DANGERS IN MANUFACTURING. Under modern methods, and with suitable apparatus, there are no dangers connected with the manufacture of Synthetic Phenol, beyond the usual risks of any factory work. If men put their fingers into running gears they will get hurt, or if they let hot water or steam run onto themselves they will get scalded, but outside of the "fool accidents" of this kind, there need be none, if the plant.is arranged properly from the start. The only risks that could cause accidents, incident to this particular industry, are escaping Benzol vapors that might explode if they came in contact with flame, Sulphuric Acid burns in carelessly handling acid, Caustic Soda burns from obsolete methods of Caustic manipulation, and Carbolic Acid burns from reckless handling of the final product. No gaseous products harmful to any one are given off at any stage of the process under the generally accepted methods, and no fumes of any kind are going to disturb the neighborhood. To obviate the possible Benzol vapors, the rectification is done in an outside building with no communication to the main part. The Sulphonation while done inside, discharges into tanks outdoors in the open air first, to permit all vapors to escape, and when it is then conducted inside to the neutralizing tanks, there can be no dangers from explosion. Carbonic Acid gas and air pressure move all the fluids, acids, etc., in closed pipes, and so no undue dangers of Sulphuric Acid burns are present. Caustic Soda fusion is conducted in sealed Autoclaves, discharged by pneumatic pressure, and all the subsequent operations are conducted in air-tight tanks, apparatus and pipe lines, and handled automatically without any hand labor whatever, thus eliminating all risks of every kind, and the purified and refined Phenol is finally drawn off from the storage tanks into the final shipping packages without having been subjected to exposure at any time. No experimental work is necessary and so no untried chemical methods are expected, that may create difficulties of an unknown kind. BETA NAPHTHOL. A Synthetic Phenol plant is likewise suitable for the manufacture of Beta Naphthol. If Autoclave fusion is already installed the only change is to Autoclave-sulphonation, in place of the Kettle and Reflux Condenser type used with Benzol. Beta Naphthol is made from Naphthalene by sulphonation, and then fusing the Sodium Salt with Caustic Soda. The price, costs and profits compare favorably with the manufacture of Phenol. Installations for Beta Naphthol will be made at the same charges as for Phenol. MY ENTRY INTO SYNTHETIC PHENOL. Late in 1914 I had finished a four-volume work on China Wood Oil. A compilation that was largely obtained from the leading foreign Chemical and Technical Journals, Patents and other publications. Having already had considerable practical experience in the technical uses of Phenol, in Synthetic Resins and in PhenolCasein-Thermoplastics, the war situation seemed propitious for taking up some one or two of the Coal Tar by-products and specializing on these until they were developed to their full limit. My researches already covering about eighteen months in the Chemical and Technical literature, served to quickly put me in touch with all the information that there was on Synthetic Phenol. The extensive data on Casein-Phenol and Phenol-Aldehydes that I had gathered during some ten months' association with that particular work also proved of material benefit, and in the early part of 1915 I entered into the first contract to install a Synthetic Phenol plant, to be erected near New York City. This was one of the first projects of the kind to be started in the United States outside of the one previously mentioned. A plant in Syracuse and one at Rahway, N. J., were started shortly after, or about this time, by their owners. Since this date my entire time has been given to designing GROUND PLAN AND SIDE ELEVATION, FOR TWO TON PHENOL Buildings 248 ft. long (over all), 40 ft. wide and 25%1⁄2 ft. high on sides. apparatus and working out the most approved methods of its installation, for the production of Synthetic Phenol. With the assistance of a corps of competent Engineers, Draftsmen and Chemists I have originated and designed considerable apparatus that is entirely new to this art. The German and English manufacturers make use of none of the modern devices and appliances that have already been put into use in this country. Entirely new principles of operation, of heating, handling, labor saving, conserving gases and wastes, eliminating of dangers and risks, and increasing yield have been introduced. A year's diligent study with proper assistants, and with opportunities for trying any ideas that might have merit, and with people willing to pay the price if the idea worked, all these have produced results, and these results are, that a complete Phenol plant can now be designed and installed, that will be superior in its operation to any plant that exists today in Europe, and that will cost much less than if built under any other Engineering plan, than the one that I am following. MY METHOD AND PLAN OF ACTING AS YOUR CHEMICAL ENGINEER. To begin with I have nothing to sell you but my services. No merchandise of any kind, and I have no connections with any other Engineering Company, Foundry, Machine Shop, Boiler or Tank Works. There are no commissions coming to me from any source when I serve you, and hence you are able to buy your apparatus and materials without these costly complications. There is no piece of apparatus or device made by anyone in the United States for this work, but what I will design one for you as good if not better, and probably to cost you half the price of the other, hence by making use of me as your Engineer, you are able to get what you want, have it made in any part of the country you please, and get competitive bids on it that really are competitive, and so be able to purchase at a low price. My entire charge will be more than saved on the cost of your apparatus alone. I already have over $2,000 worth of stock drawings on Phenol apparatus alone. I have plant layouts, building plans, foundation plans, pipe arrangements, power installations and similar drawings for plants arranged in many different ways running from 14 ton per day capacity to 5 tons per day capacity, and costing for the apparatus alone, from $8,000 to $40,000 each. In the apparatus, I have designs for every conceivable kind of apparatus that can be thought of for each stage of the work and from which you can make your choice. The variations are due to difference in cost, difference in sheet metal over cast metal, difference in open and closed patterns, heating by direct fire, direct steam, hot oil circulation, hot oil bath, indirect steam, etc., movement of the fluids by centrifugal pumps, rotary pumps, belt pumps, single steam pumps, duplex steam pumps and blow cases. Apparatus is discharged by outlets in bottom, by syphon discharge, air pressure and Carbonic Acid gas pressure. Tanks are steel or wood and lead lined or not as wanted. Stills are heated for operation in various ways, and condensers are spiral coils, jacketed tubes, or chamber condensers and are built of wrought iron, cast iron, sheet steel, cast or sheet nickel, are glass enameled, or galvanized, or put up in various other ways. Filtering operations are conducted by filter-presses, nuges, or by settling as the case may be. Disposal of cake is by carts, trams, conveyors or by automatic methods. The rectification of Benzol is effected in the most approved manner by fractional distillation. Other numerous variations in the apparatus are provided for, to meet the limitations of expense that may be desired, or to meet the most complete requirements that can be devised regardless of expense, or to obviate all wastes or dangers, or to be the easiest and simplest methods that will really do the work. All these various ways and plans have been required during the past year, to meet the requirements of the different Clients and inquiries, and new and modified forms of apparatus are continually being devised in anticipation of some future requirement. From this you can see that there is no such thing as a stereotyped form or plan for a Phenol plant, any more than there is for the building of a home. The plans will all depend on the amount of money that is intended to be spent on the plant, and the other numerous factors that will govern the methods that are to be employed. The Engineering work then consists in submitting to you a large line of detailed apparatus to select from, and then design |