C&EN A N N U A L
REVIEW—1950
T h e first large-scale test was made of •street washing with syndets—10 days in Philadelphia with pressure-flush trucks. In general—unlike soap—prices of the basicsurfactants declined by 10 to 2 0 % , competition in nonionics being particularly severe. As the year ended some price raises were appearing. Use of quaternary a m m o n i u m compounds as sa~' izers, and nonionic-quaternary combinations as detergent-sanitizers expanded greatly. Soap-Syndet Combinations In D e v e l o p m e n t Stage Combinations of soap with syndet for household use are still in the development stage. At t h e high dilutions used in rinsing, hard-water salts precipitate residual soap. In the power laundry—which uses softened water—this is not a factor, and 2 5 % of soap has been advantageously replaced experimentally with an alkyl-aryl type of syndet. Combinations of 6 0 % soap with 1 5 % of syndet a n d 2 5 % of tetrasodium pyrophosphate give better washing results than soap alone in 150 p.p.m. hard water. T w o nonionics give better results than an alkyl-aryl type of syndet. This suggests a future economical and effective deter-
gent in moderately h a r d water comprises soap and syndet built with polyphosphate, with perhaps other additives. Recent patents suggest a few per cent of higher alcohols as suitable additives to reduce lime-curd formation of soap-syndet products at rinsing dilutions. Laboratory Washing M e t h o d s Opinions continue to differ as to t h e desirable composition of artificial soil, as to the conditions to b e used with standardized washing methods in t h e laboratory, and as to the best way of expressing t h e results. Although reproducibility and correlation with practical results are the general aims, most research laboratories still set up their own procedures. A step in t h e direction of greater standardization would be agreement on a reference detergent. That most used at present is tallow chip soap. Surfactants—particularly those from petroleum—have a firm economic background and undergo continued technical development. New forms and lower cost of some of the nonionic agents promise usefulness in both general and special fields of application. Nonionics appear to offer the greatest possibilities for new
structures a n d modifications of the basic molecules. Major technical problems which confront the surfactant industry are— 1. Production from petroleum or other cheap raw materials of syndets with the excellent foaming and skin-conditioning qualities of the fatty alcohol sulfonates and monoglyceride sulfates. It still takes more of a petroleum-derived syndet than of a fat-derived to give equivalent effect. 2. Use of inexpensive salts as builders to give results comparable with those now obtained using relatively expensive molecularly-dehydrated phosphates, currently in somewhat short supply. 3. Overcoming hygroscopicity associated with alkyl toluene sulfonates and, to a lesser extent, with other sulfonates. 4. Preparation of nonionic agents with the advantages of present nonionics plus improved foaming. 5. Production, for special purposes, of efficient syndets with no foaming tendency. 6. Production of entirely satisfactory syndet bars at costs competitive with soap bars. Appreciation is expressed of suggestions and editorial assistance by Cornelia T. Snell, Irving Reich, and John R. Skeen.
FERTILIZER USE TIED TO FARM PRICES F. S. LODGE, The National Fertilizer Association, Washington 5, D. C
The past year saw fertilizer use vary as farmers were concerned about price supports and acreage controls . . . Present mobilization plans should send him scurrying for all he can get JL H E calendar year 1949 saw an increase in t h e consumption in the United States of fertilizers of about half a million tons to a record high of 16,534,000 tons. T h e increase was not consistent throughout the country, however. New England, the East North Central states, and the western states particularly the Pacific Coast states generally showed decreases while t h e other areas h a d increases which more t h a n offset them. T h e crop planting year of 1949—50 was one of uncertainties for agriculture. T h e r e was the fear of lower farm prices with resultant decreased farm income; there was the uncertainty of future government price supports for the principal crops; there was the likelihood of crop acreage allotments—all tending to m a k e t h e farmer hesitate. F o r many years t h e pattern of fertilizer consumption has closely paralleled that of farm income. W h e n t h e farmer saw hi£ income beginning to drop, his first 38
