INDUSTRY tion is whether these will be zirconium ceramics. Obviously, continues Dalzell, it will be several years before the reactor power plant picture becomes clear. Most of the power costs used today are based on calculations not experiments. While the process of building industrial reactor power plants and studying costs continues, the Government will probably proceed with the task of building reactors for military use. Also, the AEC will devote much time to testing and developing new reactor concepts. But, adds Dalzell, do not overlook the future of nonreactor uses of zirconium. Many believe the reactor business will get big enough to generate a demand sufficient to lower prices of the metal. Alert producers should be ready to exploit the use of zirconium, for example, in the construction of chemical plant equipment.
Shortage Can Be Solved By working a t local ievei companies can increase and improve supply of trained scientists a n d engineers OCIENCE
AND EXGINEERING h a v e
be-
come increasingly indispensable to industry. Yet the shortage of trained people grows yearly. What is industry doing about it? W h a t can it do in the future? Faced with these problems, the research committee of National Association of Manufacturers decided that industry holds in its own hands the simplest and best way of remedying the present shortage of scientists and engineers. Its conclusion: If each company would assist schools in its own community, the situation could be corrected and quickly. This is based on the opinion that the shortage of scientists and engineers begins in high schools, and even in elementary schools. Not enough boys and girls are entering technical fields, largely because of a deficiency of trained science teachers. T h e major contributing factor to this shortage of teachers is industry's eating its own "seed corn." It pays more than schools, thus draws away the college graduates in science and engineering. To find out what various companies are doing to aid schools in their respective communities, NAM's research education subcommittee, aided by its educational advisory committee, sent out a "request for information" to presi5472
C & EN
DEC.
19,
19 5 5
dents of 3100 member companies. It received replies from about 2 0 % of those polled. NAM assumes that most of the remaining 8 0 % were either not interested or were unaware of the present emergency. Of those companies who responded to the question, "Are you cooperating with science and mathematics departments of local high schools?" only 50% indicated such cooperation. However, NAM says the questionnaire did show that a number of interesting forms of assistance are being carried out in various localities. These include aid to teachers," students, and to schools and education in general. NAM summarizes the suggestions as follows: The teacher is the focal point of our educational system. Businessmen should: • Take steps to achieve public recognition ^of the teacher as a valuable member of the community • Learn the teacher's problems and give him advice and support • Help achieve adequate salary levels for teachers • Help teachers supplement income through summer employment in industry • Support programs of further education for teachers to improve their professional competence The student
is the potential scientist
and engineer. Industrialists in these professions should: • Stimulate student interest in these technical fields • Inform students of the promising career opportunities available • Acquaint students with industrial applications of science and engineering through plant tours, summer jobs, apprentice, or work-study programs • Support scholarship programs for promising students • Participate in science fairs and other programs sponsored by local industry The school should have the benefit of the best brains in the community for planning its plant and program. Industrialists with scientific or engineering training should: • Serve as members of school boards and in Parent-Teacher Associations • Be available as speakers to demonstrate the importance of technical training and education • Help "bring about community understanding of the mutual problems of industry and t h e schools • Support educational and scientific foundations • Support research programs in colleges and universities on
To help implement programs based these suggestions, NAM recom-
i Hooker-Niagara Merger In foreground is plant of Niagara Alkali, which merged into Hooker on Nov. 30.
huw
-TTEFZGUEES
HELPS... :«P«OM,^^S^i|iKFIC FARMING
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS in laM \ e a i ^ 4-11 Entomology Proclaim aie pii'Luieii AN ith Hercules President A,. E. Forstci. Each \eai H e i c u l e s aw a i d s six college scholarships, p l u s s t a t e and count\ pnzes.. to \sinnerb i n this piogram. T h e competition is sponsored In Heicules t o de*\ elop t o m o r r o w ' s farm l e a d e r . PK t u i e d a r e : Barbara Ristow. Indiana: Edwin J o n e s . Arizona; Mr. Forster; B r e n d a Adams, O k l a h o m a ; Louise Ottawa). Kansas: Da\id Anderson, ftliode Island; J u d i t h Gates, O r e g o n .
