Document 5LJZvrBr5eD641o096goE5Rz

Report on the BURGESS TITARIUM DIOXIDE PROCESS ty E. E. WARE September 28, 195? 0007-SWP-034445 N24246 REPORT OB THE BURGESS TITANIUM DIOXIDE PROCESS by E. E. Bara Sept. 28, 193tjf To be of value as a basis for the acceptance or rejection of the Burgess titanium process, a report mast cover all four phases of the propositions Engineering design, Chemical feasibility. Economic efficiency, and Patent protection. HiQIHEBgBO DKSIGB The present design has Its defects; some of them glaring but most of them amenable to correction by changes based on sound engineering principles. The less easily corrected defects need con siderable study, and may perhaps necessitate a major change in plant design, but mill involve no insurmountable difficulties and can probably be accomplished by the proper assembly of standard chemical engineering apparatus. It has however, been proven beyond question that special materials of construction most be used for practically all of the appara tus. This one feature mill probably give us more trouble than any other for the few materials such as rubber, Bakelite, and flaveg, that have been provan resistant to solutions demanded by the process, do not lend them selves to use under all of the conditions of temperature and pressure under which this process is at present designed to operate. fiKKMTCAL FEASIBILITY The basic chemical reactions of the process are well established and quite thoroughly understood. There are, however, still weaknesses in a number Of det&ilfl of purification,, concentration and precipitation that 0007-SWP-034446 0007-SWP-000110286  ft-- nsad study. Each one of these is vitally Important In that it affects either economy of operation or qAali^y of final product or both* The study of the physical characteristics of the pigment has progressed rather rapidly in the past few weeks until it now seems certain that we may expect a final product equal to competition, although we must acknowledge that we have not as yet produced such a product. ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY The economics of the process is the feature of greatest con cern. |{y preliminary report of September 20th covers the situation rather freely and I shall not repeat the details here. I do, however, want to point out that I purposely tried to keep on the high side, primarily in an attempt to partially compensate for our gamble in assuming an ability to exercise reasonable control over the raw material losses pointed out in the- Hongan report. These losses have never been entirely accounted for and are no more nearly eliminated in the revamped pilot plant than in the old one. It is quite probable that in my further conferences with Mr. Teiss we shall both make adjustments so that the differences between the two sets of figures upon which you end Mr. Weiss will base your discussion will not be as great as was pointed out in my report of September 20th. PATEST PROTECTION Mr. Palrbank will no doubt approve the patent situation as reasonably satisfactory if no radical change in process be necessary and if proper settlement of the Clay Reduction Company cross-licensing difficulty can be arranged. The patent situation is none too favorable 0007-SWP-034447 0Q07-SWP-000110287 If changes such as vet milllug or chemical treatment become necessary, or if it ever seem* advisable to acidify the hydrate before calcination. These features are already patented and other embarrassingly limiting features will also be covered unless we expedite the plugging of the loopholes in the present patent structure. This particular phase of the work has not been as energetically handled as I should have liked. I believe ve can make an entirely satisfactory pigment by the Burgess process and that ve can make a profit at the present market price. I recommend therefore that you close with Burgees if i you can do so realising that all of our reports are based upon what our past experience leads us to believe ve can do, rather than upon what ve have actually proven through operation of the Burgeb3 pilot plant. ,September 28 1957 E. E. WARE 0007-SWP-034448