestic anthracene should become available. In this respect our anthraquinone color industry differs from the industry abroad where anthraquinone from anthracene is being used to a large extent. Many anthraquinone derivatires must be made over synthetic routes and cannot be made from anthraquinone. Furthermore, some of the latest vat colors made abroad must start from synthetic-route materials such as dibenzopyrenequinone and anthanthrone, n-hich indicates that anthraquinone itself is becoming relatively less and less important as a starting material for vat colors. Until 1926 many of the dyestuff-producing planth oprrated either a t a loss or with very little profit. It was a period of tearing down, of building up again, and of spending large sums of money for research. Yields, operating technic, and chemical apparatus were improved step by step, whic-h resulted in great economiey as indicated by the continued drop of prices for intermediates and finished products. Xew products were added in great numbers, among them many new fast-to-light direct azo colors and the vat colors of the thioindigo group. We were moving gradually closer to the ideal of establishing a self-contained American dyestuff industry; this period of 1921-26 was the most constructive in its history.
ship of these organic chemicals used by many industries and the intermediates used by the dyestuff industry. The manufacture of these organic chemicals is now an important activity of‘ the dyestuff industry. Their use extends to almost every industry and enters into almost every phase of national life. The saving of‘labor in.c.olved in the use of these “labor-saving organic chemicals” is more than offset by the increased use of the lower priced conimodities. The establishment of the organic chemicals industry has been a valuable contribution to national life and has strengthened national defense tremendously. 619
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