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Why
are the Letters Q and Z Missing From the
Telephone Key Pad?
Before the days of area codes, operators were
required to connect all long distance and many
toll calls. When the Bell system started
manufacturing telephones with dials, users
were able to make many of their own local and
toll connections. When direct dialing was
instituted, phone numbers consisted of two
letters (the exchange) and five numbers. A
number we now call 799-1234 might have then
been expressed as PY9-1234. And the telephone
company provided a mnemonic for each exchange
(PY=Pyramid, FR=Franklin, etc.).
So the phone company assigned 3 letters, in
alphabetical order, to each dial number. The
number one was skipped because one was
assigned as an acess code and for internal
phone company use; the zero was avoided
because it automatically summoned the
operator, regardless of the subsequent numbers
dialed. That left eight numbers on the dial
that needed letters, and twenty-six letters
available. Twenty-six is not evenly divisible
by 8. Therefore two of the letters had to be
discarded. "Z" was discarded because
it is the last letter of the alphabet.
"Y", the second last letter, was
under consideration but it was decided that
"Q" would have been too problematic
to keep because it is so difficult to make an
effective mnemonic when virtually all words
starting with "Q" must be followed
by a "U". Moreover, if "Q"
had its rightful place on the number 7, then 8
(where "U" is located) would usually
have to follow, severely limiting the numbers
assignable to the exchange.
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Slowing
but Still Steady Chemical Industry M&A
Compared to 2004, the number of mergers and
acquisitions in the chemical industry in 2005
is reduced. Activity remains strong and
steady, however, even despite rising
valuations. During the first three quarters of
2005, $19 billion dollars worth of M&A
transactions took place, with investment firms
accounting for 5 of the top 10 deals. More
than 50 deals were valued at over $25 million.
In 2005, $31 billion worth of deals were
completed in the same time period, with 85
deals above the $25 million mark. A higher
percentage of commodity chemicals businesses
were sold in 2005, and the portion of business
located outside of the U.S. also increased in
2005. In fact, Asian, Indian, and Middle
Eastern companies are expressing a growing
interest in acquiring businesses abroad.
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Chemical
Industry Evaluates Energy Sources
Leading petrochemical producers are investing
in alternative fuel programs with the hopes of
gaining a share of this potentially
significant market. Biofuels including Ethanol
and Biodiesel, which are derived from corn or
sugar cane, may be used as fuel for
automobiles. Government subsidies in several
countries are encouraging the development of
this alternative fuel. Research is focused on
developing enzymes that extract Ethanol
directly from crop-waste, which is necessary
in order for biofuels to be economically
viable without subsidies. Novozymes, Cargill,
Dow Chemical, and Bayer are just a few of the
companies involved in various aspects of
biofuels development.
Gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology converts
synthesis gas (Syngas) derived from
hydrocarbons or biomass into gasoline, and is
receiving more attention as cheap feedstock
materials are becoming available. China is one
country investing resources in GTL programs
based on both biomass and coal technologies.
ExxonMobil, Lurgi, Sasol, Engelhard, Süd-Chemie,
and Dow Chemical are some of the companies
involved in GTL research.
Fuel cells, which use Hydrogen directly or
generate Hydrogen from Methanol, have
potential applications in small handheld
electronic devices, personal power plants for
the home, automobiles, and major industrial
facilities. Gas companies like BOC, Air
Liquide, Praxair and Air Products, catalyst
companies like Johnson Matthey, and oil
companies like BP and Shell, are all involved
in fuel cell development. Challenges include
storage and handling of the Hydrogen as well
as the current high cost of the technology.
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Following the unexpected death of Ferro
chairman and CEO Hector Ortino, the company
appointed James Kirsch as its new chief
executive officer. Kirsch served as president
and COO of Ferro since October 2004. Prior to
that time, he held different positions within
the chemical industry, including 19 years with
Dow Chemical.
