Document gaK16L91NnmmEbVQVw02MYvaa

The Chemical World his Week R8tS 023382 nn H p?"p n [Ip i \ v-/riiwin l' ?/. '' :" i im*,J u i -jt-ii i*i ij 01 *n. * ! v' **j Lwtt:. cr`t*" i^ n | *i ; J i -.V U U >- *.. U < i p* *-' ' t* v rj t: ",*1 '.r# *, LI l .o u Trapedy struck N'vpio'.s capinlac turn operations .11 I'lix!mrin I lie I K. lime ]. when ;tn explosion almost cnmpletelv demob-dud pro duction units there, ii`ii!tiie; in a Inss i>| \>n live.-., i'irc raped out nl control lor scvciai dav.s ;tn>I m;m\ houses nc;ir ilit- site were damaped, l` iuancial losses may lie as hiph ,-is $KIU million. Nypro, owned .V/J bv DS.M of the Net hei lands :md l.Y.J by the U.K.'s N:slion:il Coal Hoard. had ;t total :mnu.d capo.lactam capaeilv of nearly Vo.buo Inclric Inns. He ('`him the company \v;i - the only Mtitisb producer ol the |i!oduct. the blast will seriously alleet the eoun try's nylon b plasties ami fibers in dustries. All t.i'.v material lot nylon tl non will have to be impelled. and cajuolactniu supplies me alicndy tipht the world ovit. The accident also will alleet lettili/ei sittiplies: ah-nit litU.ootl metric toils per year of hy-pioduct ammonium sulfate were ptoduced in the Kli.xborouph operation. Indications ait1 (hat Nypro will lehuild, hut a new plant is not likely to he completed lor at least two years. Two caprolactam units were lo cated at l;lixhoion;:h. The newest one. a ab.000 met rie l on-per-year plant cost in;; ahout .yb'i million. Marled up less than a year apo (CWKX. -inly 2H. liC-'i. pape 7). It was biised on an improved process, (rndenamed lil'O (lor hydmxvlamine phosphate oxime), developed hy DSMV enuineetin;; subsidiary. wish;; a! I'* I i >. 11 < t i!!;; i;. I.eJu- 1 I'.S., wleae \ipio alo-.ulv ha- i'ii (itaie'iT, Nvpio's i hanman lli;:.!` \ inner- on alloi.uion. Alt 11 * u.;li Ml. l lie explo ion nn;;ii! iei'e -a,vivid j Vi iule a;',n-e' that :.r; iln 1 eap;o 1 lie hiplilv e' plo nr initial .01 ox i ! laelaui to I'aui wnel'l }-re-i m dalioti sup. m wash eveh ii'o.aui' po.blem-. In .odd I l..o lie- :.. v. um i- i ise. erl ed to ev< lo'aoxunon,-. Hut ' t( : :.il - (iiueh. v.lc I; ha t nt itit i nobody can explain iiov. its- e\pin pu.duel ion. eom - I o h-- e,. ui;;. sion and fite could have -pond The two ol Li t I .S j in .i !i'ce; - ol throuphniit the cut uv planl in a b 1 cnpodni 1 am. Alice! ('he:.deal al se< onds unle- - a cm lit met ion ol r ii - ! I lo|M-v.eli. \ a.. and I low Hadi-ihe iinsi a nee- li d 1 o ; la- d i i o-i The ; at I'T* epi .| I. To-.,.. hoi h !rui cor only part of the plain ,-lili mine!. | lent e.apaeilie ahout rloul-h that o; Ilioii:;h batilv danmped. is ib.it ill \ipio. Hot h ai-o ;re ( > pa idna ; Inch cyt lohexanon.' is ci-nvrti d 1 their plants. Allied'-, oulp'.i i now to i apinluel am by tin- Ill'll pto I enl iteiy lor I apt i\ e u e, ( l|;e l .S, cess. That leads i.ne IJSM ib-' ixer ' ma;l;et ob-ervi-r. Iio-.w \-*-r. lain!.-. to ;;ness tlial 1 Ii.it pari ol the i.p--r 1 i Us'd will In- able to -eiap- up at ion didn't t ii i t|,e aeiidim. I eiiou;-h p;ol|u- t mu 11 um i *,i i a lie alai points mil that ;I:* ill'l) ; w-iiidwii-e pt .ji> -> in wiea ;i ,t ! a~ an prm i-st |;a- lit en Used by Japan , int it --i to ue-i ! i 'ii- noi d . m t la- I'bc Industries without am. pio.n H.'it ish mat !.t t Ictus lor the past two years or so. Hriiish nylon <1 mala rs me still uncertain ahout hoe.' `rvi-rrli tic y wtll lie tdfeeted hy th" sniitii n cut otf o! a major portion of tbt ir P-. d- fU> --k '1 % * ` t /i. ffS^,Jf*. * W ^^ sloel.. The l .K. eon uimes .Vmi met l ie tons of nylon 1- polytne: an imaliy for plasties ptodtnCnu. ('oui t aulds and lint i~h Knl.a.'on, the two major producers of nylon (i fillers, between them make a'n.nl lib million pounds ol that product, and plant expansion, now under The Knvhone'vnt.ul Ib- m, t i.,|, Ata-ney has rcpuC'lcd 27 I'.S. ehtumeal companies that make vinyl chloride and polyxiuvi ( Ido liile in provide t lie ata tr\ will; "process, emission, and .;.i i|i;,,lit\ data" on 1 ` plants bv June i I. way should raise their cnmbimd capacity to about 1 |() million pounds per year in luT-'i. The Btitisb blast could .alleet I'.S. caprolactam siippiit s. ,\ipio vice president (Jem While shl)SM in the Netherlands is lool.m ; In letti to m.annlta l iitet - dated Muv JU. KI*A stiy-s it want' the in formation "|or possible u -i- ai the development o| air [lollul e-u eout lot sl.anrl.aiaU lor vinyl chloii.le in tie eordauee will.