Document emz54G8xnezJKq2DRb4LXzXEp

Dr. H. A, Beatty Mr. J, A. Costello Mr. J. B. Macauley Mr. B, B, Tamer Dr, E. A. Kehoe Shy 19, 1953 ' Files 30.2010 50 160.23 Dr. Edwin s?* 5hamd 560 Demit Drive Pittsburgh 3k, Pennsylvania Dear Dr. 3hand: Mr. ?. A, Boyd of the Research Laboratories Division of CJaaer&X Motors Corporation has sent to ns a copy of your letter of May 6 addressed to him In reference to the possibility of recovering lead and bromine exhausted from, automotive vehicles. Our own analyses in connection with the matter have ltd to the. conclusion which Is m succinctly stated in the .first paragraph of your letter. The hOOQ pounds of lead and of bromine which you have calculated as the amounts discharged annually by vehicles passing through the Holland Tunnel in Hew fork are equivalent to about 31 pounds each 2h hours. Its recovery would require treatment of all the air for ventilation by a process that would effect lOQSf separation. I sus pect that the equipment might be comparable in magnitude to that employed commercially at the present time for separation of bromine from -sea water. It appears that your calculations concerning the even distribution J over the continental United States of the lead discharged from auto mobiles is in error by one digit* Assuming that 1,212,000 tons of pig lead are consumed annually in the Baited States and that 10% finds its way into tetraethyllead, the total for the latter use Is 121,200 tone. Assuming that the area of continental Baited States is 3,02<$*?89 square miles, a uniform distribution of the lead would result in 80 pounds per square mile or 2 ounces per acre* Actually, because of movement of the air over tbs earth's surface including the oceans, the amount of astal deposited on the land in the Suited States is undoubtedly only a small fraction of that cal culated above. Some of this, as you point out, eventually is washed into the oceans. 2 2r. Edwin W. Shand May X?, 1953 Eqaipesat to be iaateHed <m motor vehicle# for vmemty of exhausted lead products has beam considered but not found to be practical, Some of toe compounds are discharged In tbs vapor state and others as solids having a range of particle site* Exhaust products are corrosive and, under conditions of high poser output, are Quito hot* Althm^h the volume of exhaust gas is snail at low car speeds, it is quite large at high speeds* Because of these conditions* equipment for recovery of load would have to b of large alas and be mad# of materials having a high degree of resistance to hot and cold corrosion* the weight of nickel and chromium in the equipment would be much greater than that of too salvaged lead. Space is not available in cars for such an in stallation* Bven If it ware, the cost of the equipment per pound of lead recovered would be extremely high* There are very large deposits of lead in the United States which are considered to to submarginal in relation to the present price of the metal and to methods of its recovery, however, the working of these deposits would fee much more practical than an attempt to recover lead exhausted into to# air. The oceans contain an almost unlimited amount of bromine and era by far the most economical source of this element* like other Mniuftoturers, m are always intorsstod in possible alter native sources of raw materials and appreciate your taking the tlm to sake to# calculations which wore included in your letter to 2r* Boyd* fery truly yours SSjdr (signed)-Earl Bartholomew KG' 0013022