Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-07
DETR0FFgsa TMES
On the
Business
front
By WARD SCHULTZ
D.,r.,, Time. Financial Editor

Charges OF senator Elmer
Thomas OF Oklahoma that the
manufacture OF synthetic rubber
from alcohol was deliberately side
tracked by dollar-a-year men in
the chemical branch of WPB for
selfish reasons, were outlined in
this column yesterday.
The senator from Americas
third largest oil producing state
openly said in his report for the
Committee on Agriculture and
Forestry that the alcohol process
was 1.-The only commercially proven
method" and condemned the lab
oratory experiments from petro-
leum which will require twice as
much time and more strategic
materials"
Here are a few instances cited
by Senator Thomas in proof OF his
contention that the alcohol process
was sidetracked.
He said that the Senate sub
COMMITTEE received ample proof
that at least one alcohol process
was well beyond the experimental
stage.
This process is controlled by
Carbide and Carbon Chemicals
Corporation, and a pilot plant Is
in operation. The firms first large
plant was started in March, 1912
and will be in production by next
January.
There h no question but that
this plant In further ahead than
any of the petroleum or other
units authorized by Rubber Re-
serve Corporation" said Thomas.
Originally Carbide and Carbon
was allocated the production OF
10000 tons of butadiene to be
made from alcohol - but the
plan called for the making of the
butadiene from synthetic alcohol
made only from petroleum,
costly and complicated process"
Imagine making alcohol from
petroleum when the government
has millions of bushels OF surplus
wheat and grains and when Michi'
gan farmers are told they'll have
to store their own crops because
the granaries are overloaded"
The Carbide and Carbon Com
pany was already producing 5000
900 gallons of the needed lS.'
900, 900 gallons Of alcohol. II was
finally given approval to build an
other plant to turn out the other
nine million but il was not until
Thomas subcommittee put or
pressure that il got that o. X.
He said that they had been given
some assurance that GRAIN AL
COHOL would be used.
Then there was the case OF the
Polish engineer who for several
years prior to the outbreak of the
war operated a commercial rubber
manufacturing plant in Poland.
This engineer. from small test
plant. is turning out 100 pounds
of butadiene substance from
which the rubber is made) a day.
Plans for a large plant are
going forward but neither the
Young Pole nor his hackers re-
ceived any encouragement from
officials in charge of the nations
rubber program.
His process called for rubber
from grain alcohol!
Senator Thomas tells OF expert
mentS in the Peoria laboratories
of the Department of Agriculture
for the production of butadiene
from butylene glycol. a substance
also made from the fermentation
of grain. II too holds great
promise.
One of the whisky diStilleries is
building a pilot plant in Louisville
TO make .butadiene from grain. 1t
is having no trouble getting pri-
orities-after the war the distiller
will go back TO making whisky.
But a concern in Florida which
proposes to make butylene glycol
from sweet potatoes and would
remain in the postwar picture has
been denied any priority assistance
at all. says Thomas.
The senator from Oklahoma
wound up his report with:
while any farm crop contain
ing sugar or starch can be
utilized, IL appears most prac-
teal for commercial operations
on a year round scale In the
northern states 10 use dry
grains such rs corn or wheat, or
sulphite pulp from our forests