MARKETS Gvlcerol tJUTDuf cane ârccKS
PRODUCTION k)F CRUDE
A r e Down
Glycerol Figures Look Better Domestic production and imports were both curtailed during first half; synthetic facilities increased M ORE than one industry is waiting for its assembly lines to start moving at their accustomed speed. Glycerol is one. Refined glycerol's important outlet (30 to 35"r of consumption) is phthalic alkyd resin, which in turn has its big outlet in automotive finishes. Ghcerol, crude and refined, meanwhile appears to have worked itself into a fairly satisfactory statistical position. Stocks of the crude were close to 20 million pounds at the start of the current year. At the end of June this had been cut to about 13.5 million pounds. A noteworthy circumstance in connection with the crude stocks is that their June total was approximately 3 million pounds less than the production rate. Crude output had been curtailed from 18.8 million pounds a month at the start of 1958 to 16.4 million during June. Consumption has been less this year in some industries other than alkyd resins, and good in others. The overall lessened uses lire reflected in smaller disappearance of glycerol. During the first four months of 1957 the disappear30
C&EN
AUG.
18,
1958
ance total rose to a new high of 82.1 million pounds. In the same period this year, says the Association of American Soap and Glycerine Producers, t h e figure dropped to 74.6 million pounds. • Tobacco Market. Tobacco is a major outlet for glycerol, which serves as a humectant or conditioning agent for moisture retention. Competition offered glycerol by triethylene glycol and diethylene glycol has not made any serious inroads, and the bulk of the requirement is served by refined ghcerol. The monthly production rate for all manufactured tobacco this year reached over 16 million pounds. I n December 1957, it was 12.3 million pounds. Cigarette consumption attained a monthly total in May this year of over 40 billion (about the same as in May 1957), b u t a good increase over t h e 29.4 billion in December of lluit year. Cellophane is another good-sized market for glycerol, and it continues to grow with current production reported in excess of 500 million pounds. T h e last few years have witnessed con-
siderable expansion by Du Pont and others to meet packaging demand. Cellophane had an average annual growth during 1935-55 of 12.5 r /r. Its most rapid growth—21 rA a year—came during 1946-50. The role of glycerol in cellophane is that of a water-soluble plasticizer. • New Synthetic Units. Imports of ghcerol are usually in the form of crude. During the first half of 1958 the arrivals were comparatively light, while exports of refined ran in excess of last year. The trade looks for an increase in imports during the latter half. Shell's new synthetic plant in Holland may have no immediate effect on the glycerol supply, but it should be noted that detergent production is getting under way in England and on the continent, and this should eventually affect by-product glycerol as it has here. Shell Chemical at the end of this year will start construction of a new synthetic glycerol plant at Norco, La. The new unit is rated at 35 million pounds a year. As production comes in at Norco, Shell will curtail its glycerol operation at Houston by a like amount. • Dow's New Grades. Three grades of synthetic glycerol are now available as the result of new processes developed by Dow Chemical's Texas Di-
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W E E K ' S PRICE CHANGES August 11, 1958
M ORE Ν e w D e ye Ι ο ρ me π t s in R es i lis for I n du st r y from the Laboratories of Co I ton PRODUCTS
PHYSICAL
Advances CUBREXT Alumina, calcined, carlots, b a g s , lb. Aluminum, 99.5%, lb. Aluminum hydrate, carl o t s , lb. Aluminum pigments, 200lt>. drums, l b . Paste, standard Powdered, standard C a r b o n dioxide, c.l., t o n * Fish s c r a p , ton Merc vary, flask (70-lb.) Methylbenzylphenol, lb. Steel s c r a p . No. 1, P i t t s b c , ton Tall oil rosin, \v\\\, f.a.s., South, c w t . T a n k a g e , a n i m a l . 12' \ N, per unit Ν
;
0.05 D.2G8 0.0350 0.47 0.81 85.00 128.00 240.00 0.56 45.00
PREVIOUS S
0.043/: 0.201 0.0335
0.4G 0.79'A 80.00 127.00 23 β. 00 0.54 44.00
7.75
7.50
7.00
G.75
Declines C i t r a i , lb. Coconut oil, crude, Coast, lb. C o t t o n s e e d oil, λ alb-.v. lb. Dodecenyl succinic, an hydride, truckloads. l b . * C r e a s e , white, l b . Reserpine, «ram Soybean meal, Decatur, ton Tallow, fancy, l b . * Single producer.
3.50 0.133/4 0.113/4
0.14 0.12
0.75 0.085/8
0.89 O.OSVe 1.40
1.30 JliJiJM.lJJJIl.lJJIIJJIJ.lJ.I!!iJJllM>JM^4JJJI4JJ^l>JJMIJHWW!ffBP».!M
Sales Offices and-Warehouse Facilities Throughout U S . . Expo/t. Airco Company International. New York 17. N;Y.
AUG.
18,
1958
C & E N
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