impulse was to buy less fertilizer because that represented a cash outlay. As a matter of fact, he would in nearly all cases have been better off if he had bought more fertilizer and used it on less acres. By so doing h e could have produced t h e same amount of total crops with less labor, less seed, less gasoline, and less overhead. These enumerated uncertainties tend to cause the farmers to delay t h e purchase of their fertilizer requirements till the last moment, in fact often till crop planting time. Most superphosphate plants and mixed fertilizer plants are designed with the idea of production turnover. In other words the capacity to manufacture far exceeds the capacity to store and the superphosphate storage must b e emptied by making mixed fertilizers or by shipment to other dry-mix ing plants, if consumption requirements are to b e met. The d e m a n d for fertilizers has more than doubled during the past 10 years, a period C H E M I C A L
during which construction has been most difficult. Even after war building restrictions were removed, it was next to impossible in many localities to obtain building materials and equipment. By working two shifts, it has b e e n possible to double production providing the storages could be emptied and refilled, b u t it was also a period of labor shortages and transportation difficulties in many areas. W h e n shipping orders are held up till the peak of the planting season, it is impossible to meet the demand. T h e only assurance the grower will have that his needs can be met will be for him to purchase and receive his fertilizers early a n d store them in a good dry place on his own farm. It appears that w e may be entering another emergency period when goods of all sorts will b e scarce, if n o t under priority or allocation. E v e n should an actual major war not eventuate, any program of extensive preparedness will proAND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
Developments in the Chemical a n d Process industries duce severe repercussions on fertilizers and fertilizer materials. Nitrogen, one of the three primary plant foods, is also t h e active ingredient in most modern explosives. Phosphorus, another primary plant food element, makes one of the most effective smoke-screen compounds. Potassium, the third of the primary plant food elements, is an essential ingredient of t h e optical glass used in such precision instruments as r a n g e finders, cameras, and telescopes. All of these chemicals have many other uses in t h e munitions and logistic programs a n d for these purposes there will be first priority. At this time, no one can predict with any accuracy how the situation will finally work out, but we will discuss separately the outlook for the three primary nutrients for the 1950-51 fertilizer year. Nitrogen. T h e USDA has calculated that the fertilizer industry would have m a d e available to it for use in the fiscal year 1949-50 some 1,150,000 to 1,250,000 tons of nitrogen. Figures are not yet available as to t h e actual use, but it is believed that a b o u t 1,125,000 tons were used. At least t w o of the large synthetic nitrogen plants h a v e increased their capacity a n d t h e San Jacinto Ordnance nitrogen plant at Houston, Tex., and the Ohio River O r d n a n c e plant a t West Henderson, Ky., formerly operated for the account of the Army, h a v e been taken over by private enterprise so that it would seem that fully 1,250,000 tons of introgen would b e obtainable for the 1950-51 year. Most of this increase will b e in t h e liquid form and may b e consumed by increased direct use in t h e soil as anhydrous ammonia or it may b e m a d e into solid salts. There have been additional facilities installed for producing synthetic sulfate of ammonia a n d ammonium nitrate. Importation of nitrate of soda from Chile and of nitrogen c o m p o u n d s from Canada is expected to b e a b o u t the same as last year. Increase in the steel program may result in some increase of by-product sulfate of ammonia from coke. Undoubtedly there would be extensive imports of cal-nitro and similar products containing 60 to 6 5 % ammonium nitrate mixed with 35 to 4 0 % inert limestone except for the stringent regulations of governmental agencies prohibiting t h e export or import of such materials at nearly all United States ports. These regulations are the result of t h e hysteria p r o d u c e d by t h e Texas City disaster. T h e r e seems to be no evidence indicating explosive danger from these diluted materials, a n d it is hoped that additional research will enable the regulations to be revised so as to permit importation of these 2 0 % nitrogen-bearing materials when a n d w h e r e needed. Increased chemical use of nitrogen compounds coupled with export demand and increased domestic agricultural needs for a steppedup cotton crop may make such imports most necessary for certain areas of otherwise short supply. Phosphoric Acid. V O L U M E
2 9,
I n addition to t h e NO.
