OCR Text |
Show WATER FOR UTAH adequate water and power supplies, Utah will not lag behind the over- all growth of the West. . .. Potential Developments ... The possibilities of establishment of major chemical industries in Utah cover many fields. Those dependent 6n the State's coal base and those in the production of fertilizer are certainly among the most promising. ( See Sections on Coal and Hydrocarbons, and Fertilizer Industry.) However, there are others of paramount importance, such as for the production of chlorine, caustic soda, and calcium carbide, which can form the nucleus for very extensive industrial expansion in the State. These three basic chemicals- chlorine, caustic soda and calcium carbide- are important not only of themselves but because of the wide variety of substances which can be made by their combination. Today they are the foundation of probably one of the fastest growing portions of the entire chemical industry. The preferred method of production of chlorine and caustic soda is by means of the electrolytic cell, in which a water solution of salt is decomposed by the passage of large quantities of electric current into chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide- commonly known as lye or caustic soda. Caustic soda is also produced from soda ash by the lime- soda process. Calcium carbide is produced from a mixture of lime and coke in the electric furnace. Chlorine gas is one of the most important modern industrial raw materials. Its principal consumption is in the treatment of coal- tar, petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons, acetylene and other raw materials for the production of solvents, antifreeze, high- octane gasoline, lubricants, plastics and a great number of other important industrial substances. Large quantities are utilized in the pulp, paper and textile industries for the bleaching of pulp for fine papers, rayon and other related materials, as well as for water purification and sewage disposal. Caustic soda - another important chemical which is a by- product of the manufacture of chlorine - finds numerous major uses in the manufacture of soaps, cleansers, petroleum products, rayon, dissolving and bleached wood and cellulose pulps, and other products. In 1946, the total United States production of chlorine and caustic soda ( by electrolytic means, excluding caustic production by lime- soda processes) was on the order of 1, 125,000 tons and 1,180,000 tons respectively. The war peak production which occurred in 1944 was slightly higher, being 1,262,000 tons for chlorine and 1,183,000 tons for caustic soda produced elec- trolytically. Roughly 6% of this production was in the Pacific Coast States. ( The Las Vegas production during the war contributed another 4%.) The trend in use of chlorine in the United States has steadily increased for the production of various chemicals. The use of caustic soda for chemicals, rayon and cellulose treatment also has increased in percentage importance. The great advantages of salt cheaply procured from solar- evaporation beds along the California coast, because of inexpensive coast- wise shipment and extremely low- cost power in the Pacific Northwest, together with ready outlets in the pulp and paper industry, have focused western location of chlorine and caustic soda plants in the Pacific Northwest. The markets for chlorine which might be available to a Utah plant ( provided all other competitive factors - such as production costs - were favorable) would be primarily in the field of diversified chemcal industries. There is little if any likelihood that Utah chlorine produption could compete in California or the Pacific Northwest for pulp and paper, or for potential rayon production. On the other hand, for the production of solvents, certain plastics and in combination with acetylene derivatives, it is possible that the output of at least one minimum- sized plant could be utilized. It might be noted that in 1943 the western consumption of chlorine for chemicals was on the order of 16,000 tons, most of which was utilized in the industrialized areas of Southern California. The growth of population of the Western States and their increasing industrialization can be counted to develop steadily rising trends in the demands for chlorine products in chemistry. As for caustic soda, the output of a Utah plant might possibly find a market in chemical [ 67] |