UNIROYAL CHEM-TEXTS
Vol. 3, 1969 PUBLISHED FOR THE PEOPLE OF UNIROYAL CHEMICAL No. 10
The Small Plant In A Big Plant
Exterior of Chemical Pilot Plant is deceptive in appearance. Inside it’s a maze of piping, reactors, and equipment to make new products.
by Gary Arndt
The Chemical Pilot plant, a one story brick building in the Chemical yard, is almost lost among the 142 plant buildings that comprise the Naugatuck plant. Not very impressive from the outside, the pilot plant contains some of the most modern equipment in the chemical industry. Inside is a maze of complex piping, sophisticated reactors, and control systems.
Makes Chemicals For Plant
The pilot plant, operated by the Research and Development department, serves as a small scale plant to evaluate new processes as well as to manufacture new products, preparatory to their production in large volume in the main plant. It also produces low volume chemicals where it would not be economical to build a plant and manufactures several intermediate chemicals which cannot be purchased commercially but are required for the plant’s overall operations. New experimental chemicals are also made by the pilot plant for evaluation by our customers, universities, and the agricultural industry to help develop new markets for us.
Alar® Made In Plant
A large production run of Alar Tech was recently completed. This new growth regulant prevents apples from dropping off the trees and in-
Tony Cilfone, left and Jerry Ferguson discuss the new 100 gallon reactor fitted with mechanical seal agitation and automatic temperature control.
Ben Pranulis, left, and Fran San Angelo operate basket centrifuge used to separate solids from liquids.
creases their storage life. Another chemical produced by the pilot plant is Cyclohexene Oxide, which is an intermediate chemical used in the manufacture of Omite® a new agricultural chemical, used by fruit growers to control mites from chewing up the leaves on their fruit trees.
Improves Safety And Production
The pilot plant contains some of the most modern, expensive equipment in the chemical industry to help us produce better quality products. A year ago a newly purchased Centrifuge-Dryer system, the only one of its kind here in Naugatuck, was put into use. Its purpose was not only to increase the production of Alar, but also to handle the solvent drying step in the process safely. A new 100-gallon reactor fitted with mechanical seal agitation and automatic temperature control was recently installed to improve product quality and make the operator’s job easier.
SAFETY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY
Good Morale, Housekeeping
Good morale is hard to define but it’s clearly evident among the people working in the pilot plant. A cheerful, cooperative atmosphere exists and the work-together attitude helps take the humdrum out of the daily routine of the job that everyone experiences. Also noticeable when you enter the pilot plant is the good housekeeping condition of the area. Materials and drums are properly arranged and the area is free of trash and rubbish.
Working in the plant which operates three shifts around the clock are Joe Poudrier, Bob Enamait, Harris Detlefsen, Fran Pikula, Dan Pinto, John Lydem, Julius Cohen, Marcel Hebert, Chris Owens, Al Grella, Tony Cilfone, Fran SanAngelo, Jerry Ferguson, Ben Pranulis, and Casimiro Pereira. Other members of the group are Don Bates and Julius Rek, foremen; and Bronis Zukauskas, materials supervisor. Group Leader for the Chemical Pilot Plant is Colin Walker.