Society of
PLASTICS INDUSTRY Meets in Chicago CHARLES J. CUNNEEN Assistant Editor
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
Stuart D. Douglas, head o i plastics research, Carbide and Carbon Chemicals, winner of the John Wesley Hyatt gold medal and $1,000 for his work on vinyl resins, examines an ir rigation bas with Carl S. Marvel, President-Elect. AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, who presented the award at the Society of Plastics Industry meeting in Chicago, May 1 1 . A SPIRIT of guarded optimism pervaded ** the Annual Plastics Conference of the Society of the Plastics Industry at the Edgewater Beach Hotel, Chicago, May 11 and 12. The optimism sprang from new uses, mothered by the necessity of finding substitutes for rubber and other vital ma terials in some cases, and low costs due to the sharp upswing i n production. The brakes of conservatism were applied by the realistic appraisal that many materials will be back in competition when peace comes again and the industry may find it self with an overproduction problem. An early highlight of t h e full program was the presentation of the John Wesley Hyatt Award a t α luncheon meeting to Stuart Douglas, head of Plastics Re search, Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corp., for his work o n vinyl resins. The annual award carries, in addition to the gold medal, $1,000 i n cash. The presen tation was made by Carl S. Marvel, Presi dent-Elect SOCIETY.
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The forward-iooking portion of the pro gram was featured b y J. J. Pyle, General Electric Co., whose paper, "Recent De velopments and Their Effects on the Plas tics Industry", told the story of what is happening both from a research and manu facturing standpoint, and outlined the probable results when normal production is again resumed. He admitted that "what percentage of synthetic rubber production will continue after the war was anybody's guess". The
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same guess could be applied to the number of styrene plants that would remain. However, he foresaw a relatively large quantity of monomeric styrene available for plastics manufacture. He pointed out that styrene prices have already started to drop and declared that 18 to 22 cents per pound for polystyrene was not be yond the realm of possibility. Production of vinyls, particularly vinyl chloride polymers and copolymers, have increased sixfold within four years from approximately 18,000,000 pounds to 108,000,000 pounds. "Unofficial sources have estimated the cost of vinyl chloride monomer at 6 to 8 cents per pound", he declared. "And al though the companies making the esti mate are not manufacturing vinyl chloride at present, they have looked into the matter to a considerable extent and are keeping a close eye on developments." The acrylates and polyvinyl acetals have also undergone heavy expansion. However, the chemistry of the manufac turing process of the monomers probably will not permit price reductions similar to those expected for styrene and vinyl chlo ride. Among new uses which hold bright promise for the postwar period are the use of filled or unfilled cast resins for dies and jigs; use of resins to increase wet tensile strength of papers; and the use of poly vinyl alcohol, urea-formaldehyde resins, and vinylite for printing. Dr. Pyle pointed out that research was
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continually adding to "materials that should prove a boon t o t h e plastic indus try. One material, not y e t in production, possesses mechanical properties equal to or just slightly less than polystyrene, good clarity, excellent electrical properties, a certain degree of fire resistance, and a heatdistortion point under standard conditions of 105 ° to 110 ° C. The material now sells for many times the cost of standard poly styrene. A second material has been developed by the copolymerization o f a new mono mer and "probably styrene". A third product in this category has electrical properties approximating those of poly styrene (power factor of 0.Ο0Ό6 to 0.001 a* compared to 0.0001 t o 0.O003) and heat distortion points up t o 165° C. Unfor tunately, the impact strengths vary from 10 to 25 per cent of polystyrene, the price it· high, and the resin is opaque. Still other materials in the process of development, have distortion and fusing points so high it is impossible t o mold them below the decomposition tempera tures. Further chemical modification will undoubtedly effect a compromise among these properties and characteristics. Under present conditions, demand for improved characteristics bas accelerated the development of new and improved materials without very much emphasis on cost. After the war, costs will again be come a prominent factor, with other mate rials entering competition. Availability and distribution of plastic* was discussed by Grayson W. Wilcox, as sistant chief, Plastics Branch, Chemical Bureau, War Production Board. Mr. Wilcox explained that while the total sup-
