MANUFACTURE OF FURFURAL PRACTICABLE IN HUNGARY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400246-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 25, 2011
• Sequence Number: 246
• Publication Date: July 11, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENT FID~~T; Al_POR
CENTRAL IVTELLIGENCE AG n1E
COUNTRY Hungary
SUBJECT Economic -? Chemical industry
01 TNl OMITIO ITATII ~nnu .? ........- -?
l. I. l., II AND I/. Al ANIMISM IT/ TIAILL1IIII IOO oo TNI O NII.AnO. 11 ~Tro
II ,Moll BRIO.
DIIITn1a ITNTLAP IIMONYNTIOI 0, TBI1 FORM
SOURCE Magyar Kemikusok I.apJa.
MA2IUFACTu E op, FURFURAL PRACTICABLE I HHUNGARY
Procurement of sufficient
ny domestic by-products of
Hungarian industry. Many
which have never been utilized up to now. Furfural is such a material, and it
may be manufactured from wood and agricultural scrap,
Furfural has been known for a long time and many uses for it have been
worked out, but later discontinued. Today, furfural is in the foreground again.
Furfural and its derivatives are used in the manufacture of many industrial
materials, substitutes, solvents, and drugs. It is used in the synthetics,
leather, and rubber industries.
Manufacture
There are two processes for the preparation of furfurala
1. It can be obtained as a by-product in processes involving cellulose,
which contains vegetable matter.
2.- It may be the end-product, in processes utilizing vegetable matter.
Czechoslovak experience indicates that furfural may be prepared by hydro-
lyzing solutions containing large quantities of pentosane, which are formed
during the processing of cane and stray cellulose.
The cane cellulose of the Petohaz sugar plant wouldrbe suitable for this
purpose, and 100-150 tons of furfural could be obtained yearly.
The manufacture of straw cellulose is being carried on on a much larger
scale, but more complicated processes are required to utilize the by-products
of this method.
STATE
ARMY
NAVY
AIR
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1951
DATE DIST. 11 Jul 1951
NO. OF PAGES 5
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
C gIDENTIAL
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'rho -ttac_r n_,sibili+.v would require basic changes in certain phases of
the agricultural industry,
'In agricultural alcohol production, inferior corn and potatoes are utilized
erd.mol.asses is fermented The available supply of these materials will de-
crease during the Five-Year Plan because of the development of agriculture and
the use of synthetic ion-exchange resins in the sugar industry. The agricultural
alcohol. industry is, therefore, forced to ser.rch for new raw,&li is:'' rar,
potato stalks, sunflower -seed husks, and wood scrap. Abroad, many kinds of
sugar are prepared by the acid bydrolysis of these products, which shows that
the materials are quite ".uit.ble for fermentation. Furfural is obtained as a
by-product of the hydrolysis of cellulose.
If furfural 1s desired as an end-product, the process for the extraction
of furfural from sunflower-seed husks must be used,. Sunflower-seed husks con-
t.ein 10 percent pentosan and 40 percent cellulose, from which 14-15 percent fur-
fural may be obtained
The process involving sunflower-seed husks takes place in a rotary drum,
made of steel and lined with copper. It. is 4 meters long and 1.5 meters in
diameter,, Under a pressure of 4-5 atmospheres, the husks are moistened with 5-
6 percent sulfuric acid, and steam under 4-5 atmospheres is forced through the
chamber.. The drum revolves at 4 revolutions per minute. The mixture of furfural
and steam is led into a condensation chamber., The mixture then goes into a
copper fract.ionatirig column, 8 meters tall, having 30 plates. The product which
emerge from the '.rac`.ionating column contains 50-55 percent furfural. With
vacuum distillation, 99 percent furfural can be obtained,
It is not economical to run a plant solely for the manufacture of furfural.
The manufacture of furfural in small quantities involves high costs, Two 40-
meter rotary drums are necessary to produce 2 tons daily. The necessrry machin-
ery .roul.d cost 500,000 forints, and the building, an additional 500,00L' forints.
'Phanks to this process, furfural was manufactured during 1945-1946, with
primitive equipment.. Experiments were carried out to determine to what extent
the speed-up of the pentosan hydrolysis was aependent on the temperature and
concentration of the acid. The quantity of steam necessary for preparing one
ton of furfural was determined. With more modern methods, the quantity required
may be reduced by about. 50 percent
Furfural is used as a raw material for the production of synthetic sub-
stances, as a solvent, as a preservative and disinfectant, as a raw material
for the chemical industry, and for miscellaneous uses.
Production of Synthetic Substances
Among the polycondensation resins, the phenol-formaldehyde and carba-
mide-formaldehyde resins are the best known. The application of furfural to re-
place formaldehyde in case of the bakelite resins has now been worked out. In
many cases, the furfural resins have proved to be superior. They are heat re-
sistant, they are good insulators, and they resist corrosion. Their disadvantage
is that colorless or light-colorer: resins cannot be obtained if they are used.