MN.I:l#:W*VJ!IH*W:!LWiWJ
ARTIFICIAL SNOW, based on Hercules® ethyl cellulose, is conveniently dispensed from the aerosol container to provide a decorative touch at C h r i s t m a s time. Ethyl cellulose serves also a s t h e basic ingredient i n a wide variety of products including: p h o n o g r a p h records, plastics, inks, and specialty coatings for papers, plastics and foils.
&ERCUZLES \
POWDER,
...PROTECT 'LIVE WIRES!
FOR LONGER WEAR t h i s electrical wire is protected with vinyl insulation made with Hercoflex® 600. A new and different vinyl plasticizer, Hercoflex 6 0 0 offers high dielectric strength plus a c o m b i n a t i o n of low and high temperature performance that makes it a p r e m i u m plasticizer for vinyl resins.
COMPANY
Market St., Wilmington 9 9 , Del. Sates QJjices in Principal Cities SYNTHETIC RESIIMS, CELLULOSE PRODUCTS, CHEMICAL COTTON, TERPENE CHEMICALS, ROSIN AND ROSIN DERIVATIVES, CHLORINATED PRODUCTS, OXYCHEMICALS, EXPLOSIVES, AiMD OTHER CHEMICAL PROCESSING MATERIALS.
WBnCWLES CHEMICAL MATERIALS FOR INDUSTRY DEC.
19,
1955
C&EN
54^3
INDUSTRY
D n Pout Grasselli
m e n d s i t s own vocational guidance booklet, a n d publications of F u t u r e Scientists of American Foundation o f N a tional Science T e a c h e r s Association, and Science Clubs of America. T h e full r e p o r t on its survey is available free from National Association of Manufacturers, 2 East 48th St., N e w York 17, X. Y.
Chemical
Briefs SULFAMIC ACID CLEANERS
All-Time Chemical Records
R e m o v e Boiler Scale Quickly with Minimum Corrosion Sulfamic A c i d is unique a m o n g acids, f o r it combines high strength with e x c e p t i o n a l l y l o w corrosive a c t i o n . These p r o p e r t i e s a r e distinct a d v a n t a g e s in cleaners f o r m u l a t e d w i t h Sulfamic A c i d f o r such difficult c l e a n i n g jobs as t h e r e m o v a l o f h a r d - w a t e r scale f r o m boilers, p r e h e a t e r s a n d other h e a t - e x change equipment. A CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL, Sulfamic A c i d can b e h a n d l e d in safety, it is c o n s i d e r a b l y less corrosive t h a n mineral a c i d s and has the a d d e d a d v a n t a g e of b e i n g non-volatile. W o r k m e n can e a s i l y dissolve Sulfamic A c i d in the concentrations r e q u i r e d f o r e q u i p ment c l e a n i n g — u s u a l l y a 1 t o 3 % solution is a d e q u a t e u n d e r n o r m a l conditions. Action o n scale is quick a n d complete as the solution is c i r c u l a t e d t h r o u g h e q u i p m e n t . H a r d - w a t e r deposits a r e c o n v e r t e d to solub l e s u l f a m a t e salts which c a n b e easily rinsed a w a y . Y e t for a l l its strength, Sulf a m i c A c i d causes little corrosion o f m e t a l surfaces. E q u i p m e n t service life is l e n g t h e n e d ; maintenance, costs a r e r e d u c e d . WHERE CAN Y O U USE SULFAMIC ACID? B r e w e r i e s , milk plants a n d p a p e r mills a r e p r o f i t i n g with Sulfamic A c i d cleaners on t o u g h cleaning jobs. Both f o r m u l a t o r s and users o f cleaning compounds a r e finding that this strong, y e t mildly corrosive a c i d offers superior p e r f o r m a n c e a n d i m p o r t a n t a d v a n t a g e s . It is s h i p p e d in o n e - w a y d i s p o s a b l e f i b e r drums, cutting d e l i v e r y costs f a r b e l o w those f o r returnable carboys. And naturally there a r e no losses d u e to b r e a k a g e or s p i l l a g e . Just clip t h e c o u p o n f o r full i n f o r m a t i o n .
cgflpp) BETTER THINGS FOR BETTER LIVING . . . THROUGH CHEMISTRY
E. I. du Pont d e Nemours & Co. (Inc.) Grasselli Chemicals Department, Rm. N-2539 Wilmington 9 8 , Delaware Please send me your technical bulletin on Sulfamic Acid for use on Name
,
Firm Street
:
City
5474
Zone
C&EN
State
D E C . 19, 1 9 5 5
will also provide additional capacity for industrial laminates. Merging of the two organizations will provide Cyanamid with national distribution channels t o t h e consuming public, a company spokesman says. At t h e same time it can b e expected to contribute t o t h e expansion of t h e Formica product line.
