THE ELEKTROCHEMISCHES KOMBINAT BITTERFELD: GENERAL SITUATION REPORT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R011500030001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 13, 2006
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 15, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL I NTELL I
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SECURITY INFORMATION
INFORMATION REPORT
CD NO.
COUNTRY Germany (Russian Zone)
SUBJECT The Elektrochem scYte , Kpmbinat Bitterfeld.
25X1 General SituatiPn RePOr
DATE DISTR. 15 April 1952
NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
Russian personalities
a. A Russian named Fgdorov arrived in October-November at Elektrochemisches
Kombinat Bitterfela and assumed the post of Deputy General Director of
the factory. He is about fifty years old. He does not speak Germane(1)
ba It is believed that Duk(2) has returned to the USSR,
c. A Russian named Pobichev is working with Kononov. He arrived in or about
July 1951.
2. German personalities
Dipl. Ing. Drebes of the technical norms department (TAN) succeeded in leaving
with his furniture for West Germany in late November 1951.
3 Research jects
According to Dr. Erich Bauer, the most important research project at present
in hand is the design of a one-half scale plant for the production of pure
titanium tetrachloride ( iC j) from ilmenite.(3)
Metallic sodium
IT
The experimental plant was producing metallic sodium at the average daily rate
of 80 kilograms in late November, when it broke down completely. One cell
had: been repaired and was producing about 8 kilograms per diem by 6 December,
The process used. is very costly, but the metal is required by Bunawerke Schkopau,
SAG Kautschuk.
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y2 pure alumina:.
The very pure aluminum produced in the factory is not rolled, extruded, machined,-
or treated in any other further way in the factory. It is despatched cast in
bars.
6. Aluminum
The new aluminum. plant is now partially in operation, and is working at perhaps
two-thirds capacity. Most of the equipment has been installed, and the main
difficulty appears to be shortage of alumina (Tonerde).
Alumina
a. An experimental plant for the production of alumina (Tonerde) from clay
(Ton) by the pure Speketer process is to be erected in 1951. This process
involves the use of concentrated hydrochloric acid, and there may be difficulty
in obtaining the special apparatus required.
b. The combined Speketer-Penjakoff process (Kombiniertes Verfahren) for the
production of alumina from clay1which is being developed in the factory,
is briefly as follows-. the clay is dried. at 700?C, and the aluminum oxide
and impurities dissolved in. 40% hydrochloric acid. The solution is concen-
trated (eindampfen) either in a spray-tower(Sp ritzturm) or in an immersion
converter (Tauchbrenner). In the former case burning generator gas is
passed. through the tower, and in the latter (and more elegant) case through
the solution. In. each case the water and some of the hydrochloric acid
is removed.in the burning gas, and a solid. mixture of the hydrated chlorides
of aluminum, iron, and other impurities is left. The hydrated chlorides
are heated to 4000 C in a rotary furnace (Drehofen), and decompose to the
oxides. This mixture is known as crude alumina (Rohtonerde). The crude
alumina is mixed with sodium sulphate and carbon and is heated. to l000m1l00o C
in a Penjakoff furnace by burning generator gas. Soda lye is added. to the
resulting mixture of sodium aluminate, iron oxide and sodium sulphate, and
the iron oxide and. other metallic impurities are filtered off. The filtrate
consists of sodium aluminate dissolved in the soda lye. Carbon dioxide
is passed through it, and the precipitated aluminum hydroxide is filtered
off. This is dried and heated., and pure alumina (aluminum oxide) results.
One ton, of alumina. can. be won from about seven tons of clay by this process.
The present experimental plant has a capacity of about one ton alumina
per diem.
The aluminum chloride electrolysis plant has been closed down. It was not
working satisfactorily because of difficulties due to sublimation.
Magnesium.
Dr. Bauer is supervising the development of a new process for the winning of
anhydrous magnesium chloride. Dry hydrated magnesium chloride from the Stassfurt
potassium deposits is heated in a concentrated HC1 atmosphere. The experimental
plant can produce about one ton of anhydrous magnesium chloride per diem.
The von Heyden factory in Radebeul near Dresden, VVB Alcid, is now making
Freon 12 in large quantities under the direction of Dr. Mueller.(11-)
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11. Iron carbonyl powder
Henneberger(5) has succeeded in producing a special iron powder which is almost
as good as iron carbonyl powder for certain purposes (magnetic cores), Kabel-
werk 0berspree (KWO), SAG Kabel, requires ten tons per month of this powder.
12. Plastics
The factory intends to install a press for pressing "Vinidur" (hard plastic)
plates. Progress has been held up because there is no factory in the German
Democratic Republic which is capable of machining the components of the press.
Dr Bornhak is designing a new mercury cell which is to be erected for the
manufacture of NaOH.
14. quarterlyconference of heads of sections
The following points were among those made at the conference of German heads
of departments and sections for discussing progress in the third quarter of
1951:
a. Potassium chlorate was in very short supply, and the KOH plant nearly
had to stop operating. The supply position had improved in November.(6)
b= Production of potassium. permanganate for the first time exceeded 200 tons
per month.
Irregular collection by the main customer (Wismut AG) was still causing
difficulties in the production of hydrochloric acid:
d. The still for tricresylphosphate was not operating satisfactorily and.
needed repair, It was hoped that Stahlwerk Silbitz,. SAG Martennwould cast
a new one.
e. Soda was in very short supply.
f The production of formic acid from calcium formate was started in September.
g4 It was. hoped to produce methylene chloride at the rate of 100 tons per
month.in 1952.
It was hoped to develop a method of producing (polyvinyl chloride7) plastics
from. methanol. Supplies of methanol were plentiful, and carbides would
thereby be saved.
i. It was hoped to start production of polyvinyl,. fluoride plastics in 1952.
J. Production of hexachlorcyclohexane was to be stepped tipconsiderably in
1952,
It was hoped to produce metallic titanium in 1952.
The Gesarol (insecticide) plant was to be enlarged,..-
An enamel flux medium (ESnailflussmittel) has been developed and. has stood
up well to-tests.
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-4-
25X1 (1) I
n, Seamless boiler tubes were urgently required for the power station. Some
of size 95 (nn.?) were arriving via Rostock. Normally about 75 tons altogether
would be required annually, but much more was needed at present. It was
hoped that ash-pipes (Aschealeitungen) would soon arrive, illegally from
West Germany.
It was expected that a large order for light metal beds would be placed
soon for delivery in 1952.;
p. Ferrotungsten was being produced for Czechoslovakia.
q. Asbestos paper was required by Werk Nord and was in very short supply.
It was hoped to receive 4 tons soon from the Netherlands, and further
quantities of 12, 20, and 40 tons were on order.
Sulphuric acid was expected to become difficult to obtain in the near
future. Two small people-owned factories (VEBs) had stopped making it.
Orders had already been received for 25,000 tons of chlorine to be
delivered in 1952.
as arrivi
25X1 engineer.
(Comment; An earlier report describes Fedorov (spelled Feodorov)
at Bitterfeld about 15 August 1951 to assume the position of chief
25X1 (2) Comment. Duk has been described as Assistant to the Director General
25X1 on Personnel Questions,
25X1 (3) Comment-. Titanium tetrachloride is used in the production of smoke
screens, ere is no evidence that this project is connected with the efforts
to produce metallic' titanium. See paragraph 1 (k) above.
25X1 (4) Comment. The connection of this paragraph to the rest of the report
is not clear.
25X1 (5) Comment: Henneber er is head of Inorganic Laboratory II at
25X1 B"tterfeld,
25X1 (6) Comment. There are plentiful deposits of potassium chlorate at Stasafurt.
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