aluminum, tin, copper, or one of several other metals probably can sustain fields of 600,000 gauss or more and may well be capable of forming superconducting magnets with field intensities of at least 400,000 gauss. Their composition, IBM says, suggests they will be good glass-formers. D
Insect venom effective in allergy to stings All those people who regularly get allergy shots to protect them from stinging insects may not have been getting any protection after all. Results from the first controlled trial of the treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions to stinging insects show that the only preparations now available to physicians to treat insect allergy—extracts made from the whole bodies of insects—provide little or no better protection than a placebo. There is good news, however. The trials also show that treatment with insect venom is very effective in completely eliminating allergic reaction to insect stings. The trials, supported by the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID), were conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University's school of medicine at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore. Fifty-nine patients who had insect sting allergies were divided into three groups. Each group received six to 10 weeks of immunotherapy consisting of injections of insect whole body extract, insect venom, or a histamine-containing lacebo. Then the subjects were stung y the insect to which they were the most allergic. Only one of the 18 venom-treated patients had a systemic reaction, and that reaction was mild. Of the patients treated with whole body extract, seven of 11 had systemic reactions, compared with seven out of 12 for the placebo group. Patients who showed systemic reaction were treated with venom for six weeks and restung. Then, only one patient had a systemic reaction. Whole body extracts were used to treat allergies because they are easier to obtain than isolated insect venom, and because it was thought that they would contain a small amount of venom. However, this does not seem to be true, possibly because enzymes in the insect's body destroy the allergenic proteins of the venom. Recently developed methods of obtaining pure venom are expected to make it available shortly for allergy treatment, according to NIAID. D
PPG will buy former Che netron unit A company that once was a famous old name in the U.S. chemical industry is now split into four pieces, and each piece has become part of a much larger firm. In the latest move in this dispersion, the chemical products division of Chemetron Corp. has been absorbed by PPG Industries. PPG said last week that it has agreed to buy the chemicals segment from Allegheny Ludlum, which bought Chemetron last year. The purchase by PPG makes the third sale by Allegheny Ludlum of pieces of Chemetron. Earlier this year, the steel company sold Chemetron's industrial gases business, excluding the carbon dioxide unit, to Liquid Air of North America for a one-third interest in Liquid Air (C&EN, May 8, page 5). Previously Liquid Air had been 78% owned by France's Air Liquide. The company also sold Chemetron's pigments business, which had been part of the chemical products division, to Rhinechem, the U.S. arm of West
Germany's Bayer (C&EN, June 19, page 7). The sale will leave Allegheny Ludlum with only the metals group and a venture management group of Chemetron). The latest deal, which calls for PPG to pay Allegheny Ludlum an undisclosed amount of cash, includes plants in La Porte, Tex.; Stockertown, 111.; and a headquarters and research facility in Chicago. In addition, there is a closed-down antimony oxide plant in Cleveland, the disposition of which will be part of the negotiations between the two companies. The La Porte plant produces phosgene derivatives. The Stockertown facility manufactures color dispersions in plastics and resins as well as flame-retardant concentrates and compounds. Annual sales of the division are about $30 million. Robinson F. Barker, chairman and chief executive officer of PPG, says that the acquisition is part of PPG's long-range plan to strengthen its position in specialty chemicals. D
Big Teflon market seen in fabric structures That's a heck of a lot of frying pans, said a Du Pont representative, referring to the 10-acre roof of the Pontiac Silverdome. The stadium, home of the Detroit Lions, is covered with an air-supported dome of architectural fabric—glass fiber coated with Teflon. The remark expresses the enthusiasm with which Du Pont views the growing market for Teflon in fabric structures. Back home last week after earlier award ceremonies in Washington, D.C., architecture students from several schools were enjoying some of the fruits of that enthusiasm. Du Pont and Owens-Corning Fiberglas had been the cosponsors of an architectural fabrics design competition planned and organized by two University of Kentucky professors of architecture. The contestants were fourth- and fifth-year students at accredited architectural and engineering schools.
Competing students were to design a low-cost, energy-efficient permanent fabric structure for a federal office building in Denver. The site was inspired by a 1976 study made by the General Services Administration, which was looking into the feasibility of an office building having earth walls and an air-supported roof— what GSA has come to call a ' ' megastr ucture. " Christopher F. Kronser and Mark R. Ernst of the University of Wisconsin took the $7500 first prize with a blend of traditional and futuristic elements. A roughly spherical fabric roof is transparent around the perimeter of the structure and above a tree-lined main boulevard that bisects the structure. Speaking at the awards presentation, Robert P. Mulligan, vice president of Owens-Corning Fiberglas' fabric structures unit, noted that permanent air-supported structures
Prize-winning design is a blend of traditional and futuristic elements