Chemical industry sales d u r i n g 1955 will r e a c h an estimated $23 billion, a new, all-time high. This is a 1 7 . 6 % increase over 1954 sales of $ 1 9 . 5 billion. According to preliminary estimates b y Manufacturing Chemists' Association, t h e industry's total investment in p l a n t expansion will exceed $1 billion for t h e fifth consecutive year. Basing its information on six-month figures from government sources, MCA says that profits after taxes for trie first half o f t h e year were $ 7 7 7 million compared with $585 million for t h e same period in 1954. Production, like sales, r e a c h e d a new h i g h in 1955. F e d e r a l Reserve Board production i n d e x average for the first e i g h t months w a s 162 (base 1 9 4 7 - 4 9 — 1 0 0 ) . O n t h e basis o f firsthalf production, plastics and resins output will r e a c h an estimated 3.5 billion pounds this year, 2 0 %> above 1954. Synthetic fiber production i n t h e first three quarters of this year reached 1.2 billion p o u n d s , a 2 3 % increase over the 1 billion pounds produced during the s a m e period last year.
Cyana mid-Formica Merger M e r g e r negotiations a r e i n progress between American Cyanarnid a n d Formica. Detailed terms a r e still u n d e r negotiation, b u t the proposed acquisition contemplates t h a t Formica stockholders will receive l 3 / ^ shares of C y a n a m i d stock for e a c h share o f Formica stock outstanding. W h e n t h e acquisition takes place, it i s p l a n n e d that F o r m i c a will continue t o o p e r a t e as a n additional unit in the Cyanamid organization under direction of present m a n a g e m e n t . Final agreement will be subject t o approval of the board of directors of C y a n a m i d a n d stockholders and directors of Formica. F o r m i c a is planning a $2.5 million expansion program at its Evendale, Ohio, plant. This expansion calls for a 2 0 % increase i n sheet larainating facilities. Plans are for construction to begin in the spring. I t s primary purpose is t o meet increased d e m a n d for decorative laminates in interior furnishings and architectural applications. It
Offices • Burgess-Manning has opened a New York sales office at 11 W e s t 42nd St. The company also has division headquarters at Libertyville, 111., Chicago, Dallas, and Philadelphia, for its activities in the fields of noise and pulsation control, liquid separation, and waste heat recovery. • Allied Chemical & Dye is consolidating t h e Cleveland sales oflfices of its Barrett, General Chemical, National Aniline, Semet-Solvay, a n d Solvay Process divisions at 3 1 2 1 Euclid Ave. • Abbott Labs has formally dedicated its new sales headquarters a n d distribution center for Kansas City a n d t h e Southwest. It is located at 540 Westport, Kansas City, Mo., a n d serves a population area of 7 . 5 million people in portions of six states. C©3lWSi€ff3 • • •
• Atomic i n s t r u m e n t will h a n d l e distribution of t h e Milatomic filter in t h e atomic energy field. T h e filter is said to be especially well suited for use in collection a n d assay of radioactive precipitate. T h e cellulose filter has been widely used in programs t o study* lab exhaust duct and reactor stack discharges. • Atlantic Research h a s appointed J o s e p h F. S o d a r o Co., 3 8 9 5 Main St., Culver City, Calif., as California representatives for i t s line of transducer a n d transient pressure gage fine.
