Document RpxvVprjrk52eDKV8nBmwBgGk

FILE NAME: Dow Chemical (DOW) DATE: 1966 Sept 10 DOC#: DOW008 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Article [Asbestos-Waiting 'Trial'] & Advertisement Trade Journal [Chemical Week] A! A G N IT M A K E R S TURN UP THE H I AT ............. 101 Corfam goes to work in the manufacturing plan t,., 43 I Second chance for syndets-from-sugar process 1 .. . ^ ; 4* ts & .z z m m w < & < m m m m m *# ; 49S* l T a e a i5 S tm m -.nos Congratulations, s bound to be the industry's top-selling fabric. Staying on the top is no cinch. Not in fabrics any more than in chemical polymers, pharma ceutical tablets, soap suds or what-have-you. of your lead time by taking advantage of all the help you can get. Including us. We recognize there's room for improve ment in most formulations and processes. And that improved specialty chem icals-de signed, say, to thicken, stabilize or suspend better, snuff out microbes more effectively or completely control metal ions--can often cut costs as well as turn out better products, For-this reason, we've taken a new slant on formulating and processing problems. One that involved organizing a unique, problemoriented marketing team, And putting an equally selective group of chemicals, desig- niited "Designed Ghent:` cals," at their disposa these specialty chemi cals will be handled only by our Designed Chemi cals Group, men who really know ingredients. And know how to help you search, out that: mys terious missing chemical, Perhaps just the one that'll give your product or process that new competitive edge, How much of a lead in terms of time and [m arket do you have on j your compel ition?Remem , her, your tim e/m ark et i relationship can change almost overnight:. Where ; you stand tomorrow : depends on the move you make today. Call our De signed Chemicals Group. The Dow Chemical Com pany. Midland, Michigan. For a month. Or two months. Or maybe a bit longer. a m mum. i ON THE COVER; Operator peer# Into reactor as trickle of magnetic materiel drops from the opening, New markets are opening up for ceramic permanent magnets as designers per fect smaller and lighter magnets with higher coercive force <p, 1Q1). Vol, 99, No, 11 SEPTEMBER 10, 1066 DEPARTMENTS Business Benchmarks 112 Business Newsletter 23 Countdown 107 Engineering 53 International 74 Key Changes _ 84 letters ' if Management 82 Market Newsletter 79 Meetings 18 Nation! Roundup 37 Production 47 Research 47 Specialties 101 Technology Newsletter . 89 Viewpoint 5 Washington Newsletter S3 World Roundup 69 T H IS W E E K IN BU SIN ESS 5 VIEWPOINT: Cold light on the hot subject of advertising costs is shed by study showing yearly change of such costs as a percentage of GNP. 2? Trade balance may trigger new economic policies for '67, White House worries about the relatively rapid increase in imports. 29 An id to the 7% tax credit? Process industries--which have benefited by several hundred million dollars in four years--ponder new project-payout formula. 29 Allied Chemical sets m new Industrial Chemicals Division, consolidating former corporate offshoots of three of Allied's five original predecessor companies, 30 Continental Oll-ConsoiidaWon Coal merger-at for next week; Pitt-Consol Chem is included, but potash and activated carbon stock holdings will be spun off. 30 Antitrust action in the U.S.: General Dynamics indicates it will appeal ruling by federal court: In New York that ft must divest its Liquid Carbonic division. ~ 31 Antitrust proposal for the world; Global-minded business men consider implications of Senator Hart's plan for agency to probe international mergers, cartels, . 32 New opportunities on the horizon for plastics producers: Medical research on air borne mineral fibers could lead to restrictions on asbestos in major uses. 74 Canada's Prairie farmer# begin a record wheat harvest, are expected to follow up with another fertilizer splurge--raising sales 20% next year. 82 Manhattan's Park Avenue is becoming the fash address for chemical companies lured by modern offices, easy commuting, and good communications. 112 There will be 250,000 fewer housing starts this year. Mortgage money is short, al though housing demand factors (family formations and Income) are good. T H IS W EEK IN T E C H N O L O G Y 43 0 Pent's Certain finds its first use in process equipment as a long-lasting pack mg and seal material for pumps, etc, " 47 Armour will build plant for new series of amines derived from petroleum-based materials and made by a new catalytic process. ' 3 Nebraska eke patents on a new process for making surface active agents from sucrose and beef tallow, will offer process free to those who'll build in state. T H IS W EEK IN S P E C IA L T IE S 101 Specialty magnet market will double to the next 10 years--from $50 million to $100 million. 