While 96 kilograms of furf?iral and 94 kilograms of phenol reacted to
form 172 kilograms of resins, 80 kilograms of formaldehyde and 94 kilograms of
phenol yielded 106 kilograms of resins. This means that, in the case of the
first reaction, 18 kilograms of water and in the case of the second, 68 kilo-
grams of water, were liberated. Another advantage in the case of the furfural
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ra,i!.::; is r,:?: 't:: :c.:i',g frd fl,- w,e hvlenetetramine hardening can be
accomn:ushed in one step. The furfural resins are liquids and remain easy to
mold until ?he.; '>.e hardened ?' heat.,
The form,ldehyde resins reacn th?- solid state by going through a
rub.aer'ike stage
Fnr` ra rsins 'r;a-den b,~ wean i65 and 182 degrees. Under 165 de-
grees. they are .?as;~ to pour int' mold:;, and thus are especially suitable for
appli u'ion to the b:+Y.e: i+': s,prinklio proses
fbe t,r n ,'. '-rf tr-t =. r .- is hay? wide application. In certain fields,
hey a e .tsed c l u i -? i ?r t t i are n=- d .a hinder in the carbon brushes of
ale- tric mn?c n d _: 1=t!ni:~ To their base; `Phey are used
to +.he impregr~a, i? t: o!' ?tlnc.; fib?:rs out in the manufacture of materials re-
sistant. t.o ct,emi-c1i :.oroion ?he iiioteci furf>ral solution penetrates pores
r
easily and rr-dn!:~, pecan r..y, t:r:Frery edsitug the ;nerhanical resistance of
porous n3+'>ri.J1;:-
A e e ut t a*'!'u* +1 .t-sins is '..heir application in the manu-
,,en in Pao*o,~hemistry, photolithography,
fac .,trr f
r ? ,A ho A:..,..: , f' and various ketones
and l; ;r
in hu ir,;ol:;blc on contact. with light..
They aye :,,...
:,.. r v f?F ': unpo u,i c. i i _?tin witlj furfural. is suitable for the
manufacture ??f onstruc*inu rt eriais To provide all the furfural that could
be utilised +his field, nos'. agricultural scrap would have to be used for
the manufacor!- of firfura1
Pbt.hoiic anhyinirie is u:Fd as the starting material for alkyd-type
synthetic re;inr_ wn:.-h are v.,_,d co -he- lscgver industry Adipic acid can
easily be subs+,it.lted f' r pl:thal.c n.nhydridF?_ Adipic acid is prepared by oxi-
di.ing t.etrst!;,dr!'f'ur`'lr'f!i. and `olipic avid is the starting material for syn-
t.het?ic fiber;, and nylor._`ypc: nstc-riais.,
Another type of furtura1 re-,in is obtained through the polycondensation
of furttu,v1 alcohol. Fur?aryl r,lrohoi is prepared by hydrogenating liquid fur-
fural., Upon the tct?ion of `empera+ure and acid, furfuryl alcohol becomes resin.
Beginning in 195i, 1,000 tons of formaldehyde can be saved yearly
through the use of furfural, '(.'his would eliminate the use of methyl alcohol,
which is necessary in the preparation of formaldehyde.
With t.e additional use of fu.r?fural in synthetic-resin manufacture,
it will be possible t.o obviate the import of 11,000 to 5,000 tons of phthalic
anhydride, or the imported naphthalene from which the required quantity of
phtbalic anhydride is produced,. Thus, the basis for the synthetic-fiber
industry, envisaged in the se`ond Five-Year Plan, could be laid..
Solvent
Fu fural is especially effective in the purification of lubricating
oils, of basic synthetic-rubber ingredient-C, and of vegetable oils, since it
dissolves naphthenes, sulfur compound,, and other undesirable components.
Purification of oils with furfural removes unstable hydrocarbons which form a
sludge harmful. to cylinders and pistons., It also improves the viscosity index
of oils, so that the oils render good service at both low and high temperatures.
This is an especially important factor in the case of diesel oils, where the
combustion temperature plays such an important role.
