THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK
Data in the FPC report don't present the complete natural gas situation, but they are nonetheless quite representative. The data are compiled from reports filed with the commission by 95 natural gas companies. At the end of 1968, the interstate pipeline companies controlled 72.4% of the gas reserves and 68.6% of the production reported by the American Gas Association, revised to put data on a comparable basis. Specifically, the FPC report shows that 64 of the 95 companies control in-the-ground reserves of different amounts. During 1968, these companies made revisions and additions to reserves of 9.4 trillion cu. ft.; production and purchases took 12.8 trillion cu. ft. Remaining reserves at the end of 1968 were thus 198.7 trillion cu. ft., a net decline of 3.4 trillion from 1967 reserves. The FPC reports from 1963 through 1968 show the lopsided trends. During the period, production increased by 32.9%—5.9%? compounded annually. Reserve inventory, however, increased by 3.5%—0.7% annually. The report also notes the increasing amount of natural gas imports. Six companies reporting imports from Canada and Mexico (of 10 authorized to import) brought in 609 billion cu. ft. in 1968, 93%? of total gas imports for the year, FPC says. The 1968 imports were a sizable increase over the 529 billion cu. ft. imported by the six in 1967. At the same time, exports of four companies to Canada and Mexico came to 85 billion cu. ft., 91%? of total exports in 1968.
TIRES:
Without Cord or Ply The current hassle in the tire industry over what types of construction and cord material are best for passenger car tires may well become academic if a tire-making process developed by Firestone Tire & Rubber becomes widely used. In the process, which is still in the development stage, tires are made by squirting hot liquid rubber into a mold—and the resultant tire has no tire cord nor plies and is uniform throughout. Tires made by the casting method are being tested on fleets in Akron and at the company's testing tracks at Fort Stockton, Tex. Firestone says these tires generally meet specifications set for conventional tires by the Department of Transportation, and in many properties—durability and high-speed performance, for example—they are superior. This is the "smoothest riding tire ever," comments Dr. Glen Al-
liger, Firestone director of laboratories. The process is the result of a project that Dr. Alliger began 10 years ago in the company's research laboratories. For the past five years a research team led by Ward Smith, assistant director of research, has concentrated on developing the process. "We have gone far enough to realize this represents a revolution in the design and manufacturing of tires," Dr. Alliger says. Commercial production is still several years away, he points out, probably sometime between 1975 and 1980. However, he emphasizes that this is the direction tire production at Firestone is heading. "It's only a question of time," he says. The process has all the elements of a chemical process, which is generally highly automated, Dr. Alliger remarks. On a commercial scale, tires could be made exclusively by machines, eliminating today's laborious and costly hand fabrication methods. Firestone prefers to keep the composition of the tire material proprietary, saying only that the casting process uses "improved" high-modulus synthetic rubber compounds. Actually, Dr. Alliger adds, a number of different rubbers can do the job. However, he points out that widespread use of the new process would not drastically modify the current elastomer raw material supply situation for the tire industry. This likely means that butadiene, either as polybutadiene or as a copolymer, plays an important part in the new tires. One rubber that probably won't be present in the tires, Dr. Alliger says, is natural rubber. In addition to putting the skids to the multimillion-dollar nylon, rayon, polyester, and glass fiber tire cord industries by eliminating the need for tire cords and plies, Firestone's process could seriously alter today's carbon black picture. Colored tires can be made by the process by adding the desired dye to the liquid rubber. This could mean that carbon black is not a necessary additive. If noncoloring reinforcement pigments are used, silica will likely be the prime material. Without air in them, the cast tires are especially superior to today's conventional tires of any construction in load-bearing capacity, Dr. Alliger notes. He describes one test in which the tires were shot full of holes, then driven on for 50 miles. Most conventional tires would come off the wheel rim after a short distance under the same conditions. Although normal inflation of the cast tires is about 24 p.s.i., the tires are "structurally strong enough to support a nearnormal load without air," he says.
FDA:
Showing Muscle The new Food and Drug Commissioner is determined to give the oftbesieged agency a new look. In a message to FDA staffers made public 11 days ago, Dr. Charles C. Edwards, who took the helm last December, spelled out some ambitious goals and objectives for the agency. Reorganization carries top priority with Dr. Edwards. Though he gave few details, he said that reorganization will closely follow the recommendations of a study conducted by Deputy Under Secretary Frederick V. Malek. The Malek Report, released last December, identified "major problem areas" that Dr. Edwards said will be eliminated: ineffective organization, inadequate mechanism for topmanagement planning, inefficient use of personnel, and little forewarning to top management of "crises" items. Dr. Edwards said that FDA will
FDA's Edwards Ambitious goals and objectives
sometimes regulate out of commerce suspect products on the basis of demonstrated doubt, and will not regulate them back until science has allayed those doubts. FDA's medical and scientific capabilities will have to be expanded and improved, he said. This will include greater use of out-house scientific expertise and strengthened in-house scientific resources. He is anxious to "get on" with the review of the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list of food additives. To help him decide how to handle this and other issues he has set up an in-house council for advice on science problems and priorities. There must be one standard for all drugs in the market place, he said, adding that the law and present regulatory approach are leading toward a double, if not triple standard for safety and efficacy of drugs. FEB. 2, 1970 C&EN
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