POLAND EXPANDS PLASTICS INDUSTRY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190069-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 69
• Publication Date: June 15, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190069-4
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190069-4
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190069-4
PO g ps PLASTICS INDUSTRY
Z cie Radomskie
Radom, 1 Nov 1953 Dr J ,;P6 Ignacy Bursztyn
The Polish plastics industry
ber 1953, 1:lfilled its 1953 production plan on 27 thus becoming the fiat of the industries under the Minist
Chemical Industry to fulfill the annual :Octo-
plan. ry of the
Important achievements
although the industry was have been made by the Polish plastics industry,
organized as a separate unit Only this time, the plastics industry h.=s e;can,led in two directions: it'
dyear irections: ao. During
key industry With indispensable p a
Produces a number of co' components for machine, and equirLIC"t,uanndpes
onsumer commodities
iit
The production of bcerin; bushings for :heavy metallurgical machine
been developed on an industrial scale. One hundred tons of plastic bearin,,
bushings substitute for 400 machinery has
are more durable tons of bronze. Moreover, plastic hearing
than those made of bronze. Furthermore, water rather thanoil
pla
and grease is used to lubricate elastic bearing bushings. In the near future,
industc bearing bushinrc will be produced for the shipbuildin
ctic
bs.
g, paper, and other
For the mining industry, the production of Plastic miners' helmets has been
started. In 1951+, tens of thousands of such helmets, previously manufactured
from leather, will be produced.
Bobbins and revolving drums are produced from b^kelite for the artificica-
fiber industry, By oui;stituting plastics for alum.i
u::d r~:volvin drum.. r, 000
(- units ere pro 1n production of bobbins
Will be achiavc , bfo:eovct laced iron one ton or aluminum), a ;;rent
bakelite is more durable then aluminum.
Acid-resistant steel, Which contrins two scarce
mium, is being ?cplaced by polyvinyl chloride. Polyvin metals, nickel and
ae application wherever coaecntrated acid:; and corrosive ed. chr( We yl chloride also has
Pine;;, v; lees bucket:;, all
Pottle s, etc. from are us
?)I% ducc,l 1'0; the chemical is:dust: ' rem polyvinyl chloride
rc no,: .,bin;
The plastics indust:/, however,ldidst not Limit its
sumer production to items for
key industries acs incu:;try . goods. TheonlPy. roduc In tior. 1953, Of the soles from coft.t:ed nol? production of
started, con-
n be stnd Tin D tubeb-for953, darted
has been
talc production of clear 'lasticc in Capes will
of plastic. Condenser; - o r cosmetics :rill Likewise be replaced with rain
tubes made o
radibri're from are made fro, and tmbrcala
g li;:os able e
5ol'ic tthe"'or rr'_ch ::teclon [.:imilar,to n tnylon]ho:lem noun," the Mnd cellulos intone of the Warsz:wn N-20 ry r automobile ; re imad,! from ae]tatee
e.
The !;'abrzeznc Fecto.?y (Febryia i brzezno) produc s ?lest'
te;cti].cs :"or rain cape;.
'c-coated canon
tiAlthough Poland no,,, occupies fifth Place in Europe in Snductri::1 i'roduc-
on, itca
-ocpicupies~
; 12th place in the production of nlaeticc >; o
tinhe the t nehcr0DR and cons Ption oa plastics. The per-capita consumption op in
f alast
four time greater than 411.
.Poland. This is
not caused by a lack of basic raw materials (coal and salt) for the production
of flastics but by the -'net that Poland began its pc?oductio:t of `last-Ps after
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190069-4
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190069-4
al' ' uurc and Czechoslovakia, production at that time was
lati
ready on a esely high level. Before the war, Poland imported most of
its dyestuffs, drugs, etc., and Practically all plastic goods.
With the exception of zinc, Poland does not have rich deposits non-
significancferrous emetals, Thus, the exP of
an;ion of the production of plastics ioof of non-
ferrous , Poland' to import not only considerable 4~ntities
ferrous metals, but also rubber, leath
Many of these raw materials can er, cotton, and other raw materials. plast be replaced, either partially or entirely, by
ic goods. The law on the Six-Year Plan envisages a 3,000-forease
in the production of plashes as compare Id increase
with 1949. Even then, Poland will
still be far behind the GDR and Czechoslovakia in
production of plastics.
Further expansion of the plastics industry depends on increased electric
Power Production. To produce one ton of acetate cellulose requires the same
quantity of electric current as does one ton of aluminum, and to
ton of po]yvinyl chloi~de requires two thirds th quantit e
one ton of aluminum. produce one
for ton One ton of polyvinyl chloride, however ,can su b stitute
of acid-resistant steel, which contains over one ton of scarce
nickel and chromium, and for almost 2 tons of cotton textiles.
From one ton of softened polyvinyl chloride, that is, a mixture containing
600 kilograms of polyvinyl chloride and 400 kilograms of softener, ing can be produced: 300 clear Plastic rain capes, 300 tables cloths, 1,000
bathing capsthe follow-
athin, cap , 500001kitchen ap_rns, 500 infant's waterproof pants, 500 crib
thy, and 000 gs, 500 waterproof and fireproof curtains, 500 balls and
square meters of foil for packaging.
Plastics are not only substitute products for expensive and
materials that have to be imported; in some spheres of technolo
Peaceable by other raw scarce raw
currents and Polystyrene Polyethylene is resistant to high-f are icy
purbenms. nd Polystyrene is vital to the solution of certain electrotechnical It is evident from the foregoing that an inadequate expansion of the
Plastic industry can retard technical progress in other spheres.
In the
plastics industry, the chief retarding influence is its inadequate
expansion of Production facilities, whereas in other processing industries, the
chief retardin,- influence is frequently raw_matarial shortages,
In 1953, much has been done to expand the plastics inducts
the Administration for Synthetic P raducts (Zarzad Tworzyw Sztuczn ch
20-ton motor- -- 'Y? For example,
driven presses without the aid oi'a ke y )Produced
original Polish blueprints, plans, etc., deve u industry.
er the basis of
Engineer Nacht (State Award recl lent loped under the
built, A P - ), 100-ton hydraulic Preses supervision of
press for extruding Pipes o' polyvinyl chloride wassbu; and pumps
aloe
scrap. Furthermore, a number of engineering bureaus have been created,, andta
number of tool shops have been activated in the plastics industry.
In a few years, Poland should become one of the leading producers of
plastics. This goal, however, is a difficult one, because Poland will be com-
peting with such countries as Czechoslovakia, the GDR, and Igary, which have
greater experience in this field than Poland. The bright Side of this
of competition is that tae USSR, Czechoslovakia, the GDR, and Hungary Poland as much as picture
possible. will aid
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190069-4