INDUSTRY
& B U S I N ESS
Interest Mounts in Undersea Mining A new company, new support systems, and new vehicles aid man's efforts to exploit the sea's wealth One example of the mounting interest in underwater mining is Ocean Systems—jointly owned by Union Carbide (65%), General Precision ( 2 5 % ) , and Edwin A. Link ( 1 0 % ) , a leading oceanologist (C&EN, Jan. 18, page 17). The newly formed company is developing systems that will permit humans to remain below the surface of the ocean for longer periods and at greater depths than heretofore possible. Initially, Ocean Systems will do development work in two areas. Its first aim is to design systems that will permit workmen to live and work continuously at depths of 1000 feet or more. Its second aim is to develop expertise for mineral exploration, undersea cable repair, and underwater construction. Last June, Carbide bought General Offshore Divers, a company performing diving services for off-shore oil wells. The company became part of Carbide's Linde division. As Carbide had no experience in making electronic and other equipment for undersea diving it negotiated the joint venture with General Precision and Mr. Link. The major human problem is that divers using air support systems below 200 feet can develop nitrogen narcosis, a phenomenon that causes hallucinations. Ocean Systems has equipment that allows divers to descend to 400 feet without suffering narcosis. The most significant part of this equipment is an artificial atmosphere—one involving mixtures of oxygen and helium. The ratio of the two gases varies; it depends on the depth at which the mixture is to be used. Chamber. The newest underwater equipment developed by Ocean
DIVER. An Ocean Systems' diver, 250 feet down, does maintenance work on an underwater oil rig. Ocean Systems says divers using its oxy-helium equipment can work safely for nearly an hour at this depth
Systems is a dual-chamber device that speeds the diver's trip to and from the ocean floor. Two men can dive in this device. One can go outside it and work; the other can observe and relay information to the surface. The observer, however, can pressurize his compartment and go out to assist the other diver. The working limit of the chamber is 600 feet, but the chamber itself is built to withstand descents to depths greater than 2000 feet. Divers in the chamber can be brought to the surface as fast as the chamber can be raised—in about five minutes from 600 feet—however, a diver who has gone out of the chamber into the water must undergo appropriate decompression maneuvers following the ascent. For example, following a dive to 400 feet with a bottom time of 10 minutes, the diver must undergo decompression for a little more than two hours, either in the diving chamber or in a surface-based chamber. Other Moves. Another joint effort is under way, by Lockheed Missiles & Space, International Minerals & Chemical, and the Bureau of Mines' Marine Minerals Technology Center. The joint development venture will
explore mineral mining possibilities off the West Coast of the U.S. John Crawford, director of the Marine Minerals Technology Center, says the center was established by the Government to stimulate industry's interest in marine mining. Engineering investigations of tools and systems are going on at the center at Tiburon, Calif. According to Mr. Crawford, the continental shelf is rich in phosphorites, iron, titanium, and precious metals. Commercial mining of the shelf will come within five to seven years. However, commercial mining in deeper waters, where cobalt, copper, and manganese are abundant, will take seven to 10 years, he adds. Undersea nodules, ranging from millimeters to meters in diameter, generally contain about equal amounts of iron and manganese (the two principal metals in the nodules). The nodules also contain such metals as copper, cobalt, nickel, lead, and the rare earths (C&EN, June 1, 1964, page 28A). Aside from the joint effort with Lockheed and IMC, the center is also trying to find the most efficient method of marine mining—whether man alone can do it (such as in Ocean Systems' JAN.
