Milestones in the Canadian plastics industry (December 01, 1999)

PLASTICS AT WORK FOR VICTORY IN WW II

The earliest issues of Canadian Plastics featured regular coverage of the role plastics was playing in helping the Allied war effort. One photo montage which appeared in CP Jan. 1945 reported on a number of war-related parts made of plastic: a handwheel for operation of radar transmitter made of improved impact Bakelite, compression molded by Duplate Canada Ltd.; waterproof match cases for the armed services molded of Tenite II cellulose acetate butyrate in olive drab color. At the outbreak of the war, many Canadian plastics companies making domestic product lines converted their operations almost entirely to war work. One company, York Button Co., changed its name to York Plastics Industries after making parts for aircraft and electrical equipment during the war had expanded their business well beyond the button industry. Another feature which ran in CP March 1945 reported on the plastics components of a walkie-talkie unit made in Canada by Addison Industries Ltd. The article noted that… “Opinion has been expressed in some quarters that the walkie-talkie is the best unit produced in the world…”

NYLON REPLACES WOOL FOR ARMY PUTTEES

The Canadian Army technical men have been examining the virtues of nylon yarns for military clothing applications. The army is looking to nylon as the material to replace wool for puttees. It is hoped that the nylon puttees will be shrinkproof and fray-proof and have greater abrasion resistance in service than wool. (Nov. 1949)

NEW NYLON PLANT

Maitland, Ont. is the site of C-I-L’s nylon plant, which will be in operation late this year. The new nylon plant will produce base materials for the yarn divisions, but will be a nucleus for molding compound requirements. (Jan. 1952)

WHAT DOMESTIC HOSE PROBLEM?

Clear vinyl garden hose is a new hit in the U.S.A. according to reports received from large retail organizations. We note this because of the early marketing of clear vinyl hose some four years, at which time the consuming public had not had sufficient experience with vinyl hose to appreciate the merits. The trend towards vinyl hose indicates that the public has come to regard the vinyl hose as the best answer to the domestic hose problem (Jan. 1952)

POLYETHYLENE PRODUCTION BEGINS IN CANADA

C-I-L announced it would spend $13 million to build the first Canadian polyethylene production unit in Edmonton, Alberta, according to CP, Feb. 1952 issue. Start-up was originally scheduled to begin in 1952 but was delayed until 1953. The decision to build the plant was based on demand for PE in Canada that was growing at the time at a rate of 100 percent per year.

POLYSTYRENE PRODUCTION INCREASES

Dow will spend four million dollars on their new styrene monomer unit at Sarnia, Ont. Styrene monomer at the rate of two million lb. per month will flow from the plant upon completion. Polystyrene production facilities are being expanded to take care of increased domestic and export requirements.( May 1952)

HIGH-IMPACT PS LAUNCHED

The development of the first extra high impact Styron (Dow polystyrene) is expected to open many new fields of application for PS plastic, D.N. Staples, manager plastics sales, Dow Chemical of Canada, announced. Known as Styron 480, the new formulation is 10 times tougher than general purpose PS and has greatly improved elongation. The new material is being targeted for use in action toys, radio cabinets, high chair trays, etc. (Sept.-Oct. 1954)

A NEW THERMOPLASTIC-COULD IT BE POLYPROPYLENE?

Milan, Italy–A radically new thermoplastic is now in commercial production in the Montecatini’s Ferrara plant, Italy. The new plastic, called by the trade name Moplen, is made from a petroleum by-product, low-cost propylene gas, by a low-pressure catalytic process….Professor Natta (at Milan Polytechnic) has succeeded in developing a new way of synthesizing olefins, a method which produces an unusual regularity of structure in the plastic…Moplen in many applications outperforms conventional plastics. (Nov. 1957)

GOODRICH DEVELOPS VINYL-COATED SIDING

B.F. Goodrich Chemical Co. has a completely new type of house siding made of polyvinyl-coated aluminum. The easily installed, vinyl-coated aluminum siding panels lock together to form weather-tight V-groove so there are no exposed nail heads. (Jan. 1959)

MOLDERS LEARNING MORE ABOUT NYLON

“The effective use in Canada of nylon as a molding material which can be engineered into a variety of mechanical applications increased markedly during the past year. The main factor was the interest of five or six molders in becoming fully acquainted, not only with the process characteristics of nylon, but with its fundamental physical characteristics as well….There is room for much more of this kind of work. A wide variety of items not made from nylon at present, could be made from nylon at costs substantially below the cost of existing metal parts.” (F.G. Rice, manager market development, DuPont of Canada, Feb. 1959)

NEW POLYCARBONATE RESIN

The McArthur Chemical Co. Ltd. of Montreal and Toronto is offering a new polycarbonate resin in Canada. This new polymer, called Makrolon, is manufactured in West Germany by Farbenfabriken Bayer A.G. (July 1959)

Events, ventures, people

SPE ONTARIO SECTION FORMED

The Society of Plastics Engineers is the technical association of the Plastics Industry. Its main objects are to promote in all lawful ways the arts, sciences, standards and engineering practices connected with the use of plastics in their diverse form.