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I Taking Giant Steps Two clieroSesI process panics took giant steps toward diversifying $m m m , 6$ i r i f r n t m k m m into the oceanography field last week, and two paper companies with com bined sales of nearly $1 billion/year reached a tentative agreement to merge, mkmtm ducts and M atin ' in h i* c#ntraM|ing pfants. U m r vehicle brate fittingsandcltitcfs pints. Jlttfu underceatliip, - (!) Bersilix Corp. (Detroit) ex panded its oceanic activities by ac quiring for an undisclosed amount of stock Marine Achiters (La Jolla, Calif.), producer of oceanographic insimoienfs for petroleum and utility companies, state* anti federal agencies, and firms engaged in scientific pro grams. Mbetm ceiling m i floor tilts. Ailislot shingles -and sidings. Construction and 4mMmm allb-- fttClibiation el asbisiosdlfted scrap, Improperly [1. ^ , ^ fr0m f e t p w ,,pB s l, g p|a, ttj (2) Fluor Corp, (Los Angeles) find R. L, McFarland and Associates (Fou Worth and Midland, Tex.), a group of five companies involved in offshore and onshore drilling opera Asbestos: Awaiting `Trial' tions, have agreed to merge, subject to stockholders' approval, The Mc Farland group operates five offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, The asbestos industry--whose end products are valued at more than $500 million/year--may be In For a shake(J, It could came la (he form of (3) A tentative agreement to merge has been reached by U.S. Plywood Corp. (New York) and Champion Papers, Inc. (Hamilton, O.). It i$ sub ject to both directors' and stockhold ers' approval The corporate identities of both companies wall tie preserved. federal legislation limiting the use of asbestos, because asbestos las been acensed--though not yet "convicted*-- ** significant health hazard, Probaide contender for asbestos markets; plastics. Recent studies have convinced U.S. Public Health Service specialists and Reducing Gas Rates other medical authorities that about 40% of all Americans have mild, The Federal Power Commission has ordered I I Paso "Natural Gas Co, and Transwestern Pipeline Co, reduce hy Si? million/year the price of na tural gas In the southern California market. The rate cut stems from the M y 26 decision in which FPC turned down the application of Gulf Pacific Pipeline Co, (a Fenneco subsidiary) to supply gas to the Los Angeles area (CW, Aug, 6, p, 20), Gulf Pacific last week fifed for a rehearing, El Paso and Tranxwestern were told they would have to lower their rates to reflect the lower costs result ing from the bigger deliveries pos sible in the expanded system. At the same time, FPC said it would conduct further proceedings to deckle if cm- . fomers should get additional benefits resulting from mom liberal deprecia tion allowances, < FPC has given the companies 45 days to show cause why the reduction should not take'place, chronic cases of , asbestosh, even thougn most of them never worked directly with asbestos, ' Unlike other airborne dust particles, asbestos fibers have the ability--almost as much as activated carbon-- to absorb polycyclic hydrocarbons and arsenical. Furthermore, says USPHS, in the past 30 years the asbestos-reiated cancer rate has in creased sixfold, "Ihe Inferences; While the average asbestos worker is well protected, the man oh the street is not. The 3x1micron asbestos fibers in his lungs can come from a variety of sources (table, above). And medical experts say there's no way to assess hydrocarbon content in those lung deposits, American Cancer Society research ers feci certain there is a synergistic relationship among airborne asbestos, smoking and lung cancer. They reason that the nondegradabJe, hydrocarbonsoaked fibers may well be a constant source of lung irritation, PH5 officials think it may take f them up to five yearn to establish f asbestos' true role as an air poll mans. ! However, Congress may act before | the research is finished. Says Repre- f sentative Robert Watkins (R,, J>a,,); ; "We've seen enough evidence a!- t ready. Asbestos will never get a clean I bill of health. With just a little more f data well move for controls and J strict ones," { Some form of asbestos control is f in the offing, public health officials f are certain, if only part of a larger i elean-amiuenfoiir program. Howevct, j there is the danger that Congress may * enact rigorous controls on the quanti- i fy of asbestos that could be used, * In that case both Canada and tl.S. 5 asbestos products manufacturers would be hard hit, Of die five forms ; of asbestos mined today, chrysotile { asbestos holds she predominant mat - ! kef position because of its insulat- f mg and processing qualities, Canada J produces- more than 80 fr of the chry I sotiie asbestos used in the U.S. in both countries, a number of serioih | dislocations would occur, j At present, there is no known roaieila) that could fill all of asbestos* I strategic roles. On the other hand, I should federal controls merely call for higher standards for hinders ami I shielding, that would spark a rise of i new products, with plastics taking 1 the lead, , Reason, say industry spokesmen. , present polymer technology could i easily turn up products to replace as- , best in most end-uses, ` 32 CHEMICAL WEEK September 10, 1966