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C&EN
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operation); whether he must be encapsulated; or whether he must do it from the surface. Other companies are also interested in marine mineral mining. These include Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock, Reynolds International, General Electric, and Westinghouse. Newport News is developing a method to mine the minerals using surface-based underwater "vacuum cleaner" equipment. Reynolds International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reynolds Metals, has a submarine device, the Aluminaut, for underwater exploration. Reynolds' plans for marine mining involve the Aluminaut, equipped with manipulators (or claws), mining the minerals, and discharging them on a submerged barge, which when filled would be raised to the surface. General Electric is developing the manipulators for the Aluminaut. GE is also developing what it calls the Pedipulator, a "walking" machine, with 18-foot "legs." It would be used initially for such things as picking up parachute drops in rough terrain. GE, however, believes the machine (if equipped with working arms) could be used for underwater operations, such as mining minerals. Another submarine device is the French Diving Saucer built by Capt. Jacques Yves-Cousteau (Westinghouse has exclusive U.S. rights to the saucer). This two-man vehicle is equipped with lights for underwater photography, and can descend to depths of 1000 feet (C&EN, Jan. 4, page 8 5 ) . Westinghouse, Capt. Cousteau, and France's Office Francais de Recherches Sous-Marines are also developing another such vehicle, Deepstar-4000, which will be able to descend to 4000 feet; final assembly of this three-man vehicle is under way in Marseilles, France. Westinghouse hopes to develop a family of these vehicles, based on Deepstar-4000, which would be able to descend to depths as great as 20,000 feet. Processing. Developments in processes for extracting minerals from undersea deposits must accompany developments in mining. An approach different from the chemical techniques used in processing land-mined ores is required, though. For marine mining, the engineering skills of transportation companies, mining companies, and chemical processors must be combined into a joint operation if such recovery is to be economical. 26
C&EN J A N . 25, 1965
Alcoa Sees More Aluminum in '65 Cars Average amount per car to decrease, but total shipments will increase 13% over 1964 Aluminum shipments to auto makers this year will beat the 1964 total by 13%—in spite of a drop in the average amount of the metal used per car. A record 850 million pounds of aluminum will go into automobile and commercial vehicle production in 1965, according to Aluminum Co. of America. Styling changes, such as cuts in the use of exterior trim, bring down the average in 1965 models to about 69 pounds of finished aluminum parts, as installed, per car. Last year's models sported some 72 pounds per car on the average. These figures are averages weighted by predicted production and model-mix. George E. Hermann, Alcoa's manager of transportation industry sales, points out that as 1965 sales patterns are established, changes in the model-mix could raise aluminum use several pounds per car. Until now, the long-term trend of demand for automotive aluminum has been steadily upward despite the va-
garies of fashion. Per-car use grew each year since Alcoa's first survey figure of 37 pounds per car, in 1956. In all, the company expects that 650 million. pounds of aluminum will go into the 7.9 million passenger cars it predicts will be made in 1965 (finished parts will weigh less). On Detroit's drawing boards, aluminum is probably moving fastest into radiators, brakes, wheels, and air conditioners. Grilles for more than 70% of 1965 production will be made of aluminum. Automatic transmission components will account for almost 200 million pounds. And the aluminum industry hasn't given up on engine blocks. Of U.S. production models, only Chevrolet's Corvair is equipped today with an aluminum engine. Alcoa, though, is talking "imminent production cost breakthroughs" sufficient to make the mass production of aluminum blocks competitive. Commercial vehicles this year make up a 200 million pound market for
Use of aluminum in U.S. automobiles grows 27% in five years Automobile
Buick Cadillac Checker Chevrolet Corvair Corvette Dodge Falcon Ford Imperial Lincoln Mercury Mustang Plymouth Pontiac Rambler Tempest Valiant Average*
1965
80.4 101.3 46.1 54.9 128.3 84.1 79.6 51.4 80.7 96.4 97.3 71.8 62.2 77.9 83.3 52.2 56.4 65.2 69.1
I960
Change, %
78.5 78.3 33.9 34.3 103.4
24 29 36 60 19.5
81.6 35.7 54.3 113.4 84.0 57.5
-2.5 " 44 49 -15 16 27
73.6 44.7 48.8
58.5 86 8.2
80.0 54.4
-18.5 27
* Weighted on basis of production and model-mix; includes all makes, though not all listed in table. Source: Commercial research division, Alcoa
the light metal, Alcoa's figures show. Most of this is going to truck and body makers. Currently, more than half of all truck bodies built are aluminum, the company says. Other lightweight options—cabs, frame rails, cross members, spring hangers, and cither components—together with truck-body demand will call for more than 115 million pounds of aluminum for truck and body building this year.
