INTERNATIONAL Israel Research Needs Outlined Research in energy sources and increased technical manpower needed CONVERSION
of
salt
and
brackish
were outlined b y Joseph Weil, dean of the college of engineering at the University of Florida. Climate that produces citrus and other semitropical fruits, problems of water control and irrigation, and in prevention of water pollution were among the parrallels. Weil also pointed out the fact that Israel has large phosphate deposits which may be able to yield sufficient uranium for commercial power. Victor Salkind, scientific counselor of the Embassy of Israel declared that only b y increasing the technical manpower sxipply could Israel compete in the world markets—or survive. Eli Ginzberg, director of conservation of human relations of Columbia University, lield that t h e most undeveloped resource of Israel is manpower. He underscored t h e n e e d for training subprofessional groups and of skilled and semiskilled workers. He deplored the small appropriations allocated for workers' training courses in dollar-producing industries.
water into potable water, development of solar energy, and further research in nuclear energy will be given priority in Israel and the Middle East in the next few years if advice of experts, given at the American Technion Society in N e w York recently, is heeded. T h e organization sponsored a two-day Conference on Technology for Israel and the Middle East. Joseph Barnea of UN's Water Resources and Power Section declared that increasing the quantity of water and arriving at its more effective use would continue t o be t h e predominant problem in the Middle East for a long time to come. H e proposed the development of three forms of energy that require little or n o fuel transportation— sun, wind, and nuclear power. H e also called for t h e establishing of local technological institutes to spread knowledge for dealing with natural resources. Abel Wolman, head of the sanitary engineering department at Johns Hopkins, spoke of the lack of knowledge of geology and hydrology, such as quanti• Axel Wenner-Gren, Swedish and intative and qualitative location of surface and underground waters, and said ternational industrialist and financier, there were insufficient meteorological has pledged a donation of about $1 records. Solar radiation research and development would pay off for Israel in the immediate future, according to Nathan Robinson, w h o is head of the Solar Radiation Laboratory of Technion in Israel. H e advised against becoming exclusively preoccupied with atomic power, which would call for expensive units, highly technical skill and training, and high priced raw material, all of which "would keep atomic power in the luxury class for many years to come." H e pointed out that solar radiation was available everywhere, irrespective of transport problems and skilled manpower. Basic principles of utilization of the rays of the sun are already well known, he said, and tremendous advances are being made in construction of cheap conversion and storage units. Solar hot water heaters are already for sale in Israel. Similarities between the industrial problems in Florida and those in Israel
million toward the establishment of an international scientific center in Stockholm. To b e named the Wenner-Gren Center for Scientific Research, its plans call for a skyscraper of 18 stories containing living quarters for about 100 visiting scientists, and for libraries, lecture halls, and laboratories. Entire cost is estimated at $2 million. All branches of science will be represented in the new center. The intention is to stimulate collaboration between Swedish and foreign research. • Titan Co., A/5, chief Norwegian producer of titanium dioxide, has discovered n e w titanium-rich ilmenite deposits near its shipping port in t h e southwestern Jossingfjord. With the new resources the company plans to expand its annual production of ilmenite concentrate from 160,000 to 200,000 tons. Norway today supplies about 16% of the total world production. Chief problem is the developing of an economical refining process and towards this end, Titan will build an experimental plant i n Jossingfjord. • Nordic institute f o r atomic research
will be the subject of discussion when the Nordic Council meets in Copenhagen in January. Representatives of the governments of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have proposed the establishment of suv7i an. institute, to be located in Copenhagen where it will have close connection with the Institute for Theoretical Physics. Building costs will be defrayed by D e n mark, while Sweden and Norway will contribute toward operating expenditure. It is hoped that Finland also will participate. • Chïïecsrs drug plant will b e established at Santiago for making antibiotic
Aluminum Pipeline
An aluminum pipeline has been installed in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, for carrying crude oil from an underwater well to flow station on the lake shore. Creole Petroleum Corp. resorted to the 1 0 0 0 foot aluminum pipe in order t o foil the teredo, a small barnacle-like aquatic animal which attacks the protective coating of the steel pipe formerly used. With the coating damaged, the ferrous metal was exposed to corrosive action by the brackish waters. Alcoa's aluminum research laboratories were called on to predict corrosion resistance of aluminum alloys t o the water and to the crude oil. Tests indicated long life for aluminum in this case.