It is felt that these activities could be more readily accomplished through the organization of an Ontario Section of SPE in Toronto. One of its purposes would be to avail members the opportunity of listening to informal talks given by outstanding American specialists in various phases of plastics. (Nov. 1949)

FIRST PLASTIC TOILET SEATS BEING MADE IN WINDSOR

Plastic toilet seats are now being made in Canada. The Canadian Battery and Bonalite Co., located on McDougall Avenue in Windsor, Ont. has just gone into production of these seats, designed for comfort, fashion and ease of maintenance. (Jan. 1948)

MONSANTO, LAUCKS MERGE

L.G. Ryan, president of Monsanto (Canada) Ltd. has announced that the merger of Laucks Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary, into Monsanto (Canada) Ltd. was completed by Dec. 31. The process of assimilation of Laucks Ltd., adhesive manufacturers with headquarters at Granville Island, B.C., into Monsanto has been under way for over a year. (Jan. 1948)

CELLOPHANE PLANT ENLARGED

Plans for a $4 million addition to the company’s “Cellophane” plant at Shawinigan Falls, Que. are announced by Canadian Industries Limited. When completed, the enlarged facilities will enable the plant to increase production by over 200 percent over its pre-war production. (Oct. 1948)

COLD WAR PLASTIC?

Plastics which have been “cooked” in an atomic pile for a few hours, emerging as virtually new materials, were among the novel exhibits at an exhibition of radio components in London, England, recently. Plastics so treated possess a remarkable “shape memory.” A piece of treated plastic, if heated until it became malleable, can be pressed or twisted to any shape and will retain this form when cool. When heated again, however, it immediately reverts to its original shape. (May 1953)

FARRELL PLASTICS CO. ANNOUNCED

Bert Farrell, well known figure in the plastics industry, has announced that as of the first of November 1949, he will be open for business in the injection molding field. Mr. Farrell has engineered and pioneered developments in the injection molding field in Canada since 1938. Mr. Farrell’s new company, Farrell Plastics Co., will be located at 19 Draper St., Toronto. (Oct.1949)

A. SCHULMAN TURNS 25

The silver Jubilee of A. Schulman Inc. (Akron, OH) will be celebrated in August of this year. The company was established by Alex Schulman, who is still the very much active president, in 192
8. The company, now with offices and warehouses around the world, is well known to the Canadian plastics industry for their work in the reclamation of plastic. (July 1957)

WOODBRIDGE MOVES

Increased business has again forced Woodbridge Moulded Products Ltd. to move. Their latest move gives them a 12,500 sq. ft.. plant just next door to the old one on Tycos Drive in Toronto. (Jan. 1957)

TAYLOR INCORPORATES

Don Taylor, plastics consultant, has incorporated the D.M. Taylor Laboratories under the name of Organic Laboratories Ltd. The incorporation was the result of “expanding development and advisory services to Canadian and U.S. industry.”

Don tells Canadian Plastics: “We are still enlarging and now have laminating, compression molding, gunk compound, polyester, plastisol as well as extrusion facilities, plus our management advisory service, all of this is on a development basis with no manufacturing done.” (Jan.1957)

MONTREAL CARBIDE PLANT UP AND RUNNING

The fully-integrated $25 million petrochemicals and polyethylene plant of Carbide Chemicals Co., division of Union Carbide Canada, is now on stream at Montreal East. The plant is designed to transform gasses from neighboring oil refineries into polyethylene resin and other derivatives. Even as the plant enters production, construction is under way on a $4 million addition to the polyethylene resin unit. When this new addition is completed late this year, the plant’s resin production capability will reach 30 million pounds per year. (June 1957)

Packaging

COLORED CELLOPHANE MAY HAVE TO WAIT TWO YEARS

While “tango” cellophane is now being produced at the Shawinigan plant of C.I.L., the current expansion program will not be completed in time to permit a return to the various colors of cellophane popular in the pre-war years. Current demand (of cellophane) is constantly rising and reports from end users indicate that 300 percent increase is due over the next 16 months. Packaging converters report that modern printing developments have been partly responsible for the increased use of cellophane in many fields. (Nov. 1948)

BAXTER EXPANDING

Baxter Laboratories of Canada Ltd., now located in Acton, Ont., is building a 33,000 sq. ft. plant in Alliston, Ont. The company plans to manufacture intravenous solutions and blood bottles for doctors and hospitals. Much of their product is sold in polyethylene, heat-sealed bags.

PLIOFILM AND THE EVOLUTION OF CHEESE

With the advent of the self-service grocery store it became increasingly difficult to buy good old natural cheese. During the last few years scientific developments in the field of packaging films and special packaging have at last solved this problem…The secret of this new cheese, package is a special grade of pliofilm developed by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. for packaging natural cheese and a technique known as pressure packaging. This tensilized Pliofilm has the ability to resist air, oil and moisture. It also permits the gases evolved in the cheese to escape at just the right rate to prevent mold growth. (Oct. 1956)

THIRD NPE TO SEE MORE MACHINERY

Demonstrations of new processes and special machinery will be featured on a bigger scale than in the past when the Third National Plastics Exposition is staged by the SPI, Sept. 27 to Oct. 1.Grand Central Palace, New York is to house the huge display… It will emphasize that during the interim since the industry’s initial showing was staged in New York in 1946, great strides have been made in all branches of plastics manufacturing, processing and finishing. (Aug.1948)

CORSETS GET A COATING WITH AID OF NEW EXTRUDER

The St. Lawrence Steel and Wire Co. at Gananoque, Ont. have recently installed a Modern Plastic Machinery Corp. extruder for the purpose of coating wire with thermoplastic materials for the corset industry. This is the first installation of this type of extruder in Canada and marks a new end use field for extruded production. (Oct. 1949)

BEFORE THERE WAS CAD

Husky Manufacturing and Tool Works (Ontario) Ltd., 5870 Yonge St., Toronto, have established a department for making models. The purpose of this model department is to assist customers in translating ideas into concrete shapes and then, through, into the finished mold. (February 1958)