THE CHEMECAL WORLD THIS WEEK
liisiDiJSiirRv^ Pittsburgh Plate Glass Opens Torrance, Calif.. Paint Plant Pittsburgh Plate Class Co. formally opened its new $1,250,000 paint plant in Torrance, Calif., on May 1 (>. Described as one ol the most modern paint manufacturing units in the world, this building is ior tlie most part .1 one-story. earthquake-
Later a third unit was ordered reactivated and now the fourth. T h e first of the units began operating last November and a second a few months later, but in March, a fire in one unit shut it down. T h e third unit went into production the last of April, and the fire-damaged unit will be in operation again during June, Mr. Hugg said. Several months will be required to prepare the fourth unit for operation, the koppers Vice President said.
X. J., is expected to be doubled in Jxily, as will production at Fairfield, Ala., by t h e end of 1951. Expansion which will sa.dd one third to the present capacities at E a s t Chicago, Ind., and Baltimore, Md., 'will b e under way by the last quarter of "this year.
C & C to Double Calcium C a r b i d e C a p a c i t y Plant a t Portland I'nion Carbide and Carbon Corp. p l a n s to double capacity at its Portland, O r e . , plant. The program is planned to cwp-iind existing buildings a n d install additional electric- furnace units which will double the output oi calcium carbide and ferroalloys. Engineers arc now working out p l a n s to add a 220 by 150-foot extension to the present furnace building, increase office, storage, and locker space. More railroad trackage and w a t e r - p u m p i n g facilities will also b e added. Cost has not yet l>een determined, according to David C. I^iinean, Portland works manager who announced the plan.
Bristol Labs Boosting Penicillin O u t p u t
Administration building of Pittsburgh Plate's new paint manufacturing plant in California resistant structure. It is equipped to prod u c e a line of house paints, varnishes, resins, and industrial and automotive finishes. A two-story office building of 20,000 square feet houses the West Coast divisional office functions as well as those of t h e local warehouse and factory operations. Mezzanines are incorporated in the manufacturing unit for straining, mill loading, mixing, and storage purposes. Ball a n d pebble mills are suspended on structural sieel frames beneath the decking with access from above thiough letuovable sections of flooring. Working areas throughout the plant and office are painted according to Pittsburgh's principles of "color dynamics" for Industry. The Torrance operation will be under t h e inanagernent of A. D. Wagen, West Coast divisional director for the firm.
Koppers to Reactivate Fourth Government-Owned Buta Unit Government authorities have authorized t h e chemical division of Koppers Co., Inc., to reactivate t h e fourth and last butadiene unit of the Government-owned plant at Kobuta, Pa., it was announced by Koppers. This unit, like the others, had been in stand-by condition since World W a r II. After t h e Korean emergency arose, Koppers was asked to reactivate two units. 2056
When all four units arc in operation, the total monthly production of butadiene, used in synthetic rubber, is expected to amount to about 20 million pounds.
Silica Expansion Announced By Harbison-Walker Refractories I larbison-Walker Refractories Co. will build a new $3.5 million silica plant at Downington, near Philadelphia, Pa. This plant will be in addition to the scheduled $22 million expansion program already announced by Harbison-Walker. It will be a duplicate of the W i n d h a m , Ohio, plant the company will complete about the end of 1951. Decision to build this new silica plant was based on the increased need for coke. T h e Downington plant will be used to produce materials for lining t h e industrial furnaces used in coke production. Downington was selected as t h e plant site because of its nearness to the new LT. S. Steel Co. Fairless Works and other nearby plants. K. A. Garber, president, also revealed that Harbison-Walker's n e w clay brick unit at Bessemer, Ala., will be in operation by July, permitting capacity at that plant to be doubled. A n e w tunnel kiln already in operation has increased production at the Fulton, Mo., works b y 25 unit, went into operation in 19-36.
