The Editor looks u t .
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I/EC FEBRUARY 1957
Lard 1s Coming Back. Every housewife knows that lard for a while took second place when compared to hydrogenated vegetable shortening, in several respects. Chemical technology has solved some of these problems. This month’s Staff-Industry Report is the story of P&G’s successful answer to increasing the plastic range of lard. A Real Advance in Pulverizing Equipment. Some of the data from evaluation of a new type of spin mill are classified, but enough are available to indicate the possibilities of this mill which doesn’t grind slowly, but does grind exceeding small. For “fine” chemicals which must be ground finer, but must not be affected by heat or oxidation during the grinding, or contaminated by the grinding equipment, Tanner’s spin mill developed at Fort Detrick, Md., should be considered. Knowledge of Behavior Needed. Catalyst manufacture is a major industry. Desirable qualities of a solid catalyst depend on a multitude of factors, each influenced to a degree by how the catalyst is made. Eleven articles in this issue cover laboratory and plant preparation of catalysts, and the many factors that affect catalyst activity.
Catalysts-More
Simpler, Less Expensive Methods for Cortisone Production still challenge industry. Merck selected Discorea tubers, native to Guatemala, as the best source of diosgenin, steppingstone to cortisone, and presents a simple method for isolating highly purified diosgenin. Acid hydrolysis of the tubers and selective extraction with hydrocarbon solvents give a technique Merck considers superior to present conventional methods.
Spray Systems have a wide use distribution in the chemical and related industry-spray drying of foods, prilling of ammonium nitrate, various solvent extraction problems are among the applications. There’s an important distribution angle to the systems themselves-the distribution of drop size. Ranz and Hofelt at Penn State have come up with a standard test method for drop size determination. Esters of Fluoroalcohols have some interesting possibilities because of exceptional properties. More material is needed for evaluations. This calls for simpler methods, and esterification of fluoroalcohols has always been considered difficult. By proper selection of solvents and solvent combination, the Naval Research Laboratory has esterified with a variety of acid catalysts. Industrial Wastes Disposal I s a Never-Ending Study. Oxidation of organic materials by acclimated microorganisms continues to be a subject of prime interest to petrochemical plants. I n a study of 23 compounds frequently found in these wastes, work done at the Southwest Research Institute shows the importance of studying oxidation patterns of each compound individually.
if You’ve Followed News Stories on Atomic Power, you know that there’s considerable discussion of safety problems with breeder reactors. There are many other angles to successful use of breeders. One is the blanket material. Aluminum-jacketed thorium blankets, the only successful kind to date, have drawbacks. Thorium oxide and thorium nitrate dissolved in deuterium oxide now appear to have the most promising long-range possibilities.
VOL. 49, NO. 2
FEBRUARY 1957
161