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C3!!'F 'T1M.
nirFIDE' r1'TAL
r k -, net. corrode metals. It is possible to
ur oral i "`"
ntir7rede, which is a suitable temperature for
h,. e rae f ftir 7 r'urfurel is suitable for the purification of
tt.F di.s' ti ,, ind increases the yield by 10 percent com-
pa.red to other
r,;: ,,: .?; ; .,? . is ird) :,peo;rble in Hungarian lubrication-oil.
prod;.:*.ion. For s vF:,rly . u'pat.: (!,nnO !nn; of heavy oils, I,000 tons of
f-irf';ral ere `ar' t ion., Since the production of 5,000 tons
of qua? it .'1. tot ;a cne 1, 1 ,000 *ons of furfural will, be required
..., repl:Vc. ,
;-ear P1e...0)"
I:e toil it. during the second Five-
9 r;r? Y, .; .an.e found in rot oral gas, as well
k;^ ,r; , r.,'i r + n'' };e cracking process
changed so 'ham per
furfurei co-eF,1n1., pa 1' L'
the selec?.i,11v
furct iS ea p!]r'31 r= f ccii.
furfure .l , +t-le dry-i L':".
du? 1.s vea?Y sui+?k ,e r r
?,rrJ , ing p;;tut of the gas mixture is
r ,*-?1 L:= he obrained, In this case,
oatr:r _ ;,. bcc-,us. waxer greatly stimulates
the process is that the fur-
r. r,r:l1'ms of the lacquer industry is the
i 1 rsu;, i t,:= i mported , With the aid of
},jt' ni o"iihle oils, Soybean oil especially
tO: ; ,loc. su'fate, so-called tall oil is
formed. This ol-I which ; u=o'- o 'tn'r ire, is well known for its
fou.:l, odor. The :;:r? this, odor is furfural,.
d. Purl. ir..3, I m DC L1oUd iin :; '.n
Both the require, a pure, .light-colored
resin which is no'. only expeueiv-, bu*. ditf'ic?,lt. r,e obtain,
Resins contain cwo kinds of pigments.. One lends a ruby tint to the
resin and may be removed by ate:;u uiscili.=ti;.n The other is red and cannot be
,?-a rIve is cfitained when lye is added, and
removed by stern! _ ..!.,t 1?-,,
furfural removes this dye
The resin is dis6ol?J,od in De:!Leri . and treated with furfural.. The
two solutions, one con.t?aining furfural end the other benzene, separate sharply
when cold 'rhu-, both the pure resin and the dye can be remo?red, with a minimum
loss of solvents
e,. frpplicatio.a of Furfural in the Dye Industry
Furfural. and furfuryl alcohol are exce.Llent high-boiling-point
solvents, used in the dye industry as lacquer solvents and paint removers.
Furfural and its derivatives greatly resist. oxidation and arc water repellent.
Furfural and its derivatives are very useful in dissolving such in-
soluble synthetic material.; as cellulose esters, vinyl derivatives, phenol
resins, and aromatic s,;.bst,3.nres.:
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pP,-r?-ative and Disinfectant
In general, furfural is a preservative and a disinfectant. It is used,
tnerefn~re, as a germicide, weed killer, and a protective material for plants
s.nd trees, Furfural prevents disease in cereals and the development of bacteria
and molds.
Furfure.1. b.as the capacity to penetrate very deeply. It is very useful,
therefore, in wood impregnation and *.borough weed-killing. It is more effective
,.ban formaldehyde:, Swimming pool:: can be disinfected with very small quantities
of furfura L 6 one-percen` water solution of furfural kills parasites on the
human body and all min:roorganisma which adhere to its surface.
Furfural is also more effective than formaldehyde in combating poultry
?.ice and in washing coops for the prevention of poultry diseases,
4 Furfural as a R.aw,6a]emical
Furfural and its derivatives, especially the esters and ethers of
+e+?rahydrofurt'uryl. alcohol, are excellent softeners.
The basic materials of wary organs: dyec are furan-type compounds.
Malachite green, brown, and yellow dyes may be prepared from furfural? It re-
duces the cost3 of production.
Furfural is used in important compounds in the rubber industry to
accelerate vulcanization a:id to retard oxidation- The rubber industry utilizes
so-called anl:icreasing p:.oducts which increase the elasticity of rubber.
The texi.ile industry uses furfural as a humidifying agent. Furfural
is useful to the au.:?omobile and airplane industries. It is used (as a fuel
additive?) to absorb hydrocarbons and prevents them from settling on the walls
of the cylinders in the form of carbon and oil.
5. Miscellaneous Uses
Because of its humidifying properties, furfural is used in the s'ibsur-
face construction industry It, is used widely in road construction. By effect-
,'ing.. a thorough mixing of bituminous and mineral matter, it brigs about better
adhesion.
When furfural is used as a humidifying agent and is subjected to heat,
a resin is formed which greatly increases the resistance of the pavement to
weather., Cracking stops because the resins are water resistant Furfural
lengthens the life span of roads by about 15-20 percent.
Also, because of its humidifying properties, furfural is utilized in
the manufacture of abrasives. The addition of furfural makes these rroducts
much more durable. The increased durability is due to the action of the resins
which are formed by heat.
Comment on Dr Borsodi's Article by Dr Jozsef Marton
"Dr Borsodi is somewhat optimistic, though the possibilities are great.
It would take more than one million forints, in. my opinion, to build a furfural
plant with a 1,000-ton yearly output. Costs could be reduced greatly if the
existing sugar refineries could be utilized and equipped with the necessary
additional equipment."
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