- the Clean Alt .',e[ ..; Ih'di." At jire-eut. no federal air i.i:i coat so! siandaid- exist lo;- inlait.mi from the I'.S. to the I'.lx. "We would certainly exert every eflor( to he helpllll to customers of Nvpro in (Irc.it licit;iin." he tells C\KN. Such help could worst'll the cur rent e.aprol.ae'ain shortage in the lolciclain ivoihs may reac/i $100 million \ inx I eldoride. Meanwhile, I'.I'A 't is been l.ikin" samples for the past month ni-,u ! ; plants to ileletmiue anteui.t- o! the pas prcsiait ill ambient air. I' tblu iliseiosuie o| l-.l'A s liuian:-- i' in. mineiil. These liudiups piobabb. Wili show eXi-.lim; Linvl eldomle timhient air lex-.-l- mar planl . to b>- hipla-r thin 11 n level-, the ( L t -aji.i tional Satetv ;md lle.iltl Aaimin.' t rat ion ha-- poo.i d |oi in ,-dc plants. |;| o|v out i -ii:,e e! .i;! l In . is that K. `A w <I' --t an ; uu ili:-. s 1;I>111,11 (I III II to I .r ui'-t a .;| a I; I la- (l> 11 A in plant -i and -'ii i.; "no deli elable h vei, '.I'A al o wan:- and n-nt ol i !! I' d bv ` !: Hi ir :j !; mvl , Id. . .<:* ,u.j til! `s Ini i h- Ki * \ in!. 1nn i -to j:\ \ * , i! on - "i P.! ml"M 3 v Sfw, 1**.'**7 i'iIiv ^pay-. d fscri m i n.n ion ..'icnemes\ior.;maK.ing ruse .01: i ne .suiie^: 'million^worn-out tires discardgd annua1 l>Wiu/1hej U.S.: havi&j>jiro-' rjjepnAtffaits'ipg'itbeir hcl*lsJ io begin liferai ed* i n receiit vears~frViri Al Tyokmgpcribusly, at their practices red use as offshore reefs for protect - ' .V ; ; ; iift}ii,s'.areaVVl,:,L'j * WA , mg 'game fish to processing and - 7 The/decision came in a ease rceoverv of the materials in the brpughtjby the. Labor Department tires.The latest effort directed tp*^ -- /['-}}] a'cainsf-T^Coniiii"-' Glass Works. ward, recovery, revealed last- weeki ;'.'b'b iuin<ITij>cfrai i nj&'h ntl-v1nami cn;mto TdiurgingV-lhem; with violaiin::.the tpains Goodyear Tiro & Huhber wiih '"-'*f| : ).<hor aeC I>y; in a i 111 a in in;; wage differen Oil Shale Corp'. (Tosco)*/ "> i-'vV :,d;! j ^ Jfcosts*!fca|>|till "cftfirgesTcbsiTif utili- tials! that.'had'.their origin in the The companies are joining ,in a l y ,;,g W&t- fits . used .fuel <i-'Vs, hnil'costs' of 1920',s between day and night shift program to apply Tosco oil shale ,* : - i j a,i2|cliwnical.ii^ari*d^ ot IterCf mat trials. inspectors.-, At . that * jime women technology to recovery of, energy;; '"X'Tssfr w .day-shift, inspectors were earning 20 and rg*usnbk* materials from scrap : A, v to/30 cents per hour, but men per- tires. -Hasically, the program";in- SS'- ,mm Tmurecoycreo ^ not n annu- running tin* same woik at night had voices further- demonstration* of sga^gbllv and per unit of product k*n.'' V- to*be paid "si cents per hour to do scraj) lire processing technology Ti j 171AYa 1111 ibrity ii> rt,* 111 irc'jju 1 > mis - what whs regarded as .``women's that Tosco began developing in . -A- ?K}^i-Sion <il suolwinlnruKition is eon- work." A. 1971 and which it has tested in a 2o 'bg^^-tnini'd in section,J11 of" the Clean The court further ruled that Cnr- ton-per-day pilot plant. A pyrolysis i Air Act- of. 1970, which authorize* ning did not achieve full compli technique, the process involves ' I t he. ngcncyjb "secure any infurma- ance with tin* act in 1999 when it heating, ground-up tires by direcL - I *hin deemed necessary fdr.dcvclo!)