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ply of individual plastics materials has, in some cases, changed markedly, the over-all availability for each end use has remained relatively unchanged during the past six months. The phenolics, ureas, and polystyrene today depend upon the supply of benzol and methanol; and the projected requirements of these materials matched against supply give reasonable assurance that the end use coverage can be maintained practically unchanged for sonie time. Methylmethacrylate has eased slightly, but probably must bo maintained at present end use levels for some time because of raw materials required for its manufacture. The vinyls are still extremely critical, but by careful distribution it is hoped to maintain the same end use coverage which has existed for some time, and by paring down working inventories in the hands of processors and by reduction of some end use programs, to bring the industry through this critical period- The plasticizer situation is also acute, with the result that only direct war goods justify the use of diethyl and dimethyl which arc most desirable for this purpose. In describing the methods used to maintain production, Mr. Wilcox went back to the early history of the WPB when it was recognized that the chemical industry was so complex that it was impossible to depend upon preference ratings for any equitable distribution of its products. Time and time again, when the demand for a material exceeded the supply by 5 per cent or even less, the inflation which inevitably crept into the demand made the shortage appear considerably greater than it actually was. In the fall of 1942, the phenolic resin picture was scrambled. Thé WPB then proposed direct allocation of these resins, much to the consternation of many people in the industry. A few months later,, the urea resin supply and demand began to show up as badly as the phenolics. However, M-331 placed these resins under direct allocation to end use, and within three months all applications were being allowed in full, with practically no change in the total supply. While WPB's primary responsibility is the manufacture of products contributing to the war effort, considerable thought is given to planning for the reconversion of the plastic industry to a peacetime basis when conditions warrant. Probably as war procurement i s out back» certain civilian products will be allowed, such as the electric iron program which has been announced. There is no limitation order to hamper conversion except on cellulose nitrate and cellophane, and allocation orders are flexible enough to make it a simple matter to transfer material authorizations from torpedoes to toys. Ε. Μ* Houts, allocations officer, Chemi cals Bureau, WPB, lauded the industry for its contribution to the war effort. No one branch of the fighting forces rates top V O L U M E
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J. J. Pyle. General Electric, delivered a paper on "Recent Developments and Their Effects upon the Plasties IndustryM at the SPI conference. Grayson W. Wilcox, Chemicals Bureau of the War Production Board, discussed the functions of the plastics section of his bureau.
billing as principal recipient of the benefits of the plastics industry. The turret of a plane is no more important than the infan tryman's pistol clip, or the electric con trolling device that fires the big guns or sends the torpedo crashing through the water. Bomb fuses, gas mask lenses, but tons for coats, flares, rockets, ignition parts, brake linings, and countless other items are representing the industry on the battlefronts. Frank W. Preston, Preston Laborato ries, Butler, Pa., delivered a paper on "Combinations of Plastic and Glass Fi bers". While he bowed in the direction of the Matériel Command, U. S. Army Air Forces, Wright Field, which developed glass-reinforced plastics for structural parts of aircraft paralleling the work done
in the research laboratories of the OwensIllinois Fiberglas Corp., he believes that the dormant possibilities are still tremendous. He said : In plastics reinforced with glass fibers» we have a material with very high strength. And the strength is likely to go much higher as we learn more about it. This great strength is combined with a very low weight, much below aluminum, so that the strength to weight ratio is very favorable. Plastic-glass laminates lend themselves to slender forms, to light weight construction, to rounded contours, sweeping and reversed curves, and to streamlining generally. We are coming to a time when relatively gigantic machines, comparable to those of the steel mills, will fabricate some plastic elements. But that time still lies ahead. We first have to fabricate by less costly
Frank W . Preston, left, of Preston Laboratories, Butler, Pa., delivered a paoer on signifi cance of New Date on Combinations of Plastic and Glass Fibers". Right. L. H · A m t t n · , Im perial Molded Product», who delivered address of welcome and presided *Λ opening tension. ·
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ozone aping resistance make Geon plastics useful m cable jacketing, garden hose, protective clothing, and many other articles exposed to weathering. A second important quality of these plastics is their resistance to corrosive agents, an impressive example of this being the ability of hard Geon stock to withstand aqua regia at 150° F. for 30 days without deterioration. The corrosive-resistant qualities of Geon are utilized in battery separator sheets, linings for acid tanks, coatings for plating racks, and in baby pants.
