DEVELOPMENTS IN POLISH CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700150030-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2011
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: November 13, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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COUNTRY Poland
SUBJECT Economic - Chemical industry
HOW
PUBLISHED Monthly periodicals
WHERc
PUBLISHED Warsaw; Gliwice
DATE
PUBLISHED Jul, Aug 1953
LANGUAGE Polish
REPORT
CD N0.
DATE OF
DATE DIST. /.3 Nov 1953
NO. OF PAGES 4
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT N0.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
DEVELOPMENTS IN POLISH CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
GROWTH OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRY -- Warsaw, Przemeyl Chemiczny, Vol (32) 9, Nc 7,
aul 53
Because of the great war destruction and the lack of experienced perso~el,
the Polish chemical industry, as many other industries in Poland, was in a very
difficult situation in 1945. Several enterprises, badly damaged during the 'd>ir,
were nevertheless activated rapidly through the creative enthusiasm of workers,
engineers, technicians, and the administration of the chemical industry,~and
through the aid received from the USSR.
In 1945, about 62 percent of the enterprises under the ,jurisdiction of the
former Central Administration of the Chemical Industry (Centralny Larzad Przemy-
slu Chemicznego) were already activated.
In 1946, an additional 2J percent of the chemical enterprises were activated.
In 1947, production xas started in 6.5 percent of the enterprises that had suf-
fered the greatest damage during the war..
On 31. December 1947, 88.5 percent of the chemical factories under the Juris-
diction of the former Central Administration of the Chemical Industry were al-
ready operating. The remaining 12.5 ~i~ percent represented the factories
Tihich were almost completely destroyed, c. were entirely without equipment.
The production of the chemical industry for the first 3 years (1950 - 1952)
of the Six-Year Plan xas fulfilled 111 percent, thus reaching an index of growth
of 203 as compared xith 1949. Therefore, 60 percent of the Six-Year Plan has
been fulfilled.
The National Economic Plan for 1953 established that the total production
(at base-year prices) for the chemical industry for 1953 would reach the level
proposed for 1954 by the Six-Year Plan.
STATE
ARMY
NAW
AIR
~I
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CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTED
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
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The following table shows the index of prodiico;on growth of some of the
most important commodities of the chemical industry (1937 ~ 100 percent):
Commodity
l~
~
1 4
~
2~
~~
Superphosphate
97.3
112.3
249.0
--
262.8
Calcium cyanamide
145.7
172.0
248.6
252.7
--
"Saletrzak" (mixture of
ammonium nitrate and
calcium carbonate)
196.3
372.0
584.0
594.7
--
Soda as
h
--
101.0
107.5
--
186.7
Caustic
soda
70.3
140.4
256.4
--
}24.7
Dyestuf
fs, total
77.2
104.0
188.4
__
222,2
Rayon
55.0
9o.u
138.0
-
182.5
Staple
filament
130.0
159.0
--
--
397.3
Calcium carbide
--
189.0
234.4
--
259.0
Acetylene
228.2
271.8
393.1
--
367.5
Compressed oxygen
138.1
198.2
309.3
--
536.0
Tires, total
--
--
-_
--
514.0
The chemical industry has not only greatly increased its production, but
today produces hundreds of commodities which were not produced in prewar Poland,
such as steelon ~ nylon-type fabric], penicillin, synthetic tannins, synthetic
phenol, synthetic methanol, synthetic gasoline, plastics and varnishes, synthetic
vitamins, synthetic hormones, sulfamides, chloromycetin, ATB, PAS, and a number
of other valuable dregs. Also, production has started on chemical reagenis,
many organic and dyestuff intermediates, viscose, various kinds of industrial
articles .?ade from rubber and plastics, a number of new sizes of automobile
and tractor tires, etc.
This great industrial progress of the chemical industry is the result of
the expansion of existing factories and the activation of new large factories,,
such as the chemical combine in Dwory (near Oswiecim), synthetic fiber factory
in Gorzow, sulfuric acid factory (using anhydrite) iri Wizow, large cellulose
and textile combine in Jelenia Gora, and the large organic intermediates com-
bine in Brzeg Dolny.
In 1953. the production of acetic acid, acetic anhydride, and many other
valuable chemical compounds and products will be started.