- opened the higher paying night jobs contact with hot ceramic pellets. ; ; . / A- | of _siandartis.''-`.'l'he;'agency's to .women, nor in 1009 when the In the first phase of the program,'; - T* ijL^i'-iydlelier'piiiiu.Vinij^hat hny-inforina- .company .equalized future pay Goodyear will supply ground-up . ; |iJ(iKffepvvi/^/.."tiurinnlessuspupliseadthwifailcltolirevr;stnhaodwein: pL'ubhlaics settles but maintained wage prefer ences for .employees already enjoy waste tiies to To.-.co's liocky Flats research center near Golden, Golo. , -; , been made';?: to, the. 17PA adminis- ing them. The companies will carry out eco- g. nomic feasibility evaluations, com piling data on the cost of building $$*swy* - thn.iVemisiipn' clataV"\yill al-' Albert Plant named ?! pfC:'Si ways ' be1 a dai lafile to 't heTj>uh1 ic. editor of C&EN and operating a recovery system.' find evaluating the quality of recov- ered products. The program, the T - ?(? ^r;'Arid it'warns;OVat information cann* :'r' "v companies say, is expected to lead I! not', be 'withheld; because1 a manu Albert l\. Plant . tocomtnerciali/ation. : *.i facturer: considers,. the information ihas been* t.p- , / A * , According to Goodyear chairman igt^sdK^-i * pointed ^ editor .. , of".`(- Chemical L , -m. Charles .J. i'illiod, dr,, a full-scale ' scrap tire recovery plant could ban- -7 - j. ` and ' Engineer-, ing' News. He' o die fi million scrap tires a year and/', recover enough petrochemicals and comes to this, other materials to build an addi- position1;.. from tional 2 million tires. Such a plant Industrial Hesearch, T, With (________ _______ has.the potential for annually turning out lb million gallons of oil, 73 ; : which- luvhas becn'associateu since million pounds of carbon black, M .;19(!8, having been editor since 1972. nnd 2 million pounds of steel. The *** Mr. Plant is a uradnaie in chein- oil, be says, could be further refined. qq '.istryi from Carnegie institute of A major factor most likely on the - C3 found lThauthe*'Bqufil- PiiyAci of '.TechnoUyy nnd also holds it degree list of items to be investigated is ; ;in ^industrial management from whether the quality of recovered hquld b'c'tnnstnicd nnd itpplied So ^Carnegiei.11c began his professional carbon black is good enough for the ; ......... "T............ '..... T`arcer,in^l951 .with Shell Chemical material to be useful. Carbon black ` - Mn Houston^ Tex'. Prom I9('0 to lyiifi has been something of a stumbling ; v die worked-willi Fisher Scientific in block in the economics of some re- - S!ySSjertiyc^ product^dcyclopmeni and instru- covefy sebemek'pro)josed by others, S tvngeji 'arrcc;c d< uer/tu; discrimination men.t design;-after which he became since the costs made recovered ma '`direetoiVjfpf .'research for K(>ntes terial .economically/.unattractive., . A ;(Jlass, nfpnsitiiiir.be. held until join compared to virgin carbon black.^ ing Industrial l!vearch. In addition Ibmever. the new economic climate;; -'= ?m|sinYihat.teV^ to j1; einplofveei;-;.biii"lilso as'-n. mat ter of _ _ * market, economies since,: wage dis- !i.'c;r!,.,'i!,;,ti<>iydiyhe basis ol/iex con-, Jpr;,Ktnules unfairCfiinpi tition.^j.; MTs/ A liaborlJenim nii'iiloftiefni, iel 1 s |Sfeg,C'6KS. iharlhiejruhiriAwilldiiivr' a Jo Ills cdiuirsliip. he was responsi'ble'fdr directio'n'-of the llt-llM) cnnfeieiice and awar(| competition. Mr, Plant will .ismiihc the eililor-. ,-ldp i>f (`JtKN1 .blue 21. He replaces Patrick P. McCurdy, who resigned. Nove]nb`ef ; Itl7.`t to' become eililoriii'Clliefof Chemical Week ... living' created by.'changes ` in fuel anil feedstock availability-, and' '...... ' & '- VWt prices slinold enhance the economits of recovered materials. For, e\-! , V 7 -^-)V ^ ample, earhon black'User* face the -T ' 1 #threat of Substantially higher prices .'' ,rA .T as well as slim luges t(W KN., dune-` : W./fT :i. page 12). ` ; .v l m-