Hydrocarbon Processing - March 2022 - 52

History of the HPI
cal 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
FIG. 4. James Franklin Hyde works with a colleague on experiments in the Corning Glass Works'
lab. Photo courtesy of Dow Corning.
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
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.
ating 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 bene52
MARCH 2022 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
Kipping
fitted 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.
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
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 chemiresearch
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
April issue of Hydrocarbon Processing. This
includes the discovery of polypropylene,
high-density polyethylene, new catalyst
designs, the first use of a computer control
system in refining operations and several
other advancements in refining and chemicals
production technologies.
LITERATURE CITED
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