ORGANIC CHEMICAL INDUSTRY — STINE 187 



tion of a polyhydric alcohol, a polybasic acid, and a monobasic fatty 

 acid derived from drying oils such as linseed or Chinawood oil. A 

 program for research was accordingly mapped out, and about 1925 or 

 1926 work was started. First and last, we spent more than half a 

 million dollars on research directed to the development of variously 

 modified alkyd resins, but I am happy to say that the fruits of this 

 work have been such that we have had no occasion to regret spending 

 this rather large sum. 



Synthetic organic chemicals find numerous important applications 

 in the manufacture and use of petroleum products. As you know, 

 cracking processes had the effect of doubling our oil reserves as far as 

 gasoline is concerned. On the other hand, however, cracked gasoline 

 on storage has a tendency to develop gums which would lead to 

 clogging of the motor and fuel lines. Through the use of certain 

 organic chemicals, however, this tendency to gimi formation is sub- 

 stantially eliminated. The amount of an antioxidant such as isobutyl- 

 para-aminophenol necessary to stablize cracked gasoline so that it may 

 be stored for several months, or even a year, costs only 2 or 3 cents to 

 the barrel of gasoline. This is of interest not only to the motorist, but 

 also to the refiner, since before the advent of gum inhibitors it was not 

 unusual for cracked gasoline which had been stored for some time to 

 require redistillation before it was sold. 



Likewise of interest to manufacturers of petroleum products are 

 the organic chemicals used in lubricants. Small amounts of a chemical 

 such as the esters and nitriles of long-chain fatty acids increase the 

 "oiliness" of a lubricating oil — ^that is, the coefiicient of friction is 

 lowered. In addition it is claimed that these "oiliness" promoters 

 reduce the wear on moving parts, thereby minimizing shut-downs and 

 repair bills. 



We have also what are known as extreme pressure lubricant bases 

 which cause a film of lubricating oil to be "tough." Several types 

 of organic materials are used for this purpose, including halogenated 

 and phosphated oil compositions, lead soaps, and sulfurized oils. 

 When present in oils and greases in amounts as low as 1 percent, these 

 extreme-pressure lubricant bases make it possible for a bearing or gear 

 to withstand tremendous pressures without the bearing surfaces ac- 

 tually touching one another, and possibly "seizing." For the lubri- 

 cation of the hypoid gear, for example, which is used in the differential 

 of most of the cars now being made, it is absolutely necessary that an 

 extreme-pressure lubricant base be used in conjunction with the lubri- 

 cating oil, since the peculiar frictional forces that obtain in this im- 

 proved gear would squeeze out or rupture the film of any untreated 

 oil, leaving the metal surfaces in direct contact. The presence of a 

 suitable extreme-pressure lubricant base insures that a film of oil 

 will always separate and protect the bearing surfaces. 



