Cost dilution

Under-utilized capacities/opportunities for fixed cost dilution... 

Plastic-Plastic Blends. In recent years, a number of alloys of two or more plastics which are believed to be largely immiscible have achieved commercial prominence or are being considered for commercialization. The rationale for these products is different than simply impact modification and generally involves the concepts of property combinations and cost dilution. We will consider a number of examples of such systems. 

Polymer blending may be viewed as a problem solving technique and, in most cases, the reasons for selecting this approach fall into two categories property combinations and cost dilution. Most products succeed because of a beneficial combination or balance of properties rather than because of any single characteristic. In addition, a material must have a favorable benefit to cost relation in order to be selected over other materials for a particular application. 

Nitrogen losses from organic sources can be minimised by application in the spring and summer rather than the autumn and winter, and such practices as soil injection will reduce volatilisation losses. Nitrification inhibitors have been investigated but their effects are often variable, and their widespread use is precluded by high costs. Dilution, acidification and separation are also techniques which have been investigated and which show some promise. 

Improving mechanical properties such as toughness usually serve as the main reasons for the development of novel thermoplastic alloys and blends [4]. Other reasons for blending two or more polymers together include (i) to improve the polymer s processability, especially for the high-temperature polyaromatic thermoplastics (ii) to enhance the physical and mechanical properties of the blend, making them more desirable than those of the individual polymers in the blend and (iii) to meet the market force (cost dilution). Most products succeed because of a beneficial combination or balance of properties rather than because of any single characteristic. In addition, a material must have a favorable benefit-to-cost relation if it is to be selected over other materials for a particular application. One key technical issue is whether the blend will exhibit additive properties, or not. In many cases properties are well below additive, while in others they may be above additivity. The property relationships exhibited by blends depend critically on the correct control of their phase behavior [3]. 

Low Cost The only reaction catalyst is low cost dilute mineral acid that is recycled within the process eliminating the need for disposal of waste salts. 

Recovery of the wopropyl alcohol. It is not usually economical to recover the isopropyl alcohol because of its lo v cost. However, if the alcohol is to be recovered, great care must be exercised particularly if it has been allowed to stand for several days peroxides are readily formed in the impure acetone - isopropyl alcohol mixtures. Test first for peroxides by adding 0-6 ml. of the isopropyl alcohol to 1 ml. of 10 per cent, potassium iodide solution acidified with 0-6 ml. of dilute (1 5) hydrochloric acid and mixed with a few drops of starch solution if a blue (or blue-black) coloration appears in one minute, the test is positive. One convenient method of removing the peroxides is to reflux each one litre of recovered isopropyl alcohol with 10-15 g. of solid stannous chloride for half an hour. Test for peroxides with a portion of the cooled solution if iodine is liberated, add further 5 g. portions of stannous chloride followed by refluxing for half-hour periods until the test is negative. Then add about 200 g. of quicklime, reflux for 4 hours, and distil (Fig. II, 47, 2) discard the first portion of the distillate until the test for acetone is negative (Crotyl Alcohol, Note 1). Peroxides generally redevelop in tliis purified isopropyl alcohol in several days. 

In summary, the bad features of partial combustion processes are the cost of oxygen and the dilution of the cracked gases with combustion products. Flame stability is always a potential problem. These features are more than offset by the inherent simplicity of the operation, which is the reason that partial combustion is the predominant process for manufacturing acetylene from hydrocarbons. 

Because of restrictions in equipment si2e, magnesium nitrate processes were initially limited to small plants. Improvements in the materials of constmction have led to increased capacities and a lower capital cost. Sulfuric acid processes are usually preferred when reconcentration of the sulfuric acid is not requited, ie, when the dilute sulfuric can be used to make another product. 

The ethylene feedstock used in most plants is of high purity and contains 200—2000 ppm of ethane as the only significant impurity. Ethane is inert in the reactor and is rejected from the plant in the vent gas for use as fuel. Dilute gas streams, such as treated fluid-catalytic cracking (FCC) off-gas from refineries with ethylene concentrations as low as 10%, have also been used as the ethylene feedstock. The refinery FCC off-gas, which is otherwise used as fuel, can be an attractive source of ethylene even with the added costs of the treatments needed to remove undesirable impurities such as acetylene and higher olefins. Its use for ethylbenzene production, however, is limited by the quantity available. Only large refineries are capable of deUvering sufficient FCC off-gas to support an ethylbenzene—styrene plant of an economical scale. 

---