World Wide Chemistry British Process
Catarole in Operatiowi
been solely responsible for the design, con struction, and erection of the large-scale plant.
The first cracking furnace of the Petro chemicals, Ltd., plant at Partington, near Manchester, England, employing the Cat arole process has gone o n stream and is working satisfactorily. Prom the begin ning of operation t h e quality o f the prod ucts, both liquids a n d gases, h a s been up to specification, a n d t h e yield of the olefmic gases which constitute t h e valuable part of the gaseous p r o d u c t is higher than ex pected, t h e firm reports. The throughput is in excess of the rated capacity. Deliv ery of gases to the M a n c h e s t e r Corp. G a s Works has commenced. T h e Catarole process converts a n essen tially nonaromatic charging stock derived from petroleum into the full r a n g e of aro matic hydrocarbons, formerly obtainable only from coal tar, and into gases rich in olefins. T h e process is a British invention. It has been developed from t h e pilot plant stage by Petrocarbon, Ltd., which has also
Swedish
Nuclear
Research
A new laboratory for research on nuclear fission h a s been completed at the Chalmer Institute of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. Work will also begin on the con struction of a new so-called band generator at Chalmer's, which will have a capacity of 4 million volts. It will b e the largest in Sweden a n d will class with the best in the U. S., it is stated.
German
Recuperation
M a r k e d evidence of Bizonal Germany's recuperative powers was shown in 1948, the U. S. D e p a r t m e n t of Commerce re ports. B y the end of the year, production had climbed to 7 8 % of t h e 1936 level, with the sharpest increases in iron and steel, non ferrous metals, vehicles, electrical
TRONA BROMINE Muriate and S u l p h a t · off
POTASH • • F I N E D POTASSIUM CHLORIDl
THREE ELEPHANT
SODA ASH
· SALT CAKI
LITHIUM CONCENTRATES
ΒΟRA X and BORIC
TRONA
ACID
AMERICAN POTASH & CHEMICAL CORPORATION 122 EAST 4 2 n d STREET LA CHICAGO
866
SALLE 4,
STREET
ILLINOIS
•
·
214 W A L T O N ATLANTA
3,
· BUILDING GEORGIA
NEW YORK 17, Ν . Υ. 609
S. G R A N D
LOS A N G E L E S
AVENUE
1 4 , CALIF.
CHEMICAL
equipment., a n d building materials. E x ports, consisting mainly of coal and t i m ber, had reached a n annual rate of $800 million, or m o r e ' t h a n double the 1947 rate. A n unusually good harvest h a d raised t h e average daily ration to a b o u t 2,150 calories for t h e nonfarmer.
EGA Guarantees Standard Brands
Plan
Signing of a guaranty of currency con vertibility on an industrial investment to be made in t h e United K i n g d o m b y Stand ard Brands, Inc., New York, has been an nounced by the Economic Cooperation Administration. T h e g u a r a n t y will cover an additional investment b y S t a n d a r d Brands in its existing wholly-owned s u b sidiary, Standard Brands, L t d . T h e in vestment will be in the form of advances of $75,000 for t h e delivery from the U. S. of equipment for the production of soluble coffee in the company's plant a t Liverpool. T h e subsidiary will invest in this project an additional $25,000 in its own sterling funds.
Use of Heidelberg Cyclotron Permitted Germany's senior nuclear physicist, Walter Bot lie, a professor a t Heidelberg University, has stated t h a t American officials have approved the use of Heidel berg's 12 million volt cyclotron for peaceful research in atomic energy. Similar Ameri can instruments have 200 million volts capacity. Prof. B o t h e said that Heidelberg was the only German university to have an oper ating cyclotron. H e works with five as sistants to p r o d u c e radioactive isotopes for medical use.
Teaching Openings in Burma and New Zealand Opportunities for Americans t o under t a k e research or serve a s visiting professors in B u r m a a n d New Zealand have been an nounced by t h e D e p a r t m e n t of State. T h e awards will b e made, under t h e provisions of the Fulbright Act, in the currencies of those countries. Financial benefits will in clude round t r i p transportation, a stipend, a n d a living allowance. I n Burma, there are openings for visiting professors in commerce, biology, educa tional m e t h o d s , surgery, dentistry, public health, and other fields. Five grants for advanced research are being offered. There are opportunities in New Zealand for visiting professors i n the fields of bot a n y , agriculture, a n d social studies. F o u r research openings in N e w Zealand a r e of fered in dairy science, medicine, m e t a l lurgy, biology, geology, and similar fields. Additional information can be secured from t h e Conference Board of Associated Research Councils, 2101 Constitution Ave., Washington 25, D . C. AND
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