THE ELEKTROCHEMISCHES KOMBINAT BITTERFELD: PRODUCTION: GENERAL CONDITIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R009700240010-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 8, 2011
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: January 19, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP82-00457R009700240010-2
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP82-00457R009700240010-2
 CONFLDENMIAW.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP82-00457R009700240010-2 50X1-HUM
COUNTRY Germany (Russian Zone)
SUBJECT The Elektrochemisches Kombinat fitterfeld:
Production; General Conditions
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
NIB.DO.CUMEMT -CONTMks 11LF49LAT14Jl Ai_F TIN C, TN PNATIONAL DEFENSE.
raL 7KLUNIUD STATE, WIT1~Ij1J1 A[ ~IIHIN6 OF' TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
N ION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BT AN 414A0YHORIZED PERSON
PROHIBITED BY I AW TH IS REPRODUCTION OF THIS FOR- ISPROHIBITED.
DATE DISTR. 19 JAN 52
NO. OF PAGES 3
T[:1SfED BELOV
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. The Russians have instructed the tlektrochemisches Kombinat Bitterfeld to
develop a foam fire extingui her with the following properties:
a. It must be capable of storage for five years.
be It must be able to withs-land a temperature of -25?C.
c. It must form a satisfactory foam when diluted with sea water as well as
with fresh water.
d. It must be non-corrosive..
e. It must be effective agaLnst burning alcohol, gasoline and. ether.
2, An electric rectifier station is, to be built which is said to be for the
supply of power toa new magnesium plant.
3. The alleged "11onazite sand" (which turned out to be zirconium silicate) sent
to the factory came from stocks held by the DDR. Its treatment was ordered
by a DDR agency.",
4. The factory is to produce for the DDR very pure zirconium from old stocks
of zirconium silicate. A vei y low waste percentage (Schuttgevricht ), 0.2-0.3,
has been demanded.**
5. The new aluminum factory is now practically complete, but it cannot start
operating since there is no aluminum oxide (Tonerde) available. The new plant
at Lauta will not be able to deliver aluminum oxide before the summer of 1952.
Work on the Bitterfeld exper_ments to develop a method of extracting aluminum
oxide from German clay (Ton) is being pushed. A semi-technical plant is now
under construction. Orders have been given that complete plans for a full
scale plant .must be ready by the end. of 195l, so that a plant producing 300,000
tons per year can start operating by the end of 1952. Dr. Hoist has arrived
from Rostock University to assist in the aluminum oxide reserch.
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6. On 5 September 1951, a truck arrived
oxide
P x heex Sto . T1 means that tlIi i EGIB
9. The following points re, among those made at a meeting held on 31 August
1951 to discuss production problems:
a. Chlorine is being lasted. Production of chlorine rose from 16,000 tons
in the fourth quarter of 1950 to 17,000 tons in the second quarter of
1951. However, only about 12,000 tons per quarter were utilized during
this period.
b. Production of permanganate has already risen above prewar figures.
c. There were difficulties in the hydrochloric acid plant because the main
consumer, Wismut AG, was very irregular in its collection of the acid.
d. There was difficulty in (lisposing of stocks of chlorate because of a
shortage of paper sacks.
e. The phosphorus furnaces were still operating unsatisfactorily.
f. The graphitization plant was in serious difficulties because Siemens-
Plania was delivering insufficient quantities of crude graphite of bad
quality. It was proposed that the factory should not rely entirely on
Siemens-Plania, but should also approach Ratibor.%HH-
The power station achieved 101 per cent of its target in the second quarter,
but has no reserve to meet emergencies.
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Mo Change In Gass.
Q Declassified
Class. Changed To: TS S
Au#h.: H 70-2
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP82-00457R009700240010-2
h. It was proposed to increase the output of llGesarolu.
ILLEGIB
i. There were still difficulties in the manufacture of hen;achloroc?rclohexane.
Another plant had b
phosphate by a colmp
for the distill.ati o
be increased to three times its present level if this section could also
be completed.
k. Less scrap was available for the light metals foundry.
1 The extrusion shop (Strangpresserei) had been expanded, but there was a
shortage of workers.
m. The steel molding foundry (Stahlformgiesserei), which is casting parts
for briquette presses, is to be closed down as part of a general efficiency
program.
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CENT 1.L INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
o. Dr. Dauer, head of research, refused to accept responsibility for the
operation of the_ posed lar e-scale aluminum oxide plant,- apparently
because his err " e aluminum plant would
not be availa
p. The semi-technical plant for methylene chloride is still not working
satisfactorily. It is proposed to build a plant with a capacity of
100 tons per month.
q. It is hoped to replace the" platinum-rhodium catalysts (Kontakte) in the
ammonia plant by cobalt#cits..
.r. The acid-proof cement made by the factory is,of unsatisfactory quality,,
and steps will have to be taken to correct the situation.
s. The experiments to convert polyvinyl chloride to polyvinyl fluoride have
not succeeded, and it has been decided that the alternative method of
producing fluoride plastics, by building up a fluoride monomer into a
fluoride polymer must be used after all.
t. The following investment and repair figures were given for 1951, with the
comment that they mere much too small - 2L million DL for repairs, 7
million ] for new equiprlent, and 770,000 .2 for general overhaul.
u. A new 100-ton press was installed in-the "Vinidur" department in the
second quarter of 1951.
v. Three metallic sodium cells are now in operation (sic).
w. Production in July 1951 was the highest in the history of the factory.
Possibly the Vasilevska synthetic graphite plant or the
Plania carbon electrode factory at Ratibor.
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