George Scribner, president of SPI, in a talk on "Informative Labeling" urged technical committee to simplify nomenclature of plastics wé advertise by group names. Preston Bradley, Chicago clergyman, author, and radio commentator, spoke on What We Are Facing Today .
means, and learn how to produce large elements—say the whole body of a canoe or rowboat, the fuselage or wings of a plane, the body of an automobile, a table or chair, and many other things, with a maximum of strength and a minimum of weight. An entire new family of polyvinyl resins, known as Geon resins, developed by the newly created Chemical Division of The B. F. Goodrich Co. was described by M. Scott Moulton, technical engineer on plastics materials for the laboratoryAfter mentioning its use in connection with Hycar-OR, the butadiene-acrylonitrile synthetic rubber, which will be described in a forthcoming article in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, he described the place of the Geon resins in connection with plastics as follows: In the conversion of these resins to usable plastic compositions, the formulating ingredients can be added either in a Banbury mixer or by use of a regular rubber mill. In the latter case, time can be saved by premixing the batch ingredients in a dough mixer. The plastics can be compression- or injection-molded at operating temperatures of 310° to 375° F., and they can be made into tubing, channels, etc., using either a regular plastics extruder or a rubber extruder. At the present time the greatest part of polyvinyl resin production is being used for military wire insulation, the application being principally by the extrusion method. The feed chamber of the plastics extruder should be maintained at a minimum of 280° F. If a rubber extruder is used, the temperature of the stock at the time of feeding should be 350° to 375° F. Stock temperatures on exit should be between 350° and 375° F. Simple cooling, usually by water immersion, completes the job. . Frictioned and coated fabrics or sheeted stocks of about 0.003 and 0.035 inch thickness may be prepared by the use of a calender. When lesser gages are desired the use of resin solutions and spreading equipment or film-casting machines is recommended. In the spread coating of fabrics, solutions containing up to 40% total solids are employed. A dipping process using solutions of 10 to 12% concentration is recommended when thinner coats are desired or finer 912
fabrics such as marquisette are involved. Methyl ethyl ketone is the most commonly used solvent, but other ketones such as cyclohexanone, methyl isobutyl ketone, or mixtures, are sometimes preferred. The heat sealing of these films or coated materials can be accomplished in any of the standard equipment designed for this purpose. Temperatures ranging from 275* to 320° F. are used. The outstanding properties of the vinyl chloride type resins, which contribute to their versatility, include virtually perfect resistance to deterioration on aging, except at elevated temperatures, say 375 F. and up. Among the vinyl resins Geon is noteworthy in its heat resistance. That moderate heat is not injurious is evidenced by the fact that in electrical insulation the resistance to heat aging allows cables to carry heavy electrical loads with smaller sizes of conductors. The sunlight and
Another new material announced at the meeting was "Polyfibre", developed by The Dow Chemical Co. It is a thermoplastic fiber, and was introduced to the industry in a paper presented by W. C. Goggin, manager, and R. R. Bradshaw, molding engineer, of Dow. Its properties permit of several important departures from other polystyrene materials, according to its developers. For instance, low-pressure bag molding of large thermoplastic polystyrene parts is practical with the new material. Inexpensive molding equipment may be used. Large moldings of controlled specific gravity ranging up to 1.05 may be made Controlled specific gravity gradients throughout the molding are possible. Greatly improved impact strengths may be obtained. New low dielectric constants are available, and directional strength properties may be controlled. George Scribner, president of the society, in a paper on "Informative Labeling" urged that the industry sell plastics according to their group name rather than under the general term "Plastic". He said : CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 5 0
Colonel Ufa M . Sarayev, U.S.S.R. military attache', spoke on "The Russian front Today" at closing banquet of Plastics meeting. Right Elmer Ë. Mills, Elmer E. Mills Corp., toastmaster. C H E M I C A L
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Society o( Plastics Industry (CONTINUED FBOM PAOB 912)
