INDUSTRY
Christening first tank car of phenol from Monsanto's Avon plant is Jane Behrens
General view of neutralization, acidification, and evaporation operations (above). Background is sulfuric acid plant owned jointly with. Tidewater, whose refinery is beyond it
Phenol Goes West First phenol unit to be completed on West Coast starts full production at Monsanto's A v o n , Calif., plant company to synthesize phenol ONLY a t two plants, Monsanto places its Avon, Calif., unit in full production. This is also first phenol unit to b e completed on West Coast; capacity is 2 0 million pounds annually and cost $ 4 million. Unit being built bv Standard Oil (Calif.) at Richmond,' Calif., to make 35 million pounds of phenol annually from cumcne will come on stream before year's end; cost is also $ 4 million. Monsanto's unit is on 412-aere site with the 240-ton sulfuric acid plant, jointly operated with Tidewater Associated Oil's adjacent refinery. Benzene and sulfuric acid arc piped into snlfonation tanks (2000-gallon, dish-bottomed units) and then through
a neutralizer system. Resulting slurry mixture goes t h r o u g h fusion tanks. Cone-bottomed tanks separate c r u d e phenol from sulfite mother liquor; it is refined in three sets of columns. Monsanto uses 30r/r of o u t p u t making medicinal chemicals, such as aspirin a n d salicylic acid; agricultural chemicals, such as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid; plastics, including phenolformaldehyde polymers; wood preservatives; chemicals for petroleum industry; chlorinated phenols and p h e nolic resins for w a s t e wood b o a r d s , laminates, and rock wool insulation. Other Monsanto installations on West Coast are a styrene molding c o m p o u n d plant at L o n g Beach a n d a resin and surface coatings p l a n t at Santa C l a r a .
Sulfonation equipment, including oleum, benzene, and benzene sulfonic acid storage tanks at Monsanto's Avon plant
Phenol refining unit purifies 2 0 million pounds of phenol yearly. By-products will include 600 tons per month of salt cake and 700 tons per month of sodium sulfite
This fusion unit, with quencher and centrifugal installation, receives slurry of sulfuric acid and benzene
ËÈËiÊÊÈm?^£êm^ 4868
C H E M I C A L
AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
When you buy pentaerythritol make the advantage
Decisive
. . . specify Celanese
P.E. betteT cotot constant mono content \VH asti content
Manufacturers know the advantages of pentaerythritol in alkyd resin produc tion: more rapid bodying . . . superior gloss and gloss retention . . . greater hardness . . . water, alkali and weathering resistance. N o w , many are finding that Celanese P. E. assures them a new high level of purity and uniformity—the result of a continuous production process using Celanese Formaldehyde and Acetaldehyde. They're discovering ingredient savings through its higher hydroxyl value. Its lower color rating saves on white pigment. The problems of filtering and frothing during cooking are minimized. These manufacturers are benefiting from the handling efficiency of pallet ized unit-ton shipments. . . the convenience of bulk stocks warehoused in Newark (N. J.), San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles and O a k l a n d . . . as well as the extra economy of mixed carloads of Celanese P. E., Paraformal dehyde, and Glycols.
CHEMICALS
*Reg. U. S. Pal. Off.
CELANESE C O R P O R A T I O N V O L U M E
3 1,
NO.
OF A M E R I C A •
The Alkyd Resin Group of the Celanese Technical Service and Application Laboratories is prepared to assist you in making complete formulations, tests and cost analyses. CHEMICAL D I V I S I O N
47 . N O V E M B E R
2 3,
1953
·
1 8 0 MADISON AVENUE
·
NEW YORK 1 6 , Ν. Υ. 4869
INDUSTRY
Will Atomic Energy Bring Statism? Industry should initiate d e v e l o p m e n t of cooperative programs with .AEC for p e a c e f u l uses of atomic e n e r g y C H I C A G O . - I t is unfortunate that w e had to start the atomic age under secrecy and government monoply. Question to be answered now is whether this new science will bring more freedom, more industry, and more profits to individuals and to industry, or will it do the reverse a n d give more power to the state, bring more controls, more regimentation, and more loss of individual freedom. It is to be hoped that industry and all thinking people will not fail to ansAver the question.
