TDI CAPACITY RISES TO MEET DEMAND

foam business will be large enough by the time the plant is ready so that most of the output can be used cap-tively. This means that Nopco, which is estimated to have sold about 5 mil­lion pounds of foam in 1959, will have to come up with a fivefold increase in foam sales over the next couple of years if it is to take full advantage of its TDI plant.

Nopco may be pinning a large part of its hopes to markets that are about to open up for rigid urethane foam. Flexible foams have had most of the attention during the young life of ure­thane materials and now have foot­holds in furniture, bedding, and autos (C&EN, Sept. 7, 1959, page 34) . Rigids, on the other hand, are just getting started. Between now and 1964, output of flexible foam is ex­pected to double (93 million pounds to 185 million pounds), while rigid foam production will go up about five times ( 17 million pounds to 90 million pounds). Growth for rigids should come in two main areas: insulation for refrigerators, transportation equip­ment, and industrial uses; plastic panels for home construction. At present, almost all of the rigid foam produced goes into insulation.

Price a Big Factor. Most in the industry agree that the future of rigid urethane foam is tied to price. Unhke flexible urethanes, which are priced competitively with other foams, the rigids are more expensive than their main competitor, foamed polystyrene. But two factors are working to narrow the difference: lower TDI prices and the economy of one-shot systems.

One-shot processing of flexible

foams has gained rapid acceptance since techniques were brought out in 1958. In rigids, though, prepolymer systems are just beginning to give ground to one-shot methods. While the change probably will not be as rapid or as complete as it was for flexi­ble foams, it will help the cost outlook in some uses. Lower TDI prices, of course, would help urethane sales across the board. Flexible foam is about 30% TDI; rigid, about 40%. While no one plans now to lower TDI prices, trade sources feel that the cur­rent 70 cents-per-pound tag will even­tually fall to about 55 cents.

Not to be overlooked in the future of TDI and other isocyanates are mar­kets outside of the foam field—in ure­thane coatings, elastomers, and adhe-sives and as intermediates for chemi­cals and pharmaceuticals. These out­lets now account for perhaps a mil­lion pounds per year of isocyanates. Growth should be steady.

Scientists Urge Stepped Up Radiation Research

Research on atomic radiation and its hazards "on a wide front is urgently needed." That's a conclusion of over 140 scientists in a joint report issued by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council.

The report, by and large, is reas­suring. No new facts about radiation hazards brought to light in recent years, it says, "call for a drastic re­vision of earlier recommendations. . . . Man can expect to derive increasing

benefits from the release of nuclear energy with a minimum hazard to himself and his descendants." But another, more cautious theme runs throughout the findings: "Many ques­tions about radiation hazards . . . are unanswerable with present data."

The new NAS-NRC report, "The Biological Effects of Atomic Radia­tion," brings up to date similar reports published by NAS in 1956. Its aim is to point out future objectives and call attention to research needs, as well as to summarize present knowledge. It is the work of six committees of scien­tists supported by the Rockefeller Foundation.

Greater Difficulties. The report notes that despite many important de­velopments in genetics and radiobiol-ogy, in some respects hazards are now more difficult to estimate than was thought four years ago. Scientists now believe, for example, that genetic damage from a given amount of radia­tion differs when exposure is chronic at low rates rather than acute. Ge­netic effects from low radiation doses may be less than previously estimated, the report adds. Nevertheless, the NAS committee on genetic effects corv-tinues to recommend that the average gonadal dose accumulated during the first 30 years of life not exceed 10 r of man-made radiation.

The report suggests that future studies of the induction of genetic mu­tation should extend to agents other than radiation. Industrial effluents, food additives, drugs, hormones, and cosmetics are among the materials that may induce mutations. "Chemical mutagens (or antimutagens) are of particular interest," it states, "since re­cent studies indicate that radiation may act through chemical products."

While exposure to radiation may shorten the lives of animals, the re­port continues, no such shortening has been found in man following small doses. But it cautions that the effects of dose, dose rate, and dose fraction­ation on length of life are not known.

The report is cautious, too, regard­ing the accumulation of fallout ele­ments in food. All living things, it notes, now have a different and higher burden of radioactivity than in the pre-atomic era. The effect of this radioactivity is not known. Since fall­out is far from uniform throughout the world, levels of radioactive isotopes in foodstuffs from various locations vary sharply, and our inability to monitor all food material poses a problem.

30 C & E N M A Y 16, 1960

Toluene Diisocyanate Capacity Producer (Millions of pounds per year)

1960 1961 1962

Du Pont 25 25 25 Deepwater Point, N J .

Mobay New Martinsville, W.Va. 18 25 25

National Aniline Moundsville, W.Va. 8 8 8

Nopco New Jersey* L. . . 10

Total 51 58 68

* Exact location not announced.