President and COO Jai Nagarkatti has been
neamed CEO of Sigma-Aldrich, effective January
1, 2006. He will replace David Harvey, who
will continue as chairman of the board of
directors. Nargakatti, who was also elected to
the board, has worked at Sigma-Aldrich for 29
years in R&D, production, operations, and
sales and marketing.
The U.S. and China reached a three-year
agreement on textile trade that places quotas
on 34 categories of Chinese finished textile
products coming into the U.S. The agreement
will be effective January 1, 2006, and
replaces unilateral limitations imposed by the
U.S. on 19 types of Chinese textile products.
Both the U.S. and China see the agreement as
providing stability to the industries within
their countries. Continued talks between the
U.S. and China are aiming to achieve a
comprehensive textiles trade agreement.
Rising energy prices are threatening the
competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing, with
some plant closures and production cutbacks
occurring in response to the current cost of
energy. To complicate the situation, price
drops are anticipated for several major
chemical products, as adjustments are made to
high prices introduced in the wake of
hurricanes Katrina and Rita. U.S.
Polyethylene, Propylene, Styrene and
derivatives, Polyvinyl chloride, and Polyester
prices will see significant price reductions
in the not too distant future. The stronger
dollar and weaker Euro will also hurt many
U.S. chemical producers, as imports into the
country increase while exports decline.
Imports of several different commodity
chemicals into China declined dramatically in
October. Imports of high-density Polyethylene
(hdPE) dropped 40 percent, largely due to high
prices, according to analysts. Chinese buyers
choose to purchase hdPE from lower cost
domestic producers. Imports of low-density
Polyethylene (ldPE) into China declined 23
percent in October, also due to a wide pricing
gap between imported and domestic material.
Butadiene imports plunged 32 percent in
October as Asian spot prices declined to a
level comparable with product from Europe and
Brazil for the first time in many months.
Styrene imports into China fell nearly 30
percent as a result of weaker demand for
downstream products. Imports of Methanol
dropped 40 percent in October in response to
the availability of domestic material produced
from plants previously shut down due to poor
pricing conditions.
The EPA for the first time proposed
administrative penalties under the so-called
"General Duty Clause" of the Clean
Air Act, fining Nova Chemicals and Callahan
Chemical for failing to comply with federal
chemical emergency response and prevention
laws. Under this clause, owners and operators
of stationary sources that produce, process,
handle or store extremely hazardous substances
have a general duty to identify potential
hazards and to design and maintain safe
facilities to minimize consequences of
accidental releases. Nova's violations were
identified when the EPA investigated a January
2004 incident involving the company's Indian
Orchard, Massachusetts facility. Nova
indicated that it is cooperating with EPA to
address the agency's concerns and stated that
it is confident the plant operates in a safe
manner.
Private investors and foreign companies may
soon be able to invest in petrochemical
projects in Iran. The new Iranian government
is considering the possibility of making
available to such investors majority stakes in
various petrochemical projects in order to
take advantage of the different capabilities
they offer. They also believe that investors
will be more interested if the stakes offered
are substantial. Several projects in Iran are
currently delayed for numerous reasons,
including the lack of available utilities and
feedstocks.
A vote on Reach (registration, evaluation and
authorization of chemicals) legislation by the
European Union Competitiveness Council has
been delayed, possibly into 2006, at the
request of the German government, which will
have its new chancellor and cabinet installed
for only one week prior to the originally
scheduled vote. Amendments to the Reach
legislation were to be ratified at this
meeting. Meanwhile, the European Parliament
will hold a plenary vote on November 17th that
will consider several issues of interest to
industry. Small and medium enterprises (SME's)
remain concerned about the Reach legislation
and believe it will reduce their ability to
compete by placing a disproportionate burden
on them. Rather than investing in R&D and
innovation, resources will be spent on meeting
the requirements of Reach. General industry
also fears that R&D will move outside of
the EU, as products developed elsewhere in the
world and then brought into the EU will not be
controlled by the Reach regulations.
