The Chemical World This Week INDUSTRY * BUSINESS
DECEMBER
14,
1964
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CONCENTRATES
t BASF will build West Germany's first phthalic anhydride plant to use o-xylene as tike feedstock. Badische Aniline- & Soda-Fabrik will put up the 40 million pound-per-year plant at Leverkusen, site of its existing 37 million pound-peryear naphthalene-based phthalic anhydride plant. Chemiebau Dr. A. Zieren, G.m.b.H., Cologne, has the construction contract for the fixed-bed reactor plant. About 40% of the phthalic anhydride made in western Europe will be based on o-xylene when the BASF plant starts up in 1966. ί A new, jointly owned firm in West Germany will provide nuclear-fuel service for advanced gas-cooled reactors. The firm, Nukleardienst, G.m.b.H., was set up by the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority and West Germany's Nuklear-Chemie und -Métallurgie (Nukem). With headquarters near Frankfurt, Nukleardienst's aim will be to provide the European Economic Community and especially West Germany with a complete fuel service. Both UKAEA and Nukem will make available their fuel technology and knowhow to Nukleardienst. Nukem was set up in 1960 by Degussa, A.G., and Metallgesellschaft, A.G., both of Frankfurt and Bio Tinto-Zinc European Holdings, Ltd., of London. Earlier this year Nukem formed a joint venture, Alkem, Alphachemie und Métallurgie, with Dow Chemical International (C&EN, Feb. 24, page 19). Nukem carries out research and production of nuclear equipment and has been particularly active in making atomic fuel elements containing natural and enriched uranium. ^ Dow Chemical will double ammonia capacity at its Freeport, Tex·, plant by increasing the present capacity of 300 tons of ammonia per day to 600 tons per day. The contract for the expansion has been awarded to J. F. Pritchard & Co. Construction will start next spring, and completion is slated for early 1966. The reason for the expansion, Dow says, is growth of existing markets for ammonia. Dow also has ammonia plants at Midland, Mich., Pittsburg, Calif., and Plaquemine, La. • Texas Eastman will build an ethylene glycol plant at its Longview, Tex·, facility. The plant will produce fiber-grade material, probably for Tennessee Eastman's polyester-fiber plant at Kingsport, Tenn. Although Tennessee
Eastman makes its own dimethyl terephthalate at Kingsport for polyester fiber, it has heretofore purchased its ethylene glycol. Tennessee Eastman's polyester-fiber capacity is 20 million pounds per year. The ethylene glycol plant will use a Shell process to make ethylene oxide and convert it to ethylene glycol. Capacity of the plant will be 40 to 50 million pounds of ethylene oxide a year. M. W. Kellogg will do the engineering on the plant, which is to be completed by late 1965. • Columbian Carbon will build a 34 million pound-a-year furnace carbon black plant in
Germany. This will be the fourth such European plant the company owns or has an interest in. Columbian has a 16 million pound-a-year plant at Wolverhampton, England, and jointly owns two 60 million pound-a-year plants with Continental Carbon—one at Trecate, Italy, the other at Botlek, the Netherlands. Columbian has a majority interest in the Italian plant and a minority interest in the Dutch plant. Columbian Carbon is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cities Service. • Hercules Powder will build α dimethyl terephthalate plant which will more than double the firm's present 60-million pound-per-year capac ity. Site location is not definite, but full-scale production is slated for early 1966. • Great Lakes Chemical has acquired land near El Dorado, Ark·, and will probably build a bromine and ethyl bromide plant at the site. The plant would likely be completed in mid-1965 and the bromine capacity would probably be in the 10 to 15 million pound-per-year range. The cost would run between $1 and $1.5 million. Great Lakes has a bromine plant at Fiber City, Mich., and is also a part owner, along with Pittsburgh Plate Glass, of Arkansas Chemical Co. at El Dorado. Great Lakes is now a net buyer of bro mine. The new operation would put Great Lakes in a merchant position. One likely outlet for products of the proposed plant is Du Pont of Canada, which is building a tetraethyllead plant at Maitland, Ont. ί Stouffer Chemical has issued sinking fund debentures totaling $35 million· Proceeds will go into additions to property, plant, and equipment and to retire outstanding debts. DEC. 14, 1964 C&EN
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