Furthermore, for all practical purposes, exports of rayon are now i n balance "with imports, as contrasted w i t h 1Θ49 w h e n exports of 138 million p o u n d s far out weighed imports of o n l y 1 9 million pounds.
BUSINESS
PROCESS INDUSTRIES' OUTLOOK Rayon consumption soared to a new high record total of 110.5 million pounds during A u g u s t . . . Expansion in viscose staple capacity now about completed, and industry is showing increased interest in the newer fibers 'npHE story of rayon is one of continual -*• expansion of productive capacity and output. Indeed, t h e industry was often labeled depression-proof, until the spring and summer of 1949 when it faltered for the first time. A rapid recovery was ex perienced in the latter part of the same year, and currently rayon production is running at peak levels. Latest rayon shipments reported by Rayon Organon, for August, amounted to 11().5() pounds, an all-time high monthly record. Included in the record total were 82.8 million pounds of filament yarn and 27.7 million pounds of staple. Analysis of these shipments reveals that the ratio of filament yarn to staple is about 3 to 1. In 1949, however, t h e ratio was 4 to 1. The significance of the in creased consumption of staple relative to yarn has not been overlooked, as many observers believe that staple capacity can be substantially increased. Further substance to this belief is added by consideration of a trend within the textile business, toward stiffer competi tion between rayon sheer fabrics in dress goods, and cottons, silks, and woolens. On the other side, staple fiber has been making progress in year-round men's suits and in blends w i t h wool for carpeting. Proof of t h e trend is revealed by the sharp increase in imports of staple, as shown here.
Expansion in Viscose Expansion of viscose staple capacity from 175 to 198 million p o u n d s this year has been substantially completed; h o w ever, among acetate producers, Du Pont, Celanese, and Tennessee Eastman, only Celanese has reported p l a n s for increasing staple output at Narrows, Va., and D u Pont is reported to b e discontinuing its production in October. American Viscose,
Norway, ll'/f each. Rayon Organon re ports that Austria, Canada, Cuba, Ger many, Japan, and Sweden have lately be come important suppliers of rayon. That staple is the single most important import is indicated by the fact that it constitutes about So'/t of total rayon imports.
INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS vs. INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION BASE PERIOD INDEX 1935-1939 = 100 500
400 INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS 300
200 TOTAL INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION 100
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.1950
MOTOR FUEL PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION. M O L D I N G AND EXTRUSION MATERIALS. SHEETS. RODS. AND TUBE. MILLIONS OF POUNDS
August, 1950 (in Million P o u n d s ) Filament Yarn Shipments Viscose high tenacity 26 . 5 Viscose + Cupra textile 29.0 Acetate 27.3 82.8 Staple and Tow Viscose 16.5 Acetate 11.2 27.7 Total Rayon 110.5
1 1
1949
CELLULOSE ACETATE PLASTICS
Rayon Shipments and Stocks
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1948
1947
ALL TYPES. MILLIONS OF BARRELS
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Rayon Staple Imports (in Thousand Country France United Kingdom Belgium Switzerland Norway Netherlands Cuba Germany Japan Others Total
Pounds) Six months, June, 1950 1950 1,723 8,172 1,079 6,748 1,233 6,729 1,018 4,097 544 3,876 637 2,543 355 1,116 251 873 351 630 245 1,323 7,436
36,106
Six months, .949 304 831 1,133 2,814 — 1,765 — — 3 11 6,861
BITUMINOUS COAL
STEEL OPERATIONS
PRODUCTION. MILLIONS OF SHORT TONS
PER CENT CAPACITY
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1950
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I I I I A J Ο Ν Ο
1950
CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS C H E M I C A L
AND
E N G I N E E R I N G
NEWS
t h e largest producer ot ia\on by the viscose process, has increased its staple fiber output at Nitro, \V. Vu., and had p u r c h a s e d land at Radford, Va., some time ago for possible rayon staple production. However, this site was never developed. O t h e r viscose staple producers are Celan e s e at Rome, Ga., D u Pont at Buffalo, Ν . Υ., and Avisco at Front Royal, Va., as well as at Nitro. It is thought that vis cose staple, selling at a price of 37—38 cents a p o u n d , does not offer t h e same profit margin as t h e filament yarns at 74—79 cents a p o u n d for the 150 denier, 4 2 filament. T h e same spread exists in the case of acetate rayon, a n d here again, ex pansion of plant capacities is limited to t h e Narrows, Va., plant of Celanese. T h e pinch is felt by t h e yarn producers as well. Celanese h a s stated that from an estimate of textile machinery in place a n d specified for installation during 1950, t h e capacity of w e a v i n g plants by the fourth q u a r t e r of 1950 will exceed b y a considerable margin t h e productive ca pacity of t h e chemical yarn industry. In fact, during and since t h e war, a greater portion of expansion in capacity has been d e v o t e d to production of liijih tenacity y a r n for tire cord. O n e solely to t h e population g r o w t h , it has been p r e d i c t e d that rayon markets m a y b e expected to expand at a n annual r a t e of 20 million pounds. These m a n m a d e fibers d o not encroach upon the markets for wool a n d cotton. Future course of events is very much concerned w i t h the d e v e l o p m e n t of polyvinyl fibers. Most rayon companies a r e participating in this development, with O u Pont in the lead w i t h Orion, t h e acrylonitrile fiber. Celanese a n d Industrial Rayon are work ing very actively along these lines, while Avisco has t e a m e d up with Monsanto to form C h e m s t r a n d , a company which is entering t h e pilot plant stage with what is eventually expected t o be a copolymer of acrylonitrile a n d vinyl chloride. Car b i d e & C a r b o n is marketing a staple fiber, Dyncl, which also is a vinyl chloricleacrylonitrile copolymer. Rayon plants are concentrated for the m o s t part in t h e south—Virginia, Carolinas, a n d Tennessee—also located along t h e Atlantic seaboard and over to the Great Lakes region. T h e number, all told, is about 3 0 . Availability of cellulose sources, cotton linters a n d wood p u l p , and t h e concentration of population in these a r e a s probably w e r e the underlying factors in p l a n t locations. Industrial p r o d u c t i o n hit a n index figure of 204 for August, with every in dication that production will reach higher levels in future m o n t h s . The Industrial Chemicals index d r o p p e d from 4 5 1 to 449 in July, probably as a reflection of vaca tions.
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C H A R T C R E D I T S : Chemical Produc tion—Federal Reserve Board; Cellulose Acetate—Tariff Commission; Motor FuelSurvey of C u r r e n t Business; Steel Opera tions— American Iron & Steel Institute; Bituminous Coal— B u r e a u of Mines. V O L U M E
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40
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» OCTOBER
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& Scorn T
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1950
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