Mergers • Trubek L a b o r a t o r i e s , East Rutherford, N. J., has acquired Truland Chemical, Union, N . J . Truland will become a wholly owned subsidiary with no change i n personnel. Operations of Truland, w h i c h i n c l u d e custom reclamation or purchase of organic chemical by-products, will b e moved t o East Rutherford, where Trubek makes synthetic organic chemicals. • Crown Z e l l e r b a c h a n d G a y l o r d Cont a i n e r stockholders h a v e a p p r o v e d t h e
Dependable Source for Chemical Raw Materials
Discussing Dover's expansion plans are, left to right: Samuel R. Thrush, plant manager; Eric R. Beu, chief process engineer; and Robert S. Cohen, president.
"Wyandotte is one of the most customerconscious suppliers we have dealt with 9 ' -Robert T h e D o v e r Chemical C o r p o r a t i o n started out in 1949 manufacturing one grade of chlorinated paraffin. Today it is an important producer of chlorinated paraffins, with eight grades varying in chlorine content from 30 to 70 per cent. Dover's chlorinated paraffins find their way into many industries. They a r e used in the manufacture of cutting oils, as additives for lubricants, as flameproofing components in paints and polyester resins, and as co-plasticizers in vinyl resins — to name just a few. Other products which have been added recently include ortho-dichlorobenzene, used as a solvent in enginecleaning compounds and in sewage treatment, and para-dichlorobenzene for use in moth balls and deodorants. In order t o better serve these varied markets, Dover looks to companies like Wyandotte for technical assistance. I n the words of Robert S. Cohen,
S- Cohen,
president,
Dover
Chemical
Dover's energetic president: "Wyandotte's service and technical advice have been very valuable to us. At the present time, we are engaged in an expansion which will add several entirely different products to our line, and based on past performance, we know we can depend on Wyandotte's representative to get technical service to us promptly when we need it. "When we order Wyandotte Chlorine, we can be sure that it will be delivered on time. Delivery is so dependable that we have come to take it for granted." Are you looking for a reliable source for chemical raw materials . . . a source with a background of years of experience in many industries? If you are, you'll find the people at Wyandotte good people to do business with. You'll like the consistently uniform quality of Wyandotte's products,
Corporation,
Dover,
Ohio
and the dependability and scope of Wyandotte's service. Why not talk over your requirements with a Wyandotte representative? Or write us, giving as many details as possible about your uses for chemical raw materials. Wyandotte Chemicals Corporation, Wyandotte, Michigan. Offices in principal cities.
'qandoffe CHEMICALS HEADQUARTERS
FOR
ALKALIES
Soda Ash • Caustic Soda • Bicarbonate of Soda • Chlorine Muriatic Acid • CalciumJJarbonate • Calcium Chloride Glycols • Chlorinated Solvents • Synthetic Detergents Other Organic and Inorganic Chemicals
DEC.
19, 19 55
C&EN
5475
INDUSTRY
ooorraiL skunk.
merger of t h e companies. Under terms of t h e merger, Gaylord stockholders will convert their 2,695,519 shares of common into a like number of shares of Crown Zellerbach common. Number of authorized shares of Crown Zellerbacli common will b e increased from 15 to 3 0 million.
Expansion • . .
he just can't mask his odor . . . this applies much more practically to your products... PAINTS... VARNISHES... LACQUERS...everything in which the odor must be subtly hidden...You must protect the "sell" by effectively concealing or masking the "smell"..
j9^7V7À/J/^7/À
COVER-ODORS Write to us o n your letterhead for samples and information f o r your particular problem.
• Texas-U. 5. Chemical continues to expand its synthetic rubber plant at Port Neches, Tex. A contract h a s been awarded to Tellepsen P e t r o c h e m Constructors for design work in connection with, installation of facilities for continuous polymerization of butadiene and styrene at low temperature. This project, plus expansion finished last May, will increase the plant's production capacity by about 35%—75 million pounds per year additional production. Construction of a pilot plant will start soon. This will mark t h e beginning of research and development a t t h e Port Neches plant. All work will b e complete by mid-1956.
