INDUSTRY THIS WEEK IN BRIEF
N e w construction Allied Chemical is expanding capacity and has begun operating a uranium concentrates sampling plant at the company's newly reactivated uranium hexafluoride plant at Metropolis, III. Shut down in 1964 because of reduced requirements from the Atomic Energy Commission, the plant started operations again earlier this month in view of the rapidly developing use of nuclear energy for electric power generation. Allied estimates the plant will have the capacity to convert 10,000 tons of ore concentrate annually to hexafluoride by the end of 1969. Cabot Corp. has started up the first of three units at its 100 million pound-per-year carbon black plant near Parkersburg, W.Va. High reinforcing grades of the product are used in making tires and other rubber goods. Standard Oil Co. (Ky.) has started production at its integrated aromatics complex at Pascagoula, Miss. Principal product of the new facility is p-xylene, which is used for making polyester fibers and films. The product will be marketed by the industrial chemicals division of Chevron Chemical Co. Monsanto plans to expand high-density polyethylene capacity at its Texas City, Tex., plant by 100 million pounds per year, bringing annual capacity to 180 million pounds. The new facilities, due on stream by late 1969, will use high-purity ethylene from the company's nearby Chocolate Bayou plant. First Chemical Corp., a subsidiary of First Mississippi Corp., has started up its aniline plant in Pascagoula, Miss. Engineered and built by Badger, the $6 million plant can make more than 50 million pounds per year of aniline and related nitrated products, such as nitrobenzene, p-nitrotoluene, o-toluidine, and o-nitrotoluene. The plant also has facilities to convert aniline to diphenylamine. Corporate Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. (ICI), has reached licensing agreements with two U.S. companies—Chemical Construction Corp. (CHEMICO), a subsidiary of Electric Bond and Shares Co., and Badger Co., a subsidiary of Raytheon Co. CHEMICO will offer for licensing ICI's lowpressure methanol process, while Badger will offer ICI's xylenes isomerization process. The latter process uses a low-cost catalyst to produce high yields of p-xylene from a mixed-xylenes feedstock, Badger says. Hydrogen is not required in this reaction, which is carried out at low pressures. Crucible Steel Co. of America said as C&EN went to press that it had not agreed in principle to merge with Whittaker Corp. This conflicts with Whittaker's earlier disclosure 20 C&EN APRIL 29, 1968
of agreement to a $203 million transaction, with Crucible becoming an operating subsidiary of Whittaker. Los Angeles-based Whittaker makes products for aircraft and industrial uses. Crucible, based in Pittsburgh, makes specialty steels and titanium. Furane Plastics, Inc., has acquired American Reinforced Plastics Co., Los Angeles. Their combined effort will be geared toward improved products for aircraft and missile structures, high-strength metal-bonding adhesives, and advanced composite materials. ARP will operate as a subsidiary of Furane.
International Lurgi Gesellschaft fur Mineraloltechnik, mbH, Frankfurt/ Main, West Germany, and Rhovyl, S.A., Tronville-en-Barrois, France, have signed a contract whereby Lurgi will offer and build PVC fiber plants using Rhovyl know-how. This agreement is valid worldwide, except for some European and northern African states. Lurgi's working program already includes polyamide, polyester, polyolefin, and polyacrylic fiber plants. Rhovyl's know-how is based on many years of experience gained in operating a 22,000 metricton-per-year PVC fiber plant at Tronville. Rio Tinto-Zinc Corp., Ltd., group sales for 1967 were $476.2 million, compared with $347.3 million for 1966. Group profit before tax was $101.3 million compared with $65.8 million for 1966. This substantial increase results chiefly from inclusion of Palabora's (South Africa) first full year of profits at continuing high copper prices and the first full year of Hamersley's (Australia) profits. Air Products, Ltd., New Maiden, England, has shipped a 40 million cu.-ft.-per-day cryogenic hydrogen purification unit it designed to Sardinia. The unit will be installed at Société Italiana Resine's ethylene plant now under construction at Porto Torres. The unit, valued at $168,000, will produce 9 5 % hydrogen from the plant's hydrogen-rich overhead tail gas. It is the second hydrogen unit made by Air Products for Milan-based SIR. Sidex, Ltd., a new company jointly owned by British Sidac (51%) and Imperial Chemical Industries (49%), will build and operate a plant to make oriented polypropylene film for packaging. The new plant is scheduled to start production in 1971. ICI has a similar plant at Dumfries, Scotland, where capacity is being increased from 5000 tons to 9000 tons annually. Dunlop (U.K.) sales in 1967 were $933.6 million—4% more than in 1966. Operating profit in relation to sales of 6.3% was boosted by devaluation to 6.6%, compared with 6.5% in 1966. Group profit before tax was $48 million compared with $42.5 million in 1966. Devaluation accounts for the $5.5 million rise.
