Document o9Xwor3Dwy8qkkVevZoMJpB0g

LIA16278 *... a LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION 4i0 LCXmOTON AVtNUS NXW TOM 17, N. V. rr^UTTKIL LEK* T. B, Mdntt B. I. da Pont do Nemours 4 Oompaxqr glialngton, Dolcware As la wall known, the ordy cocoorcial u) of tetraetlyl lead la an anti knock agent to eupproee detonation in Motor and aviation gasolloes. Although rm trictod to this oao use, tho increase In United btatos production of tetraethyl lead has boon remarkable, rising free k5 aillloa pounds in 1935 to lii5 million pounds in 19U0 and to sooo 350 dll ion pounds In 1950, or nocrly an eight--fold lncreaee in 15 years* Over thle aaoo 15 year porlod the annual production of c*" sllns in lis? Vri tnd wt.'+r; i?yiv>*r<i from about 170 Million barrels in 1935 to 1080 Million barrels In 195% or about two and one quarter tine*. Honoe, the Increase In demand for tetraethyl lead Is due not only to tha gain in voluae of gasoline but also to a considerable degree to the larger amount of tetraethyl lead that is wurrenW ly added to e unit of gasoline, as eoepared el tb 10 or 15 years ago* Several factors have boon responsible for this growth* among which the following may be niedi 9 A. The necessity for higher antiknock quality Motor fuole occasioned by tha progressive increases in ccmprosdon ratio built into secernstive nodal S of automotive engines* B. Certain changes In the economic relationships between the relative cost of producinj h. 7h octane motor fuel by refinery prooessos and by obtainlag the seen end through the use cf totract's! lead as an antiknock agont* The reltwienrhlps cf these factors hta been steadily shifting in the dlrectloB of the use of larger and larger dosages of tetraethyl 1--ad for the attaiment of high octane aotor fool* C* The growth of civil and Military aviation, particularly In the last decade, resulted in the development of piston type engines whoso fuel requimments cannot bo satisflod without the addition of tetraetiyl lead to the gasoline. The efficiency of tbo gasoline online increases as its design is Modified in the direction of higher conprosrion ratio. This basic factor has been utilised by tie sutonotlvc engineer to improve motor car performance and steadily over tbo years there has boon a gradual, but constant, increase in the compression ratio In the motor cars produeod. Since the octaao roqnl re nont of automotive ongines Increases nith tho compression ratio, tho result has been an incroaso of some 15 octane numbers in the quality of motor fuel since 1930. 1 Present day Motor gasoline is s blond of several ccspoacsts of difforent antiknock quality* Tho Meet Important of those components from tho standpoint of volumoa avail able are atraighWun gasoilno, thermally cracked and reformed gasoline, Preurrrtod at tho 83rd Annual Ifcotlng, Lead Industrios Association* Key lj-li, 1951* st tho Fanol Discussion of Loud Constaors* s j mi.- jMMg^iawmwsmwig^sitm ejpmswpAjM^ nj . mm LI A 16279 h caUlyticslly crsekod gasolino end alkylate end polymer. Speaking In general tcroJj^i* t components era given In tho order of ascending octarw rxnb.r and la Increasing availability .in rospect to v o I-j bso , Thus ths streight-run gasoline with tho lowest r i, octan# nxmibcr is avail ablo in the lorfeat voluno and aliylato end polymer, whloh j. 1 5 t poMsm tho hi&hoart octane mnbsrs, art available in tho lowest volaao. t J Today tho octane mobor of preniw gosolinos hot rosehod * 1ml that la abevo that of all but one or too of tho above coeponents, while that of regular gr*.lo gasoline if higher than noat rtraight-run, thonsally erackod, ond thcmcligr reformed gasolines, to that Via qu-lity of tho noter fuel* marketed eon only bo realised through tho use of tetraethyl load. One of tho objoetlves of tho pctrolooa f l refiner li to incrooeo his production of high octane components, but processing ha* f. *-< { boccso increasingly costly duo both to hioh plant lcwstiaont costs end boenuso os the octono msshar of. tho product lncrsssos tho cost of plant operation and of lossos through processing beccmo nora axponslva. Tho long ter* future demand for tetracthrl load la lorcolv dependent vpen tho compression ratio of notor cars that will bit producod and ths availability of r!< - high octane blending caapononta in tha refineries. Ho attempt will bo sodo to prophesy tho trends of tboso two basic factors, but history has djaaaatretod a stoa^T ir.crsaso in the compression ratio and hence octane roquircrwnt of automotive engines, f > and in the quality of refinery stocks. ffcwcvur, tbs gap botween octono requiraacmt and quality of rufirycry stocks has boon widoning and it could well be that this trend will continue. On a short tans basis, duo to tbs Korean situation end its aftermath, 0 substantial volumes of tbo highest octono blooding components ore being diverted into aviation gasoline and tho naxt year or too may bo o a dacroaso in tho oct-no lard of the motor fuel ami 1 able to the gonaral public. Vhilo ineroatli^ military activities ham stepped up tha demand for r.ri.-.iion gasoline, n fundamental change is taking place In aviation engines which in tho long term may decrease tha demand for tctr> ethyl lead for erirtioo fuels. This change Is the partial repi resent cf tho piston typo of engine, fuclod with gasoline, by Us jot typo of engine for utdeh tho fool is not required to peesass antiknock characteristic*. Whan plant expansion progr-ms ore cosylotod, tho two tetraethyl load producers in the Onitod States should bo In the position to produce somo 500 pounds of tetraethyl load annually. Should production in tho next tjrr years roach this Tolane, tbo metallic load requirements -aould bo sono 175 thousand tons annually. In retrospect tbs metallic lead retirements for tetraethyl lead in 151,0 mcro approximately 50 thousand tons, vhilo in 1550 this demand was sooo 120 thousand tons* Hadtod quoow. titles of tctrartiyl lead ero nou produced abroad, tut at tho present coosumptloa of metallic Lard for this srpoao Is not too slgnlfloant. ....... ii ' n g ii i nj f . > * * '