DEC.
! 2. 1955
C&EN
5397
INTERNATIONAL
drugs. Lederle Laboratories is lending $100,000 worth of machinery and equipment to the Chilean company, Laboratories Chile. Chile now imports more than $3 million worth of antibiot ics a year, and the new plant, sched uled to be in production late next year, should save the country nearly $500,000 a year in dollar exchange. Products will be made entirely for the Chilean market. • Southern
Peru
Copper
Corp.
is
undertaking the development of the large Toquepala copper deposit in southern Peru. Export-Import Bank of Washington has agreed to a loan to the company for the purpose of assisting in financing the U. S. dollar cost of carry ing out the Toquepala project. T w o thirds of the cost will b e provided by the four participating companies. • Boksburg, South Africa, near Johan nesburg, is the site of a newly opened Lever Brothers factory for t h e produc tion of edible oils and fats. The plant, which is the company's biggest in the Southern Hemisphere, will introduce in South Africa a new process for re covery of oil. Oil is dissolved from seeds by a solvent, thus replacing the old crushing method. Solvent is dis tilled and recovered for future use.
Here's a n excellent example of~ our ability to handle tiny wire cloth insert assemblies on a pro duction'basis. Of the·three pieces involved:
g
w e p u n c h e d out the t i n y circular pieces o f 1 0 0 m e s h stainless steel cloth.
D
w e p u n c h e d out the silver solder r i n g s .
Λ
w e p u r c h a s e d o n buyer's specifications t h e stainless steel recessed parts. assembled unit.
Q
A n d t o produce this tiny assembly w e developed a unique method o f induction b r a z i n g , necessary t o g e t high p r o d u c t i o n rates i n the brazing operation. W e ' v e f a b r i c a t e d many l a r g e insert pieces, some several feet across; also countless m e d i u m sized parts. W e thought y o u m i g h t b e in terested in t h e t y p e of w o r k w e d o in t h e 'miniature' f i e l d . However, n o matter t h e size o r shape of the p a r t you w a n t assembled w i t h a w i r e cloth insert, we shall be g l a d to carry it a l l the way t h r o u g h . . . h e l p in design, best method o f inserting, quote a n d p r o d u c e .
>te*e line
Dt
cloth
This Bulletin de scribes our work in connection with wire cloth inserts. How many copies would you like for you and your as sociates?
ewark
ire Cloth COMPANY
351 VERONA AVENUE · NEWARK · NEW JERSEY 5398
C&EN
D E C . 12, 1 9 5 5
• Mediterranean Refining Co. at Sidon, Lebanon, has started u p a second UOP Platforming unit which will per mit increasing the refinery's crude throughput from 6250 to 9 0 0 0 barrels per day, This is the third one in opera tion in the Middle East. • Atomic research center for south and southeast Asia will be set up under the Colombo Plan if and when specific proposals are accepted by the plan's consulting committee. T h e U. S. has offered to set up the center for the plan's 16 beneficiary nations and has backed its offer with a promise of a "substantial contribution," but no final decisions have yet been made. • United Carbon Black, Ltd., will ex pand Swansea works in order to pro duce HAF and other n e w grades of furnace black in the U. K. • Iraqi government has accepted a U. S. offer of facilities for developing atomic energy for peaceful purposes. C & E N Foreign C o r r e s p o n d e n t t r i b u t i n g t o This issue:
PETER HOLZ, South Africa
Con