Monsanto's Charles Α.. Thomas urges in dustry to take initiative in development of peacetime uses of atomic energy These were words o£ Monsanto's presi dent, Charles A. Thomas before recent session of American Petroleum Insti tute. It is known that many other coun tries have nuclear reactor programs underway. There is plenty of evidence that Russia has advanced far more rapidly in atomic energy field than people in this country thought possible. It would b e tragic for the United States to be a leader in military atomic en ergy and then lose imitative on peaceful uses to another part of the world. It is up to industry to assume initia tive. It is not enough, for industrialist t o say "Well, weΈ wait until the Govern ment opens this thing up and then w e l l take a look." For greatest benefit t o most people atomic energy must b e used in applications such as refining petroleum, manufacture of plastics, and as another source of electric and pro pulsive power. These are the jobs of private industry, using its own research and engineering teams and its own 4870
capital. The government's main respon sibility in the atomic field is making weapons. Our atomic program should be a symbiotic relationship, Thomas sug gests. Billions of dollars are required annually to support military needs for atomic fissionable material. If w e could develop an atomic energy industry which would produce a comparable national income, there would then be a truly symbiotic relationship. Writing amendments to the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 so that this rela tionship may be brought about will not be easy. Congressional hearings last summer helped to get some think ing started on the problem, b u t too much time was spent on details and too little attention was given to t h e real core of the problem—how to bring about a government-industry partner ship. Utility industry, chemical indus try, transportation industry, oil indus try, and others, should become in volved in applications of the new sci ence of atomic energy. Although it is often not too attractive for industry to work with Government, it is a patri otic duty in this case. Radiopetroleum? Speaking directly to petroleum men, Thomas said that both large amounts of heat at high tem peratures and large doses of radiation available from nuclear reactors may possibly become useful in improving petroleum refining or even in develop ment of totally n e w petroleum products. A minor example of effects of radia tion on chemical reactions is afforded by improved characteristics of certain polymers when irradiated. Irradiation of polyethylene b y an electron beam enables it to withstand steam steriliza tion. This certainly suggests that there is something here to study. Another field which may he ex amined is the use of radiation within the cylinders of internal combustion engines. I t might b e that efficiency of burning can b e improved. Still an other problem which researchers should look at is whether or not gaso line can b e m a d e from natural gas simply by using ionizing radiation at the proper temperatures and pressures. Uranium and thorium may be ex pected to supplement, net replace, fos sil fuels and hydropower we are al ready using. Thomas suggested that oil industry, which is accustomed to specu lation, on dry holes and wi 1 Icatting» ICAL
should direct some of its daring into this new field. Atomic Energy v s . Oil. Petroleum men probably would be mistaken t o look upon atomic energy as a fierce competitor, w a s reassuring advice of W. L. Davidson, director of the AEC's Office of Industrial Development. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and atomic en ergy will all maintain or carve out suitable roles for themselves in supply ing future energy needs, says David son, and all will be needed until w e learn to utilize efficiently t h e one en ergy source which seems inexhaustible —sunlight. Areas of possible competition be tween oil and atomic energy, says Davidson, are a t best academic in char acter today; years of experimentation
Atomic energy poses no immediate threat to petroleum as a source of heat and power, according to AEC's W. L. Davidson and experience will pass before con crete threats materialize. However, h e notes, eventual competition seems in evitable in at least three areas although even in these cases atomic energy prob ably will not render present equip ment obsolete. In diesel-powered elec tric plants of 5000 t o 25,000 kilowatts, remote from fuel supplies; in oil, gas, or coal-fired boilers used in centralstation power plants of over 100,000 kilowatts capacity; and in large ships or aircraft, atomic energy may o n e day hold the competitive edge. Even so, it is clear that a large percentage of pres ent outlets for petroleum products will remain unchallenged, irrespective of whatever striking advances may occur in nuclear science and technology. And when competition does arrive, says Davidson, atomic energy and petro leum will maintain their complemen tary relationship. Atomic energy pro gram will continue t o borrow materialshandling and process-control tech niques common to the refining industry, AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
Now at your f i n g e r t i p s · · · a chart of
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2 3.
1953
4873