Reinforced Plastics Use Will Climb 4% This Year Reinforced plastics consumption will reach 340 million pounds in 1965, surpassing 1964 consumption by 4 . 3 % . This is the projection of the reinforced plastics division of the Society of the Plastics Industry. The biggest increase will be in aircraft and missiles. These outlets took 32 million pounds last year and should take 37 million pounds this year. The transportation industry is still the largest consumer of reinforced plastics, however. This year, it should consume 70 million pounds—21% of the total reinforced plastics market. Construction and boat building will each take another 68 million pounds. Last year these outlets together consumed 131 million pounds of reinforced plastics. Consumer goods, pipe, and miscellaneous items will make small gains this year, while appliances and electrical applications will exhibit small declines in reinforced plastics consumption.
Aircraft, Missiles Will Take More Reinforced Plastics Millions of Pounds Major Markets
Aircraft and missiles Appliances Boats Construction Consumer goods Containers, trays, industrial housings Electrical Pipes, ducts, tanks Transportation Miscellaneous Totals
1964*
1965**
32 11 65 66 25
37 10 68 68 26
14 16 18 67 12 326
14 15 19 70 13 340
* Estimates. ** Projections. Source: Society of the Plastics Industry
Calchem Plans to Make More Ammonium Sulfate California Chemical Co. will increase its production of ammonium sulfate fertilizer to 90,000 tons annually at Richmond, Calif. The expansion is slated to begin next month with installation of crystallizers by Swenson Evaporator Co., principal contractor. Start-up will depend on start-up of a giant Isomax hydrocracking unit now being built by Standard Oil Co. of California, Calchem's parent company. The Isomax unit is being installed as part of an $80 million project that will expand gasoline production at Richmond by 4 0 % . This 62,000 barrel-per-operating-day unit will use crude-oil residues heavier than any presently fed to a hydrocracker, according to Standard Oil of Calif. The ammonia and sulfur feedstocks for the fertilizer plant will be hydrocracker by-products. Calchem expects to market the ammonium sulfate west of the Rocky Mountains. According to Harris Carter, national manager-fertilizers for Calchem's Ortho division, that area's demand for sulfur-containing fertilizers has not been fully supplied for several years.
Du Pont Cuts Price of Polyester Staple Du Pont has cut the price of its Dacron polyester staple fiber by 14 cents per pound. Most of the fiber affected by the price cut has been selling for about 98 cents per pound. Beaunit has followed with a similar reduction in the price of its Vycron polyester staple. Other producers of polyester staple, Eastman Chemical Products and Celanese, have not made any price changes yet. Eastman's polyester is called Kodel and Celanese's Fortrel. (Fortrel is actually produced by Fiber Industries, which is jointly owned by Celanese and Britain's Imperial Chemical Industries.) Du Pont's move may have been a retaliation against polyester staple producers who have been selling their product below list price. The 14cent cut puts its price well below prices quoted by any of its competitors. The action parallels Du Pont's price reduction on its nylon carpet yarns in July 1964 when competitors were also undercutting list prices. Du Pont, as the major and probably
lowest cost producer of these materials, can use price cuts like these to protect its position in the fibers market. About 6 5 % of the polyester fiber sold in the U.S. is made by Du Pont. Last year, U.S. output of polyester fiber was about 245 million pounds. This year, output should total about 320 million pounds. The price reductions for staple do not affect prices for continuous filament yarns. These are used mainly in home furnishings and tire cord. Polyester staple is used chiefly in a 65% polyester-35% cotton blend for making shirts and other clothing. It is made by cutting tow (made of a number of unbroken filaments) into short lengths. The staple can then be mixed with cotton and processed into yarn and fabric. An advantage of polyester is that it gives "easy care" qualities to a fabric. Polyester fiber fill is used to stuff sleeping bags, pillows, and similar products. American Enka, another producer of polyester fiber, concentrates on filament rather than staple. Industrial Rayon is building a 10 million poundper-year polyester tire cord plant at Painesville, Ohio. Chemstrand is building a 20 million pound-per-year plant to make polyester staple, tow, and filament at Decatur, Ala. Both of these plants are due for operation this year.