H O R A S Y N T H LABORATORIES, INC EXECUTIVE OFFICES: 9 0 0 VAN NEST AVE., (BOX , 2) NEW YORK 62. H.I. CHICAGO 6 - LOS ANGELES 21 Cincinnati 2 • Octfoil • Dallas • Memphis • Ne* Orleans 1? St louis 2 • San Francisco • San Bernardino Florasynlh Labs (Canada lid ) • Montreal Toronto Vancouver Winnipeg Aeentsi Di%lrit>ulOfs in MenCO C0MSOIMEX S A Mexico II 0 F
EVERFLEX Internally Plasticized VINYL ACETATE COPOLYMER EMULSIONS For coatings, textile sizes, adhesives and water-base paints EVERFLEX Emulsions produce films that are marked by an inherent flexibility and softness usually found only in synthetic rubber type latices. Because this flexibility is not dependent on the presence of a separate plasticizer, EVERFLEX films cannot become embrittled by plasticizer loss due to evaporation, migration, or extraction. The EVERFLEX series is closely related to polyvinyl acetate emulsions, possessing similar qualities of chemical stability, permanent clarity, freedom from yellowing, and nonoxidation. Discover what EVERFLEX Emulsions can do for you. Write today for Technical Bulletin E-9.
ss
D E W E Y and A L M Y Chemical Company D I V I S I O N O F W. R. G R A C E &
Co.
Cambridge 40, Mass.
5476
C&EN
DEC.
19,
1955
|> Lithium Corp. of America plans to expand its electrolytic plant a t St. Louis Park, Minn. T h e company's present contractual requirements for t h e supply of lithium metal a n d lithium hydride in 1956 has made necessary the immediate expansion of the metal division t o meet the demand. • Rohm & H a a s has p u r c h a s e d 4 V 2 acres in Niles, 111, near the Chicago city limits as a site for a warehouse and office building expected to be ready for occupancy before t h e end of next year. Products to be warehoused include agricultural and sanitary chemicals, leather chemical, plastic molding materials, and synthetic resins. • Du Pont is starting work on a $550,00O project to increase substantially the capacity for producing Elvacet polyvinyl acetate emulsions at its Niagara Falls plant. W o r k is expected to be completed during the latter half of 1956. • Borden's chemical division will double its West Coast o u t p u t of formaldehyde by building a new plant in Seattle. It will b e geared t o produce more than 36 rnillion pounds of formaldehyde a year w h e n it is completed late next year. • Beck man I n s t r u m e n t s ' Berkeley division has broken ground for a $250,000 plant at Richmond, Calif. Pushing a button on a computer detonated an explosive to d o the actual groundbreaking. The n e w 55,000-square foot
building will house the systems engineering department, substantially increase t h e research and development facilities, and add to the over-all manufacturing capacity. • O s t e r Mfg. has completed the move to its n e w plant on East 289th St., Wickliffe, Ohio. T h e plant, with a total area of 105,000 square feet, is located in an eastern suburb of Cleveland. T h e company says the new plant will give it a single location facility for production of its expanded line of materials handling equipment. • Eastman Kodak is building a 356,000-square-foot addition to its present 553,000-square-foot distribution center in Rochester, N. Y. T h e addition is scheduled for completion late in 1957, bringing the total building area to about 21 acres.
Litigation • • . • Norwich Pharmacol says that the $1,490,000 lawsuit against it since 1952 by Rand Pharmaceutical has been settled for $3500. Norwich spokesmen state that while it h a d adequate defense to allegations made by Rand, it decided in favor of the nominal out-ofcourt settlement rather than to incur the substantial costs inherent in the conduct of litigation. ^ Chas. Pfizer has been granted an injunction against E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-America by a Cuban court. This injunction prohibits the sale, distribution, or u s e of tetracycline. The decision was based on a n action for patent infringement instituted by Pfizer last September, soon after the grant to pfizer of basic patent protection on tetracycline in Cuba (both process and use). • Sherwin-Williams and its California affiliate are being sued by Coioramic Coatings and John C . Zola in complaint for infringement of U. S. Patent 2,591,904. Coioramic Coatings states that Sherwin-Williams and affiliated companies have been infringing the Zola patent which covers certain multicolor paint products. Coioramic says it intends to enforce its rights against other infringers of its multicolor paint patent.
Laboratories • . • • Ethyl Corp. has officially placed its newly completed Houston gasoline testing lab in operation. The n e w lab, located a t 3910 West Alabama, will also house Ethyl Houston district of-