"Pacific Defense Industries is an industrial pool which brings together a wide range of facilities, ranging from precision machine tools to plate and structural steel working e q u i p m e n t , " said Schwaner. PDI "assumes full responsibilities ior the completion of contracts, allocating portions ot work to plants which can best perform the respectixv tasks- and schedules the work to fit all phases of the contract in proper sequence,*" he added. In addition to sales and contract negotiations with the Government and other prime contractors. Pacific Defense Industries will provide related services of advantage to m e m b e r and cooperating plants — to include representation at all sources of bid requests, negotiations and contracts, rapid teletypewriter communications between regional a n d principal offices and thence to m e m b e r s : expediting of priorities, raw materials, and collections: preparation and execution oi bids and contracts; securing authorizations for alterations in drawings and material substitutions; consulting engineering services; gathering of bid requests, drawings, and all other pertinent information at a central point convenient to members for screening a n d consultation: and production oi a brochure setting forth full story including member plants' facilities, copies of brochure to be placed in hands of procure merit agencies. T h e above services to m e m b e r a n d cooperating plants provide many advantages
to t h e G o v e r n m e n t and other p u r c h a s e r s including a single source or responsibility tor performance of contracts; a wide range of small plant production available through one source of negotiation a n d purchase, making possible a more complete utilization of industrial mobilization p r o g r a m m e d plants; provision for an equitable distribution of contracts among a n u m b e r ot competent suppliers and assistance in maxim u m utilization of open industrial capacity; assistance and simplification of efforts of contracting officers in broadening their base of suppliers by spreading work; furtherance o! t h e use of small business concerns a n d conformance with policy laid d o w n in national emergenc\ proclamation by Gen. Marshall for aggressive subcontracting by a prime contractor. Pacific Goast h e a d q u a r t e r s for the new organization are in the bank of C o m m e r c e Building, Oakland, Calif. Offices h a v e been established in W a s h i n g t o n , D . C , a n d additional branch offices will be opened in other important procurement centers as required. George McLaughlin is general manager.
Bead C a t a l y s t Plant For T C C Enlarged T o meet increased d e m a n d for its bead catalvst for petroleum refi•!!"n. the Socony-V'acuuin Oil Co., Inc., has enlarged its bead plant at the Paulsboro, X. J., refinery.
Spencer Puts Ammonium N i t r a t e Prilling Plant in O p e r a t i o n Spencer Chemical Co., Kansas City, Mo., has a n n o u n c e d completion a n d successful first month's operation of the world's largest a m m o n i u m nitrate prilling plant ( p i c t u r e d h e r e ) . T h o u g h only one of the two 185-foot towers has b e e n put into p r o d u c t i o n , t h e second tower is expected to b e completed by August. Anticipated capacity after that d a t e is for m o r e t h a n 1000 tons of prilled material per day. T h e n e w p l a n t has b e e n built near P i t t s b u r g , Kan., as a part of Spencer's J a y h a w k W o r k s , w h i c h is a major p r o d u c e r of a m m o n i a a n d fertilizer a m m o n i a t i n g solutions. Addition of fertilizer g r a d e a m m o n i u m n i t r a t e to the production schedule m a k e s this plant a completely integrated operation. T h e n e w plant is based on the prilling processes originated in C a n a d a , b u t t h e actual design was developed by Spencer's o w n engineering d e p a r t m e n t . Construction was carried out by a Spencer subsidiary, Q u a k e r Valley Constructors, Inc., and w a s completed in approximately 12 m o n t h s
Plants t o Pool Facilities For Defense C o n t r a c t s Formation of Pacific Defense Industries, p r i m e contractors, an organization developed for t h e purpose of pooling the resources of industrial plants in California, Oregon, and W a s h i n g t o n to facilitate the p r o c u r e m e n t a n d h a n d l i n g of w a r defense contracts, has been announced b y Albert D . Schwaner, president of the n e w organization with h e a d q u a r t e r s in O a k l a n d , Calif.