1
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storage problem for superphosphate, the industry faces another acute situation in raw material supply. Superphosphate is made by treating ground phosphate rock with sulfuric acid. In this country this acid is usually produced by burning sulfur. Current world production of sulfur is about 5.7 million tons annually, whereas consumption demand is about 6 million tons. T h e United States produces about 5 million tons and uses domestically about 4.5 million but is now exporting something over a million tons. This large volume of exports is drawing heavily on the above-ground stock pile of sulfur. Reportedly, these exports are largely moving under government-sponsored Marshall Plan arrangements and unless sulfur exports are curtailed, there will of necessity be a shortage of from 10 to 2 0 % in the amount of sulfur that can b e supplied to domestic sulfuric acid manufacturers. No accurate estimates can be m a d e at this time as to t h e amount of available phosphoric acid that can be produced under these conditions, b u t there is every evidence that there will not b e enough superphosphate to supply all t h e demand in all areas. T h e amount of available phosphoric acid as estimated by the United States Department of Agriculture that was expected to b e obtainable in the 1949-50 year was from 2,100,000 tons to 2,200,000 tons, and preliminary consumption reports indicate that those figures were approximately correct. An increase of 10% above these figures was estimated for the 1950—51 fiscal year before t h e sulfur shortage became a limiting factor on production. There was capacity to produce more than 14 million tons of normal superphosphate in 1949 when the total output of the 190 plants reporting amounted to 9,075,900 tons which met practically all demand. Several new plants were built in 1950 or are now under construction. As to concentrated superphosphate, the rated equivalent capacity of the nine operating plants was about 690,000 tons and reported production amounted to 548,500 tons. N e w plants and additions to present plants already announced will add a very substantial tonnage to the present output. Potash. Most of the producers of potash have increased their output facilities during the past year and there is every reason to expect that at least 1 5 % more potash will be available for 1950-51 than was consumed the previous year. It now appears that there will b e about 1,250,000 tons of K 2 0 of domestic production available for agriculture. In addition, it now appears that there may b e sizable imports from France, Spain, western Germany, and even from Russia, b u t no figures are now available that will permit any accurate estimates of the quantity. It does seem, however, that practically all potash demands can be met. For a number of years, there has been a shortage of potash in t h e sulfate form for use
JANUARY
1,
1951
on special crops, such as tobacco. Additional facilities for the conversion of potassium chloride to the sulfate have been installed in this country which with the expected imports of potassium sulfate should measurably relieve this situation. Mixed Fertilizers T h e ability of the industry to supply all needs of mixed fertilizers seems at the moment to d e p e n d largely on the available supply of superphosphate. Minor local and temporary labor a n d transportation problems may interfere at some points and failure of consumers to order and accept early delivery may cause in some instances heavy factory congestion with resulting shipping delays. T h e type of planting season may materially affect the situation. An early season nearly always causes a planting peak rush whereas a longer and later planting season tends to lengthen t h e shipping season. There are no outstanding developments in mixed fertilizers. T h e total plant-food content of mixtures continues to increase and some new especially high grades, such as 12-24-12, are being sold in some states. T h e new Indian government export tax on jute will no doubt affect the use of burlap bags for packaging fertilizers and cause a further swing to laminated paper bags. T h e r e seems also to b e increased interest in the production of granular fertilizers and the use of anhydrous ammonia for direct application to the soil as side dressing for corn a n d cotton and other crops is spreading at least for trial into other states from California and the Mississippi Delta states where it was first used. A number of fertilizer manufacturers are now equipped to apply fertilizer broadcast direct to t h e farmer's fields from distributing trucks loaded in bulk at the factory. Such practice would seem to have excellent possibilities on haylands and pastures and perhaps for spring top dressing of small grains, though it would possibly be uneconomical for row crops. Such bulk distribution is presenting a problem of inspection to t h e State control officials. T h e practice of adding weedicides and insecticides to fertilizers seems to h e one that merits a great deal more investigation before complete acceptance. It may well be that a specialty fertilizer containing a weedicide antagonistic to broad-leaved vegetation would be excellent for grass but fatal to flowers a n d vegetable crops when inadvertently so used. Likewise, certain very effective insecticides may leave residues in the soil t h a t will ruin the flavor of edible crops for several years to come. Caution a n d warning should certainly appear on t h e packages of such compounds. Adding u p the plus and minus factors as they now appear, it would seern that the fertilizer industry will b e able t o do its full share toward helping the farmers to have another bountiful crop year for the 1951 harvest. 39
