Summary

Combined production of all synthetic organic chemicals and their raw materials in 1957 was 84, 847 million pounds--3.5 percent more than the output in 1956 (see table 1). Sales totaled 45, 375 million pounds, valued at 6, 077 million dollars in 1957-showing a decline of 0.3 percent in quantity and an increase of 4. 2 percent in value, compared with 1956. As these data include those on the production and sales of chemicals at several successive steps in the manufacturing process, they necessarily include much duplication.

Production in 1957 of all synthetic organic chemicals (excluding their raw materials) totaled 43, 236 million pounds, or 6. 1 percent more than the output of 40, 752 million pounds in 1956. The volume of output of all individual groups of finished synthetic organic chemicals increased in 1957 compared with 1956, except dyes, toners and lakes, and pesticides and other organic agricultural chemicals.

TABLE 1.--Synthetic organic chemicals and their raw materials: United States production and sales, 1956 and 1957

3

Excludes products derived from petroleum, but includes products derived from tar and from coke-oven gas.

First in the order of the size of the percentage increase in production between 1956 and 1957 were rubber-processing chemicals, the output of which increased by 11. 2 percent. The output of medicinals increased 10.5 percent; plastics and resins, 9.1 percent; miscellaneous chemicals, 6.8 percent; plasticizers, 6.1 percent; surface-active agents and intermediates, each 5.0 percent; elastomers, 1.7 percent; and flavor and perfume materials, 1.4 percent.

Production of pesticides and other organic agricultural chemicals was 10.2 percent smaller in 1957 than in 1956; that of toners and lakes was 7.9 percent smaller; and that of dyes, 5.6 percent smaller.

PART I. PRODUCTION AND SALES OF TARS, TAR CRUDES, AND CRUDES DERIVED FROM PETROLEUM AND

NATURAL GAS

Tars

Coal tar is produced chiefly by the steel industry as a byproduct of the manufacture of coke; water-gas tar and oil-gas tar are produced by the fuel-gas industry. Production of coal tar, therefore, depends on the demand for steel; production of water-gas tar and oil-gas tar reflects the consumption of manufactured gas for industrial and household use. Water-gas and oil-gas tars have properties intermediate between those of petroleum asphalts and coal tars. Petroleum asphalts are not usually considered to be raw materials

for chemicals.

The quantity of tar produced in the United States from all sources in 1957 was 916 million gallons, or 3.9 percent more than the 881 million gallons produced in 1956. Of the total quantity produced in 1957, 874 million gallons was coal tar and 42 million gallons was water-gas and oil-gas tar (see table 2).

Total consumption of tar in 1957 amounted to 874 million gallons, of which 674 million gallons was consumed by distillation, 173 million gallons as fuel, and 27 million gallons in miscellane

ous uses.

TABLE 2.--Tar: United States production and consumption, 1956 and 1957
[In thousands of gallons]

Coal tar, water-gas tar, and oil-gas tar processed at tar refineries, crude tar consumed for upkeep at such refineries, and tar consumed in making gas and in special-purpose tar blends"

1 Reported to the American Gas Association.

2 Reported to the U. S. Bureau of Mines.

3 Reported to the U. S. Tariff Commission.

Represents tar purchased from companies operating coke ovens and gas-retort plants and distilled by companies operating tar-distillation plants.

5 Reported to the American Gas Association and to the U. S. Tariff Commission.

Tar Crudes

Tar crudes are obtained from coke-oven gas and by distilling coal tar, water-gas tar, and oil-gas tar. The most important tar crudes are benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, and creosote oil. Some of the products derived from coal tar are identical with those produced from petroleum and natural gas. Data for materials derived from these latter sources are, for the most part, included in or with the statistics for materials derived from coal tar, which are shown in tables 3 and 4A.1

Total domestic production of industrial and specification grades of benzene amounted to 332 million gallons in 1957--slightly less than the 337 million gallons reported for 1956. These totals include benzene produced from domestic tars, from imported and domestic crude light oil, from domestic petroleum, and from imported motor-grade benzene. Sales of benzene amounted to 277 million gallons, valued at 98 million dollars, in 1957, compared with 284 million gallons, valued at 103 million dollars, in 1956. The output of toluene from all sources (including material produced for use in blending in aviation fuel) amounted to 198 million gallons in 1957-an increase of 13. 8 percent over the 174 million gallons reported for 1956. Sales of toluene in 1957 amounted to 130 million gallons, valued at 33 million dollars. The output of xylene in 1957 (including that produced for blending in motor fuels) was 127 million gallons; sales amounted to 83 million gallons, valued at 23 million dollars. More than 90 percent of the xylene produced in 1957 was derived from petroleum sources.

Production of crude naphthalene in 1957 amounted to 420 million pounds--14.5 percent less than the 491 million pounds reported for 1956. Sales of naphthalene were 276 million pounds, valued at 17

TABLE 3.--Tar and tar crudes: Summary of production and sales of specified products, average 1952-56, annual 1956 and 1957

1 For details concerning statistics shown in this table, see table 4A.

2 Includes data for oil-gas, water-gas, and gas-retort tar reported to the American Gas Association, and for coal tar reported to the Division of Bituminous Coal, U. S. Bureau of Mines.

3 Revised.

4 Includes data for material produced for use in blending motor fuels.

1 See also table 4B, part III, which lists these products and identifies the manufacturers.