Hydrocarbon Processing - September 2022 - 40

History of the HPI
in WW2. However, while working with
the materials, he noticed that it stuck to everything,
making it very difficult to work
with. According to literature, moisture
caused the chemicals to polymerize, and
since virtually all objects have a thin layer
of moisture on them, bonding would occur
in nearly every testing instance.60
Since
the material was highly adhesive, the researchers
rejected the commercial use of it.
It was not until 1951 that Coover and
fellow researcher Fred Joyner recognized
the potential of cyanoacrylates as a quick
bonding substance. His
team was
researching
heat-resistant polymers for jet
airplane canopies. These tests showed
the unique adhesive properties of cyanoacrylate-the
adhesive required no heat
or pressure to bond.60
Several years later,
Eastman Kodak sold the material as Eastman
910, later marketing the material as
it is known today: Super Glue. The material-still
in use today for many applications-has
a unique story in that it was
discovered by accident, twice.61
Silicones. Although discovered in the
1850s, commercial silicones research and
development would not take off until the
1930s. Early research was conducted by
American chemist James Franklin Hyde
while working at Corning Glass Works
(FIG. 4). By using English chemist Frederic
Stanley Kipping's procedure for creating
organic silicon compounds, Hyde
was able to create a synthesized fluid that
hardened into a rubbery mass.62
pioneered work in
silicone polymers,
even coining the name " silicone " in 1904.
Hyde's discovery enabled Corning to
produce high-temperature motors and
generators. Silicones were used extensively
in ships and planes during WW2 as
a cable and wire insulator.62
Hyde's work
created the first commercially useful silicone
product and led to the formation of
the Dow Corning Corp. in 1943-a JV
between Dow Chemical Co. and Corning
Glass Works. The company's primary
focus was to develop silicone products,
including manufacturing products for the
U.S. military in WW2. The company's first
product was Dow Corning 4, an ignition
sealing compound that made high-altitude
flight possible. The compound prevents
corona discharge, enabling aircraft
to remain at 35,000 ft for 8 hr. This benefitted
the Allied powers since planes could
be flown to the UK and North Africa vs.
transporting them by ship, significantly
reducing the risks of them being bombed
and destroyed by Axis forces.63,64
Silicone continues to be widely used
in many different industries and applications,
including in automotive, construction,
energy, electronics, chemicals,
coatings, textiles and personal care,
among others.
FIG. 4. James Franklin Hyde works with a
colleague on experiments in the Corning Glass
Works' lab. Photo courtesy of Dow Corning.
Unconditional surrender and postwar
discoveries. On May 7, 1945, Germany
unconditionally surrendered to the
Allies. Japan did the same on September
2, 1945. These events marked the end of
the 7-yr global conflict.
The end of the European conflict also
Kipping
saw the breakup of the largest chemical
and pharmaceutical company in the
world, IG Farben. The company was
formed in 1925 as a merger of six chemical
companies-BASF, Bayer, Hoechst,
Agfa, Chemische Fabirik GriesheimElektron
and Chemische Fabrik vorm.
Post WW2, the company was broken into
several different entities. Agfa, BASF and
Bayer continued operations. Hoechst
acquired several other companies over
the next several decades, as well as spinning
off portions of its business into independent
companies, such as Clariant.
Hoechst is presently a subsidiary of the
French pharmaceutical company Sanofi.
Although WW2 had ended, the global
refining and petrochemicals industries
were just beginning. New technologies and
discoveries continued to be made through
the rest of the 1940s.65
In 1947, American
chemical engineer Vladimir Haensel conducted
experiments using platinum catalysts
for upgrading petroleum. However, at
the time, the use of platinum catalyst was
thought to be impractical and uneconomical
due to the costs of the precious metal.
Haensel's research showed that using
miniscule amounts of platinum (0.01%)
was enough for an effective process.66,67
This research led to a novel process to
produce gasoline with a higher octane
rating: Platforming. Haensel's Platforming
process also generated a higher yield
of aromatic hydrocarbons, which are used
in manufacturing plastics.66,67
The process
was commercialized by UOP, and the first
Platforming unit (FIG. 5) was built in 1949
at Old Dutch Refining Co.'s refinery in
Michigan (U.S.). The Platforming process
was instrumental in the eventual removal
of lead from gasoline.
The 1950s. Post-WW2 saw a significant
increase in oil consumption and economic
development in Europe and the U.S. New
chemical and refining discoveries would
continue to improve the lives of people
around the world. The evolution of the
global refining and petrochemicals industry
in the 1950s will be examined in the
next installment.
FIG. 5. Vladimir Haensel (left) developed the Platforming process. The first Platforming unit
(right) went online in 1949 at Old Dutch Refining Co.'s refinery in Michigan (U.S.). Photo courtesy
of Honeywell UOP.
40 MARCH 2022 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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