BRIEFS Stauffer Chemical Co. has been adding to its reserves of phosphate rock, and it now has deposits amounting to 1 billion tons. Stauffer has recently acquired mining privileges in Idaho, and has doubled its holdings in Florida and Montana. Its total mining areas cover more than 50,000 acres.
Vogt Manufacturing Corp. has acquired all the stock of Allerton Chemical Co. Allerton is a producer of industrial coatings; Vogt manufactures a variety of textile and plastic products. Both companies are in Rochester, N.Y.
Monsanto Co.'s organic chemicals division has established a laboratory to test specialty food ingredients at its research center in St. Louis, Mo. The new lab will evaluate research on JAN.
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#if#%^>
food ingredients and provide technical assistance to the food processing industry. Monsanto produces more than 20 food grade acids, flavors, and preservatives for the food industry.
NEW FACILITIES
The plant, scheduled for completion in late 1966, will supply Du Pont's own manufacturing operations. In the past Du Pont has used ethylene from Gulf Coast suppliers under long-term contracts. When these contracts expire, production from the plant will be used.
Atlas Chemical Industries, Inc., will
WHEN J *> ^ CONTAMINATION STRIKES >**^
pusi
•:'- ' I K S I I
build a biomedical research center in Wilmington, Del. Construction of the $4 million building will start by April, and completion is scheduled for early 1966. The 60,000-square-foot center will accommodate the development and testing of new drugs, food additives and cosmetic ingredients. Atlas also plans to expand its technical center in Wilmington.
Vanadium Corp. of America has completed construction of a plant to produce vanadium oxytrichloride. Located at Cambridge, Ohio, the new facility will produce tonnage quantities of the stereospecific catalyst, which is used in the production of ethylene propylene rubber.
HAWS IS READY Hercules Powder Co. has started construction on two projects at its plant in Louisiana, Mo. One is a plant to produce slow-release nitrogen turf food. It is scheduled for completion by March. The other is a 200 tonper-day ammonia unit. Hercules already has a 130 ton-per-day ammonia unit at Louisiana.
»
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C&EN
JAN.
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Shell Chemical Co. has purchased 700 acres near Geismar, La. The land will be the site for the third step in Shell's operations in detergent intermediates and ethylene derivatives. The first step is a detergent-range primary alcohols unit (due for start-up by June) at Houston, Tex. (C&EN, June 15, 1964, page 17). The second is a 500 million pound-a-year ethylene plant being built at Nopco, La. (C&EN, Nov. 23, 1964, page 2 3 ) . At the new Geismar site, Shell will build processing units for ethylene oxide and its derivatives. Shell Chemical is a division of Shell Oil Co.
Du Pont has awarded Lummus Co. the contract to build its 750 million poundper-year ethylene plant at Orange, Tex. (C&EN, Oct. 12, 1964, page 19).
The Consolidated Chemical division of Stauffer Chemical Co. has just started production at its liquid aluminum sulfate plant in Baton Rouge, La. This output will be used to supply the increased demands of the pulp and paper industry of the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf area.
Northern Illinois Gas Co. will spend $64 million on construction in 1965. A substantial part—$18 million—will be used to complete a liquid ammonia plant near East Dubuque, 111., for its subsidiary Apple River Chemical Co. The 600 ton-per-day plant is scheduled for production in the last quarter this year. The remainder of the funds will be spent to expand services, to build storage facilities, and to build supply mains.
Borg-Warner Corp. has acquired a site in Fremont, Ohio. It will build a facility there for development work on new types of machinery for the plastics industry. The 20,000-squarefoot building, scheduled to be completed this year, will house the company's research program now conducted at Scottsburg, Ind. The Scottsburg facility will continue to work on problems of plastics fabrication.
Ethyl Corp. will build a plant to manufacture polyethylene film in LaGrange, Ga. This move follows the acquisition of 60 acres within the city's limits. The facility, which will be operated by Ethyl's Visqueen division, is scheduled for completion this fall.
Allied Chemical Corp. will build a plant at Deposit, N.Y., to make semihardhoard products. The plant, which will be operated by the company's Barrett division, will have an annual capacity of 50 million feet when it is completed in early 1966. Semihardboard will be a new product for Allied.