KEDZIERZYN CHEMICAL COMBINE -- Gliwice, Chemik, Vol 6, Jul -Aug 53
The construction of the Kedzierzyn Nitrogen Plants (Zaklady Przemyslu
Azotowego w Kedzierzynie), a large chemical combine, is a further important
step toward the transformation of Poland from a poor and backward country into
a leading country from an economic standpoint. The activation of production in
this chemical combine will help to solve a number of actual problems. Poland
will now process and utilize its mineral resources which up to nou had to be
processed abroad.
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The production of the Kedzierzyn Nitrogen Plants will help to solve many
problems in agriculture and in the supply of fats. At present, Poland ktas a
serious shortage of fat prodLCts, both For human consumption and industrial
purposes. T'ne production of synthetic fatty acids and products therefrom
will at least partially cover these shortages.
The plastic industry is a branch of ti:~ Polish chemical industry that is
particularly backward in its develo?nnent. An important economic need is the
creation of a starting base for the production of plastics and synthetic var-
nishes. Mary of these needs will be satisfied by the Kedzierzyn Nitrogen
Plants. Production at the Kedzierzyn Nitrogen Plants will be based only on a
few raw materials; such as coke, semicoke; coking gas, and several ether inter-
mediates acquired frost processing coal and limestone, the latter obtained from
nearby Gogolin.
The location of this chemical combine in Kedzierzyn is most favorable be-
cause it is near raw material sources. Kedzierzyn, located on the border of
the coal basin,, is only 50 kilometers from the chief sources of raw materials
and electric power, 100 kilometers from the source of processed intermediates,
and only 30 kilometers from the source of limestone. With Kedzierzyn situated
on the junction of two railrosd arteries, and near +,he 03er River, the chemical
combine is assured efficient transportation and an ample supply of water.
The following individual factories comprise the Kedzierzyn Nitrogen Plants:
Factory for Nitrogen Compounds (Fabry:ta Zwiazkow Azotowych). -- This factory
will produce (1) granular nitrogenecus fertilizers, (2) liquid nitrogeneous
fertilize- , and (3) organic nitrogen compounds. The Factory for Nitrogen Co:~-
pounds, the largest of its type in Europe, will also process calcium cyanamide
into a number of highly valuable derivatives. The present use of calcium cyana-
mide soi~ly for fertilizing purposes is wasteful to a certain degrre; therefore,
the development of a new branch of chemical technology -- the processing of cal-
cium cyanamide for chemical purposes -- creates a very promising sphere. At
present, the Factory for Pitrogen Compounds, the largest factory of the Ked-
sierzyn Nitrogen Plants, is in its final stage of construction.
Factory for Synthetic Fat Products (Fabryka Syntetycznych Prod^'ttow Tlusz-
czowych), -- This factory will produce synthetic waxes and fat products derived
from respective fractions of synthin, and in particular f^om "gacz" ,paraffin
containing oil which cannot be pressed out? and high-molecular paraffin. Pro-
duction is also anticipated for waxes based on high-molecular paraffin oxidized
noncatalytically, and for waxes based on montan wax refined and esterified with
long-chain alcohols. This factory also anticipates the production of fatty
acids through catalytic oxidation of "gacz" obtained through Fischer-Tropsch
synthesis.
Factory for Solvents and Plasticizers (FaYryka Rospuszczalnikow i Zmiek-
czaczy). -- This factory will produce intermediates that will be further processed
by the varnish and plastics industries. Among the solvents, the production of
synthetic alcohols from water gas is anticipated. Of the alcohols, the chief
production will be iso-butarol, and, in lesser quantities, higher alcoho7.F;
chiefly the "iso-" type. Ditaethyl ether will be the by-product of this syn-
thesis which, in t,u?n, will be processed into dimethyl sulfate,,a valuable
intermediate used widely by the dyestuffs and p'rtarmaceutical industries. The
ester division of this factory xill convert alcohols into esters, thu,; obtain-
ing either plasticizers or medium-boiling solvents, such as acetates. Plasti-
cizers are indispensable intermediates for the production of plastics and syn-
thetic varnishes. Another division of the factory is the division for chemical
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proceasing of naphthalene. This valuable raw material, until recently, was ex-
ported or processed in Poland in a highly uneconomical way; Yor example, it was
converted into carbon black. At the same time, refined products derived from
napht5s.lene were imported at high cost.
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