Document GKLYGXrDRGzLYoByJBMpYpK0Y

Chemical world This week jt ******S i^rtic-es^ E to naphthalene, spin change is Construction time is about 18 faster than when bromine is syn and months to two years. anol and acetaldehyde. National therefore closer. He likewise says Lummus scientists developed Distillers entered a 50-50 venture there is no parallel between phos Transcat over six years, in coopera with Tongshin to build a $7.5 mil phorescence and in tersystem cross tion with Armstrong Cork. Arm lion plant--but only for ethanol. ing rates on the one hand and ra strong Cork president Harry A. The contraci was canceled last year diationless decay rates on the other. Jensen says that polyvinyl chloride after government insistence that the These observations lead the Co resin made from Transcat monomer Tongshin project also include acet lumbia scientists to conclude that has satisfactory properties. aldehyde and some of its derivatives radiationless decay occurs by a dif As an engineering company, Lum (such as acetic acid and vinyl ace ferent mechanism--something not mus plans to license Transcat to tate), operations in which the U.S. pre\ iouslv suspected. Current chemical processors. Company firm wasn't interested. But tire work may determine if the mech president William P. Orr says he Japanese were. Mitsui closed its anism is photochemical in nature. would "not be surprised" to see the hardware contract last April cov first plant started this year. ering both ethanol and acetaldehyde VmL. CHLORIDE: New Lummus process KOREA; At 4.75 cents per pound list price, Partner from Japan operations. In December, Tongshin tells C&EN, the two firms reached tentative agreement to operate these units through a joint venture, vinyl chloride is low-priced now. Mitsui & Co., Japan's second largest though Mitsui's equity participation But a new process from Lummus trading firm, is emerging as a sub hasn't yet been settled. developed jointly with Armstrong stantial partner in South Korea's Earlier, another U.S. firm--Allied Cork may knock the tag down even S233 million petrochemical complex Chemical--backed away from further. Lummus says its new in the wake of U.S. withdrawals Ulsan. Allied began negotiations in Transcat process produces vinyl from the project. Now awaiting mid-1968 with Chungju Fertilizer chloride directly from ethane with Korean government approval in over a joint venture to produce no by-products for at least 1 cent Seoul is a package contract whereby caprolactam. Prospects were for a lower materials cost per pound of Mitsui and Korea's Sam Yang Tire 33,000 metric-ton-a-year unit in product. Mfg. Co. will build a 25,000 metric- which Allied would hold 30% in The new process hits one of the ton-a-year styrene-butadiene rubber terest. But the U.S. company, ail top dozen U.S. organic chemical plant in the naphtha-cracking cen ing financially, soon after began a markets, vinyl chloride, with con ter now taking shape at Ulsan. reshaping of operations that in sumption estimated by Lummus at Mitsui will provide half of the joint cluded a cutback of commitments 3.1 billion pounds in 1970. The ma venture's S3 million equity, roughly abroad. It ended six months of terial is the monomer for polyvinyl S12 million in -deferred-payment discussion by withdrawing its Ulsan chloride, the number two plastic in equipment loans, and SBR know proposal. Chungju Fertilizer, a the U.S. and number one in Europe. how from Japan Synthetic Rubber Korean government corporation, de World vinyl chloride production is Co. This proposal follow's with cided to go it alone with caprolac 105 billion {rounds, states Lummus. drawal last October by American tam and recently landed a 25 mil The key to Transcat (standing for Synthetic Rubber Corp. from a lion credit from Asian Development the transition step and catalytic fea somewhat similar contract with Bank (C&EN, Jan. 4, page 19). tures of the process) is a reaction Sam Yang Tire. Meanwhile, two other Japanese combining traditional chlorination, The problem, Korea's Ministry of firms have together got Korean gov oxychlorination, and dehydrochlo Commerce and Industry tells C&EN, ernment approval to build a $15.9 rination steps in a single reactor was ASRC's proposal to furnish million polypropylene unit at Ul system. Starting materials are SBR technology alone as its share san jointly with a group of Korean ethane, chlorine, and air. These re of the joint venture's equity. The investors (C&EN, Dec. 21, page 31). act in the presence of a special, ministry requested that some equity In what initially was expected to be molten catalyst which Lummus will be put up in cash and also asked mainly a Korcan/U-S. complex, in identify only to clients with the more liberal terms for the equip fact, only four of the 11 main necessary fee. ment financing than those arranged plants--roughly half the capital out Transcat does not leave by-prod by ASRC. Instead, the U.S. firm lay--remain Korean/U.S. ventures. uct hydrogen chloride, other chlo withdrew from the venture. The naphtha cracker and related rinated materials, and tars as do ex Mitsui moved mio the gap with units comprise a $60 million invest isting vinyl chloride processes. its own SBR package, and it's now ment by Korea Oil Corp. (a 50-50 Lummus calls the process free of talking joint venture with Tongshin venture of the Korean govern any known pollution problems. Polymer Co. as well. Mitsui has ment and Gulf Oil Corp,), which will Materials costs break out to 1.6 already dosed a $12 million engi supply feedstock from its adjacent cents of chlorine and 0.6 cent of neering and equipment deal with refinery to the 100,000 metric-ton-a- ethane per pound of product The Tongslim for tire ethanol and acetal year (of ethylene) cracker after the total, 2.2 cents, compares to 3.4 dehyde plants involved. An earlier cracker goes on stream in mid-1972. cents total materials cost in the joint venture contract between Korea Pacific Chemical, a Dow balanced oxychlorination process Tongshin and National Distillers Chemical/Chungju Fertilizer ven and 42 cents per pound in. hydro and Chemical (C&EN, Jan. 6, 1969, ture, will use more than half the chlorination and direct chlorination, page 22) was canceled last year. ethylene output to make polyethyl according to Lummus. Capital When Korean sponsors were first ene and vinyl chloride, and Skelly costs for Transcat are roughly equal chosen for downstream units at Ul Oil isThungju's partner in acrylo- to plant costs for existing processes. san, Tongshin got the nod for eth C4EN MARCH 1, 1971 RSV0033508