I/EC
Forecast
P O I N T I N G THE E D I T O R I A L
F I N G E R AT T O M O R R O W ' S P R O G R E S S
Another Hat in the Ring Allied Chemical C o r p . is m a k i n g a bid for a large p a r t of the thermosetting plastics m a r k e t with its wood flour—filled urea-formaldehyde plastic, m a d e a t a newly opened p l a n t a t Edgewater, N . J. M a i n target for the p r o d u c t will be the phenolics a n d α-cellulose-filled urea resins. Some 34,000,000 pounds of phenolic resin w e n t into m a k i n g various devices in the electrical industry a n d a b o u t 30,000,000 pounds of various thermosetting resins went into making closures for the packaging industry. Price of the wood flour-filled urea will be a b o u t the same as wood flour-filled phenolic resins.
The Recession and Chemicals "Crystal ball gazers" feel that the m u c h looked for " b o t t o m " has at last been reached. Cur rently, sales are declining at a slower rate a n d some of the leading chemical companies' sales have leveled off, and, in some cases, even im proved. A n o t h e r possible bright spot is the expected renewed customer interest a n d im proved supply-demand balance late in 1958. T h i s combination, if it should materialize, will p r o b a b l y be reflected in price increases; hence, better profits. By the end of the year, with the mild recovery in profits, the increased retained cash flow should be a d e q u a t e to support a re covery in the rate of capita] outlays.
But Will It Float? W i t h i n 10 years, the public will have forgotten t h a t soap bars used to feel slippery a n d even slimy. T h e reason: toilet soap bars m a d e from synthetic detergents (page 48 A ) . T h r e e b r a n d s of synthetic bars a r e in national distribution and at least two others are being test marketed. Most serious d r a w b a c k now is cost, in line with the best milled soap b u t more t h a n floating b a r soap.
Competition for Plastic Tile Plastic tiles a n d other interior wall finishing ma terials m a y get some unexpected competition from a b r o a d . T h e newcomer is a spray-on
acrylic resin-adhesive emulsion. A G e r m a n firm is now investigating manufacturing a n d marketing possibilities in this country. A har dener and coloring are a d d e d to the mix before it is sprayed, resulting in a hard-surfaced a n d decorative finish which looks a n d feels like plas tic tile b u t has no m o r t a r line.
Pentaerythritol—Versatile Chemical W i t h research shedding more light on the chem istry of the pentaerythritol molecule, new prod ucts m a d e with this versatile chemical m a y soon be coming on the market. O n e , a promis ing polymer called Penton and developed by Hercules Powder Co., is soon to go into c o m m e r cial production (page 1106). And a g r o u p of polymers m a d e from pentaerythritol a n d acro lein may soon find industrial markets. I n other fields, pentaerythritol is being used in fire-ret a r d a n t coatings, and as textile crease-proofing agents.
Rocket Energy for Commercial Uses? W i t h the emphasis these days on new and better ways of processing, it is not surprising that propellant manufacturers are looking for ways to use the tremendous energy generated by rocket fuels in commercial applications. O n e of the pioneers in solid rocket fuels, Thiokol, is quietly looking into this possibility. A small portion of its research is already devoted to this study. O t h e r s m a y be looking at this intriguing possi bility in the n e a r future as they gain more ex perience in solid fuels technology.
Nickel No Longer in Short Supply (1959) Expansion of C u b a n nickel productive capacity m a y challenge C a n a d a ' s traditional d o m i n a n c e . Until recently, industry has h a d to limit its use of nickel because of short supply. By 1959 C u b a n production will have doubled. T h i s will permit more use of nickel in aircraft a n d mis siles, gas turbine engines, stainless steel cladding, nuclear and conventional power generation, electronics, a n d chemical a n d allied products industries. VOL. 50, NO. 8
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AUGUST 1958
29 A
