THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK
Vinyl Resin Shortages Expected to Continue C & E N REPORTS: S o c i e t y of the Plastics Industry, Division C o n f e r e n c e
NEW YORK.—Shortages of polyvinyl chloride resins are expected to c o n t i n u e , according to George A. Fowles of B. F . Goodrich Chemical Co., speaking before the second conference of the plastics film, sheeting and coated fabrics division of the Society of the Plastics I n d u s t r y . Fowles indicated that even though resin manufacturers have produced 5 0 % m o r e vinyl resin in 1950 t h a n in 1949, nevertheless, continued shortages of b a s i c r a w materials such as chlorine will prevent capacity operation. T h e vinyl resin industry will p r o d u c e and use almost 300 million p o u n d s in 1950, but capacity will b e over 4 2 5 million pounds by t h e end of 1951, Fowles said. It is doubtful that all of this capacity c a n be utilized unless allocations of raw m a terials can b e provided. At present, t h e military takes only a b o u t 10% o f production, he pointed out, b u t the i m p o r t a n c e of making a relatively smooth transition from civilian to military and essential products must not b e overlooked. Along with resins, a panel discussion of material supply situations included stabilizers, pigments, plasticizers, and m e chanical equipment. S. L. Kajrpeles of Imperial Paper and Color Corp. treated t h e pigment "short supply" situation. T h e Mgment supplier is shipping m o r e p i g ment now t h a n h e ever did in h i s history, and Imperial has p r o d u c e d and shipped more than 5 0 % m o r e color since t h e Korean war than ever before. Karpeles put his finger on t h e cause when he attributed t h e short supply to inventory accumulation. In t h e final analysis, Karpeles thought that a comparative tightness in cadmiums, chromium oxide, z i n c c h r o mate, iron oxides, a n d ultramarine b l u e would be found among the inorganic colors. In t h e organic or coal tar field, some shortage of phthalocynanine blues and greens, both of w h i c h require phthalic anhydride a n d copper, might be expected. Plasticizer Shortage In essence, W . A. Woodcock o f Carbide & Carbon Chemicals division predicted that there w o u l d be no plasticizer shortage if 1951 resin production is curtailed to 1950 quantities. However, diversion of alcohol and acid r a w materials into military end uses may create some difficulties for suppliers of plasticizers in 1 9 5 1 . H e r e again, plans for m o r e plant capacity are liable to b e thwarted b y lack of sufficient raw materials. A poll of t h e vinyl stabilizer manufacturers revealed that, with minor exceptions, an a d e q u a t e supply of stabilizers is foreseen for t h e ensuing year. W h i l e a small industry, with a n annual v o l u m e of
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about 10 million p o u n d s , some 20 to 25 chemicals are used in t h e manufactuie of stabilizers, among t h e m such strategic materials as lead, tin, a n d cadmium. N o difficulty in obtaining mechanical e q u i p ment was foreseen by D . A. Comes of Farrel Birmingham Co. Military Needs Military needs of t h e a r m e d services w e r e discussed by W a r r e n Stubblebine, Office of t h e Quartermaster General. H e reported that, in the coated fabric field, vinyls are superior in such products as the lightweight nylon poncho and t h e vinyl-coated glass fabric for arctic shelters. In the latter use, the material is a vinyl coated duck which has flame resistance, water proofness, mildew resistance, a n d a fair degree of flexibility d o w n to —65° F . As a substitute material, vinyls do not have any immediate potential outlook. For example, a d e q u a t e r u b b e r supplies will limit the necessity for vinyl replacements. Also t h e suitability of polyethylene film and coated papers for food packaging has discouraged work on vinyls in this application. However, Stubblebine felt
INDUSTRY Commercial Solvents Named A g e n t in Delivery of French Alcohol Commercial Solvents Corp. has b e e n n a m e d as agent for t h e Reconstruction F i n a n c e Corp. to expedite t h e movement from F r a n c e to the United States of a p proximately 106 million gallons of ethyl alcohol, recently contracted for by t h a t agency. Delivery is to b e m a d e in 1951. This alcohol will b e used in the m a n u facture of butadiene to m e e t t h e d e m a n d s of the accelerated synthetic rubber p r o gram. W i t h t h e cooperation of t h e shipping industry a n d t h e Government of F r a n c e , spokesmen for Commercial Solvents expressed confidence commitments will b e met. Some d o u b t had earlier b e e n t h r o w n on the matter by Michel Martell, presid e n t of t h e Cognac b r a n d y house, Martell & Co. in an interview in N e w York. Mr. Martell said at that t i m e that he questioned t h e ability of F r a n c e to complete t h e contracted delivery of this alcohol to t h e United States. Failure of delivery of this q u a n t i t y of alcohol would result in increased d e m a n d s on American distillers to m a k e u p deficits. Mr. Martell m a d e t h e point, however,
CHEMICAL
that food packaging was o n e potential field in which vinyl film might find ext e n d e d use. A description of the organosol and plastisol processes was provided by G. E. Stevenson of W e y m o u t h Art Leather Co. These processes involve dispersion of a vinyl resin in an organic liquid w h i c h is not normally a solvent for t h e resin. After applying the batch to a fabric or other supporting medium, t h e resulting film which is discontinuous is heated to about 360° F . to give it continuity, toughness, a n d strength. T h e process is called plastisol if less than 5% of t h e volatile liquids are used, organosol if t h e amount is greater. T h e organosol process is one of four continuous film processes n o w in commercial use, a n d its over-all flexibility and t h e wide choice of formulations and ingredients assure greater popularity for the process. A m o n g interesting statistics presented at t h e meeting w e r e estimates of total synthetic resin production for 1950—1,650 million pounds—as compared with t h e 1949 total of 1,500 million p o u n d s . Of this, vinyl film, sheeting and coated fabrics production for 1950 will amount to an estimated 265,729,000 p o u n d s according to U. S. Tariff Commission figures. By comparison with 1946, t h e first postwar year, this resin division accounted for 47.7 million pounds. Thus, output of the vinyl film and coated fabrics has been multiplied by 5.5 in five years. that his company is not directly connected with alcohol production, since it does not use neutral spirits in its products. H e said his estimates of the supply situation w e r e based entirely on observation.
Tennessee Eastman Becomes Eastman Kodak Division Tennessee Eastman Corp., a wholly o w n e d subsidiary 7 of E a s t m a n Kodak Co., has announced that it will b e dissolved as a separate corporation, a n d effective Jan. 1, 1951, its business a n d activities in Tennessee a n d Texas will b e conducted as divisions of the parent company. T h e Tennessee division at Kingsport will b e known as Tennessee E a s t m a n Co., division of E a s t m a n Kodak Co. T h e Texas division at Longview will b e k n o w n as Texas Eastman Co. T h e two divisions will continue their same activities at t h e same locations with no change in personnel or policies, the company announces. T h e L o n g v i e w facilities are still in t h e construction stage a n d are expected t o start production in the last quarter of 1 9 5 1 . Tennessee Eastman was originally organized to manufacture methanol, and soon began producing cellulose acetate as a basic raw material in safety x-ray and h o m e movie films. Other markets quickly a p p e a r e d . I n 1931 t h e Tennessee comp a n y began commercial production of acetate yarn and developed acetate plastics. T h e company also makes acetate
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NEWS
