INTERNATiONAL ADJUSTING SCREW
SPRING SEAT
DIAPHRAGM BALL DISC BALL SEAT GASKET
Leakproof Corrosion-Resisting
RELIEF
VALVES
and Back P r e s s u r e Valves Guard t h e a c c u r a c y of y o u r Controlled V o l u m e P u m p s w i t h tliese n e w leakproof M i l t o n R o y Relief V a l v e s . B a l l c h e c k s tightly s e a l t h e v a l v e s against leakage. In o p e r a t i o n , valves a r e either w i d e o p e n or securely c l o s e d . Tliese f i e l d - p r o v e n valves a r e corrosion r e s i s t a n t . A l l m e t a l p a r t s t t i a t c o n t a c t t h e liquid aire m a d e o f s t a i n l e s s steel, Carpenter 20, or Hastelloy C. T o p w o r k s a r e isolated from t h e liquid b y Teflon o r K e l - F d i a pliragms. Specify M i l t o n R o y fcelief V a l v e s for a n y service a t pxessures t o 1500 psi. Corrosion-resistant B a c k P r e s s u r e V a l v e s , w i t h Teflon d i a pîxragms, a r e a v a i l a b l e for s e r v i c e at pressures t o 200 p s i . Sizes: M " , H " , W, 1". Write f o r B u l l e t i n 3 5 7 for s p e c ifications a n d prices.
MILTON ROY COMPANY Manufacturing Engineers 130O E a s t M e r m a i d L a n e Philadelphia 18, Pa.
CHEMICAL'
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Engineering representatives United States,
Canada,
in the
Mexico,
Europe, Asia, South America,
83
C&E Ν O C T . 7,
Africa,
I 957
Australia.
French Chemicals Grow Ranking third among French industries, the chemicals industry has e x p a n d e d r a p i d l y in recent years J. H E French chemical industry in 1956 had annual sales of approximately 800 billion francs (rate of 350 francs to $1.00). T h e country's exports of chemicals were valued at 117.6 billion francs, u p from 115 billion in 1 9 5 5 . Imports of chemicals climbed m o r e steeply, according to t h e U. S. Department of Commerce in its Chemical and Rubber Industry Report just released. Imports were 88.7 billion francs in 1956, 23.7 billion more than the 6 5 billion francs in 1955. Manufacture of both inorganic and organic chemicals has increased rapidly since 1952, says t h e report. Production increased 1 6 % in 1954, 1 3 % in 1 9 5 5 . In 1956 the rise slackened slightly—6 to 1 0 % . This w a s partly because of keener competition from imported products. Fastest growing segments of t h e French chemical industry are those producing electrochemicals, petrochemicals, plastics, detergents, and solvents. Traditional sectors—sulfuric acid, soda ash, fertilizers, and dyes—have not advanced as rapidly. Although the chemical synthesis industry based on coal tar has reached maturity, additional possibilities are opening u p in products obtained by the liquefaction of cokeoven gases. Currently only about 80 t o 8 5 % of capacity in t h e French chemical industry is being used, according to t h e report. Many facilities have been enlarged, new plants are being erected, and stress is being given to research. In the next few years t h e industry will emphasize natural gas facilities at Lacq, petrochemistry, and plastics, especially polyethylene. One of t h e industry's principal problems in the future will b e its enormous demand for capital. Investments must be amortized in a short time because of rapid deterioration or obsolescence of installations a n d constant need for additional equipment. A high percentage of capital is obtained through self-
financing in addition to capital stock issues, sales of bonds, and loans. I n 1956 investments in the F r e n c h chemical industry amounted to 60 billion francs. Technical research also must be financed. In 1955 France allocated 12 billion francs for this; in 1956 slightly more. However, this b u d g e t is insufficient, the report continues, and lack of qualified personnel seriously handicaps the industry's growth. Germany spends the equivalent of 2 5 billion francs annually in research and employs 10,000 persons in this field, while Great Britain has some 12,000 persons employed in technical research and spends t h e equivalent of 20 billion francs annually.
• Spain is t h e l a t e s t c o u n t r y in which Archer-Daniels-Midland will expand its foreign operations. I t has purchased an interest in Revalorizacion d e Grasas y Aceites, S.A., ( R E C R A S A ) a t Bilbao. T h e Spanish company is a processor of fats and oils. N e w facilities are being built to produce foundry core oils, other foundry supplies, a n d intermediates for t h e paint, textile, printing ink, adhesive, lubricant, and plastics industries. • N e w c o m p a n y , Air Products (Great Britain), Ltd., h a s been organized b y Air Products of Allentown, Pa., a n d t h e Butterley Co. of London, England. T h e company will design, manufacture, install, and operate oxygen plants a n d other low temperature equipment for t h e British Commonwealth and European markets. It will also produce a n d sell industrial gases, sewage treatment equipment, and textile cleaning equipment. Manufacturing operation will b e in Acrefair, North Wales. • F a r b w e r k e Hoechst AG., Frankfurt, Germany, is now erecting a polyvinyl acetate plant in Vienna, Austria. T h e plant is expected to b e in production by end of 1957. It will be supplied with the monomer from Hoechst's main plant in Frankfurt. • Almost half t h e sulfur produced in the German Federal Republic comes from coal chemistry. I n 1956, a total of 78,364 metric tons of sulfur was produced. Of this 21,192 metric tons
came from gas-purifying material; 15,143 metric tons was obtained directly from coking plants. Thus, 46.8% of total production originated from coal refining. • Imperial Chemical Industries is adding to its plant capacity for production of Terylene to increase production from 22 million pounds to 30 million pounds per year. A further increase of 20 million pounds per year is planned. This will mean building a new plant at Wilton, England. • Italian Company, AN1C, has awarded a contract to Société Belge de L'Azote et des Produits Chimiques du Marly (Belgium) for planning and construction of a styrene monomer plant based on the plans, process information, and know-how supplied by Koppers Co. The plant will be built at Ravenna, Italy, and will have a n annual capacity of 14,000 tons of styrene. Styrene will be used for synthetic rubber production in a plant now under construction. • Lorado Mines, Saskatchewan, has officially opened its $9.2 million uranium refining plant which uses the sulfuric acid leaching process. The mill will handle ore from five uranium properties in the Beaverlodge area; it will have an ultimate daily refining capacity of approximately 750 tons of ore. Lorado has a contract with Eldorado Mining and Refining, Ltd., to sell the crown company uranium concentrate to a value of more than $64 million by March 1963. The n e w mill will bring Saskatchewan' · daily uranium producing capacity to 440O tons. • Du Pont of Canada will spend an additional $4 million o n expansion of its Maitland, Ont., and Kingston plants. About $3 million will be spent at Maitland where a fourth boiler and stack will be installed in the power house serving plants producing Orion acrylic fiber and Freon fhiorinated hydrocarbons. Process improvements and increased capacity for producing nylon intermediates are also planned. The Kingston nylon spinning plant will have its warehousing and shipping space expanded. • West G e r m a n production of plastics increased from 1953 to 1956 by more than 5 0 % . Country's production in 1956 of 500,000 tons represents approximately 3 0 % of comparable U. S. production. German plastics production represents about 10% of West German chemical production.
Everyone tells a story of Savings
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BROWN US COMPANY Berlin, N e w Hampshire General Sales Office: 150 Causeway Street, Boston 14, Mass. *Sold in Canada by Brown Forest Products, Ltd., Montreal, Que. (Alpha-Floe)
OGT.
7.
19 5 7 C & Ε Ν
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