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CHEMICAL
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ENGINEERING
NEWS
THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK T h e catalyst, utilizing sodium silicate a n d aluminum sulfate, is used in t h e company's thermofor catalytic cracking ( T C C ) process, developed shortly hefore W o r l d W a r II for manufacture of highquality gasoline and other petroleum products. T h e original head catalyst plant w a s constructed in 1943. T h e expansion, completed this month, involved additions to all elements oi the plant excepi t h e forming towers a n d dryers. A 70-foot extension provides 3000 more square feet of floor space. In addition, four n e w wash tanks of approximately 35,000-gallon capacity each were installed, together with a n e w tempering kiln capable of treating 7 5 tons a day. Flumes through which the beads pass in a stream of water during t h e manufacturing process were modified also to handle the enlarged capacity.
costs for commercially available processes which are more productive. T h e disparity in the results produced by t h e different processes which were employed in the tests conducted, pursuant to t h e stipulation b e t w e e n the parties, was so great that any alteration or adjustment which might b e made o n any ground . . . would still show the cost oi production of t h e Tacyna process' greatly in excess ot that of the accepted commercial processes." The case was heard before Casper \V. Ooms, chairman of t h e board, and members John V. L. Hogan a n d Isaac Harter.
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'Mwiii€fànom Memorial Laboratory Given To N e w a r k College
Gift of a research laboratory t o the Newark College of Engineering, Newark. X. J., to b e known as the Arthur L. MulMonsanto Chemical Co.'s organic laly Memorial Coatings Laboratory, was chemicals division h a s just announced announced recently during a color forum formation of a market research a n d prod- held at t h e college» by the New York Paint, Varnish, and Lacquer Association. uct development section. In making the announcement. FredT h e new section will be headed by John T . Kagsdale, Jr., a n d wiH be responsible erick W . Bander of t h e college's ehemistr> for market research, specifications, and t h e department, said t h e laboratory w a s t h e gift of Mrs. Mary B. Mullaly as a memodevelopment of intermediates other than resin intermediates. Mr. Ragsdale has rial to h e r late husband, i t will serve regional industry in the protective coatbeen coordinator of technical service and m a r k e t development for t h e organic divi- ings field in both sponsored and independent research u n d e r fellowships, a n d sion. provide instruction at graduate and technological levels for industrial personnel. Compensation f o r Uranium It will b e ready in t h e fall of 1951. Recovery Process Denied Arthur L . Mullaly at one time was sales A claim filed u n d e r provisions of the manager for National Aniline and C h e m i Atomic Energy Act of 1946 for an award cal Co., b u t left t h e d y e industry t o e n of a "reasonable l u m p s u m " for disclosure gage in t h e research a n d development of to t h e Atomic E n e r g y Commission of a organic solvents, resins, driers, polystyrene, process allegedly useful i n the recovery ethyl cellulose, a n d high polymers. l i e of uranium and v a n a d i u m from ores has was a pioneer in t h e synthetic methanol been denied by t h e A E C Patent Comindustry a n d in naphthenate paint driers. pensation Board following hearings in In 1930 h e founded the Advance Solvents Washington, D. C. T h e applicant was and Chemical Corp. in association with Arnold Pacyna of Chicago, 111. Col. Herman Metz. T h e applicant m a d e n o claim that the T h e color forum was attended b y some A E C h a d used his process or that there 200 technical specialists a n d consultants h a d been any use b y anyone other than in t h e protective coatings field. Speakers himself in his own laboratory. addressed the meeting on t h e use of color, " T h e issue raised b y t h e claim," the the physical basis of color specifications, b o a r d said in its findings, "is whether or color collections, a n d color instruments. not t h e applicant h a s submitted to the The meeting was held in the college's A E C a process which would warrant the Weston Lecture Hall. grant of an award t o h i m and, if so, the a m o u n t thereof." Memorial Scholarship a t Lowell To determine t h e efficiency of the procAnnouncement h a s been made by t h e ess, t h e A E C a n d t h e applicant agreed to Lowell Textile Institute of t h e establishi n d e p e n d e n t comparative tests with speciment of a scholarship to be known as t h e fied carnotite ores using both t h e appliJacob Ziskind Memorial Scholarship in cant's process a n d t h e commercial salthonor of the late industrial leader a n d roast acid leach process. philanthropist w h o rose to great heights In its statement of reasons for denying in t h e textile industry. t h e claim, t h e board said: T h e employees of t h e Merrimack Mfg. " T h e evidence shows t h a t t h e 'Pacyna Co., of which Mr. Ziskind was president process' is comparatively inefficient and at t h e time of his d e a t h last October, s u b t h a t t h e costs of t h e ingredients and equipscribed funds in t h e amount of $4300, t h e m e n t employed would b e greater than the
Organics M a r k e t Research Organized by Monsanto
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