Chemical Abstracts Service major systems

The 8(b) inventory accumulation was the next major activity. For a decentralized company like Monsanto or, for that matter, most major chemical companies, the experience of centralized information gathering was a new experience. However, we believe that the experience not only was novel, but proved to be beneficial from several points of view. First of all, it enabled us to evolve a network of expertise. Second it gave us a central data-base on which to build other information important from a corporate point of view, and permit a one-time expense for developing a system. Third, it revealed that we needed to improve our data files in some areas. And, fourth, it gave our central staff departments some surprises as to substance locations. We used the Chemical Abstract Service Registry Profile capabilities to gather all the known synonyms and added our internal numeric and common identifiers to access the file via dozens of possible names or numbers. 

The CA index name (Chemical Abstract Index, American Chemical Society) for DMSO is sulfinylbismethane, sulfolane is tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide, while pyrrole and aniline retain the same names under the CA index naming system. The CAS numbers (Chemical Abstract Service, American Chemical Society) for the solvents are listed in Table 18.1 along with the physical properties. The CAS numbers refer to the major solvent component. Refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for CAS numbers of any minor impurities in the solvent. 

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