At the present time, we talk about cellulose acetate butyrate plastics, or methyl-methacrylate plastics. I would suggest that the Technical Committee give serious consideration to simplifying these names and agree that cellulose acetate butyrate shall henceforth be labeled "Butyrate Plastics" and that methylmethacrylate plastics henceforth be labeled either "Acrylic Plastics" or "Acrylate Plastics". I believe that we should talk simply of "Styrene" and not of "Polystyrene". In this way, we will be giving the public names that they can easily pronounce and carry in their memories. A weighty and informative paper on "Polyethylene, A New Dielectric for Cables" was presented by Hugh C. Crafton, Jr., research chemist, and Harry B. Slade, research engineer for The Okonite Co. The subject of insulating plastics was further discussed by A. J. Monack, chief engineer, Mycalex Corp. of America, Clifton, N. J., who described the "Properties and Applications of Mycalex". The Technical Committee Report discussed the handbook for which its members are gathering material. It will be a loose-leaf manual discussing products and research projects being carried on in relation to plastics. As new products, processes, and applications are developed, a
new sheet will be distributed to members of the society, so that the handbook may be kept up to date, without the necessity of *a new edition. Date of publication may be available at the fall meeting. More than 950 members of the plastics industry journeyed to Chicago for the conference, and many more overflowed the spacious Grand Ballroom of the Edgewater Beach Hotel for the closing banquet. The speakers were Colonel Ilia M. Sarayev, military attaché, U.S.S.R., who discussed "The Russian Front To-day", and Preston Bradley, author and radio commentator. George K. Scribner, president, Boonton Molding Co., Boonton, N. J., was reelected president of the society; M. M. Makeever, president, Makalot Corp., Boston, was made vice president, succeeding Howard S. Bunn, manager, Carbide & Carbon Chemical Corp.; and James M. Neal was elected secretary-treasurer, succeeding H. H. Wanders, Northern Industrial Chemical Co., Boston. Ronald Kinnear, Niagara Insul-Bake Specialty Co., remains as chairman of the board. N e w directors elected were: Κ. Η. Braithwaite, DuPlate Canadian, Ltd., Oehawa, Ont., who is also chairman-eiect
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of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Canadian Section; N . A. Backecheider, Recto Molded Products Co., Cincinnati; Neal O. Broderson, Rochester Button Co., Rochester, N . Y . ; George H. Clark, The Formica Insulating Co. ; Ernest Halbach, The Bolta Co.; Elmer E. Mills» Elmer E. Mills Corp.; Roy I·. Peat, Plastic cV Die Cast Products Corp. ; F. G. Schranz, Baldwin Southwark Division, Baldwin Locomotive Works; and Paul Tietz, The Richardson Co.
Textile Research Institute Purchases Princeton Property The Morton Estate at Princeton, N. J.. has been purchased by the Textile Research Institute, Inc. The fundamental research phase of the institute's program will be the first to move to the new property. Graduate training will also be centered there, as the property has appropriate rooms for a library, conferences, and study. The applied research i s expected t o be started shortly in laboratories to bo leased from the Princeton Engineering School; work will be conducted there as -well as with the use elsewhere of such specialized facilities as may be needed. Later, the applied research will probably be housed in an additional building on the Morton property. Location of headquarters for economic research and information service will be determined later. As soon as the necessary changes can be made in the building, the fundamental research activities of the Textile Foundation, now located at the Bureau of Standards, 4 Washington, D. C , will be boused here and will continue under the direction of Milton Harris, director of fundamental research for both the foundation and the institute. The administrative offices of the Textile Research Institute continue to be located at 10 East 40th St., New York. Ν. Υ .
Textile Schools Cooperating with Veterans Administration E. W. Camp, dean of the Department of Textile Engineering, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn, Ala., who was elected president of the National Council of Textile School Deans at its· recent spring meeting, has announced the appointment of a commit tee to cooperate with officials of the Veterans Administration charged with direction of the educational features of the rehabilitation program. The committee consists of Charles H. Eames. chairman, Lowell Textile Insti tute; W. D . Fales, Textile School, Rhode Island School of Design; Malcolm E . Camp bell, North Carolina State College Textile School; and Richard S. Cox, Philadelphia Textile Institute.
Chicago Chemists Club Officers
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At the May 12 meeting of the Chicago Chemists Club, the following officers were eleoted to serve for the year 1944-45: presi dent, R. R. Burtner; 1st vice president, L. 0. Hill; 2nd vice president, R. N . DuPuis; secretary, Herman Kerst, Jr.; treasurer, E . C. Leamon; trustee t o 1947, A. Schroder.
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