Ethyl Corporation
Encyclopedia
Ethyl Corporation is a fuel additive company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia
. The company is a manufacturer, blender and distributor of fuel additives. Among other products, Ethyl Corporation distributes tetraethyllead, a gasoline antiknock additive, via a marketing/sales agreement with Octel Corporation (now known as Innospec
).
and Standard Oil of New Jersey (ESSO
). General Motors had the "use patent" for TEL as an antiknock, based on the work of Thomas Midgley, Jr.
, and ESSO had the patent for the manufacture of TEL. Since the patents affected the marketing of TEL, General Motors and ESSO formed Ethyl Corp; each parent company had a 50% stake in the new corporation. Since neither company had chemical plant experience, they hired Dupont to operate the manufacturing facilities. After patents ran out, Dupont started manufacture of TEL on their own and Ethyl started running its own operations.
In 1962, Albemarle Paper Manufacturing Company
, in Richmond, borrowed $200 million and purchased Ethyl Corporation (Delaware), a corporation 13 times its size. Albemarle then changed its name to Ethyl Corporation. It is believed that General Motors
thought to divest itself of "Ethyl Corporation" owing to concern about liabilities of TEL. The 1962 transaction was the largest leveraged buyout until that time.
The Ethyl corporation expanding and diversifying during the 1970s and 1980s in response to the gradual decline of the market for TEL as the automotive industry shifted to unleaded gasoline. In the late 1980s Ethyl began to spin off a number of divisions. The aluminum, plastic
s, and energy units became Tredegar Corporation
in 1989. In 1993, it spun off its life insurance company, First Colony Life, and then in 1994, the specialty chemicals business was spun off as an independent, publicly traded company named Albemarle Corporation
.
In 2004, Ethyl Corporation changed its name to NewMarket Corporation, the parent company of Afton Chemical Corporation, manufacturer of lubricant and fuel additives, and Ethyl Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of certain fuel additives, including tetraethyllead, which is no longer allowed in fuel for on-highway vehicles, but is still used in aviation gasoline and some racing gasolines, for which there is no alternative to TEL which provides its advantages.
, and is toxic to humans. Lead pollution has increased by over 625 times previous levels in the past century due partly to pollution by leaded fuel. Ethyl Corporation historically denied that tetraethyllead poses significant public health risks in excess of those associated with gasoline itself.
Tetraethyllead was supplied for blending with raw gasoline in the form of "Ethyl Fluid", which blended tetraethyllead with the lead scavengers 1,2-dibromoethane
and 1,2-dichloroethane
. Ethyl fluid contained a dye which would distinguish treated gasoline from untreated gasoline and discourage the diversion of gasoline for other purposes, such as cleaning.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. The company is a manufacturer, blender and distributor of fuel additives. Among other products, Ethyl Corporation distributes tetraethyllead, a gasoline antiknock additive, via a marketing/sales agreement with Octel Corporation (now known as Innospec
Innospec
Innospec Specialty Chemicals is the world's only manufacturer of tetraethyllead used in the manufacture of 100LL avgas. It is listed on the NASDAQ as IOSP.-Controversy:...
).
History
Founded in 1923 Ethyl Corp was formed by General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
and Standard Oil of New Jersey (ESSO
ESSO
ESSO may refer to:*Esso, a brand name of products marketed by Exxon Mobil*Enterprise single sign-on*Estonian State Symphony Orchestra or Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra in Tallinn, Estonia, also known as ERSO *Esso , a rural locality in Bystrinsky District of...
). General Motors had the "use patent" for TEL as an antiknock, based on the work of Thomas Midgley, Jr.
Thomas Midgley, Jr.
Thomas Midgley, Jr. was an American mechanical engineer and chemist. Midgley was a key figure in a team of chemists, led by Charles F. Kettering, that developed the tetraethyllead additive to gasoline as well as some of the first chlorofluorocarbons . Over the course of his career, Midgley was...
, and ESSO had the patent for the manufacture of TEL. Since the patents affected the marketing of TEL, General Motors and ESSO formed Ethyl Corp; each parent company had a 50% stake in the new corporation. Since neither company had chemical plant experience, they hired Dupont to operate the manufacturing facilities. After patents ran out, Dupont started manufacture of TEL on their own and Ethyl started running its own operations.
In 1962, Albemarle Paper Manufacturing Company
Albemarle Corporation
Albemarle Corporation is a chemical company with corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a globally-recognized specialty chemical manufacturing enterprise.-History:...
, in Richmond, borrowed $200 million and purchased Ethyl Corporation (Delaware), a corporation 13 times its size. Albemarle then changed its name to Ethyl Corporation. It is believed that General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
thought to divest itself of "Ethyl Corporation" owing to concern about liabilities of TEL. The 1962 transaction was the largest leveraged buyout until that time.
The Ethyl corporation expanding and diversifying during the 1970s and 1980s in response to the gradual decline of the market for TEL as the automotive industry shifted to unleaded gasoline. In the late 1980s Ethyl began to spin off a number of divisions. The aluminum, plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s, and energy units became Tredegar Corporation
Tredegar corporation
Tredegar Corporation was spun off from Ethyl Corporation in 1989, as a spin off of Ethyl's aluminum, plastic and energy divisions. They are based in Richmond, Virginia. Since then they have dropped the energy division, and now focus on aluminum and plastic films. They are listed on the New York...
in 1989. In 1993, it spun off its life insurance company, First Colony Life, and then in 1994, the specialty chemicals business was spun off as an independent, publicly traded company named Albemarle Corporation
Albemarle Corporation
Albemarle Corporation is a chemical company with corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a globally-recognized specialty chemical manufacturing enterprise.-History:...
.
In 2004, Ethyl Corporation changed its name to NewMarket Corporation, the parent company of Afton Chemical Corporation, manufacturer of lubricant and fuel additives, and Ethyl Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of certain fuel additives, including tetraethyllead, which is no longer allowed in fuel for on-highway vehicles, but is still used in aviation gasoline and some racing gasolines, for which there is no alternative to TEL which provides its advantages.
Tetraethyllead
Tetraethyllead has been recognized as a contributor to soil, air and water lead pollutionLead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, and is toxic to humans. Lead pollution has increased by over 625 times previous levels in the past century due partly to pollution by leaded fuel. Ethyl Corporation historically denied that tetraethyllead poses significant public health risks in excess of those associated with gasoline itself.
Tetraethyllead was supplied for blending with raw gasoline in the form of "Ethyl Fluid", which blended tetraethyllead with the lead scavengers 1,2-dibromoethane
1,2-Dibromoethane
1,2-Dibromoethane, also known as ethylene dibromide , is the chemical compound with the formula BrCH2CH2Br. Although trace amounts occur naturally in the ocean, where it is formed probably by algae and kelp, it is mainly a synthetic...
and 1,2-dichloroethane
1,2-Dichloroethane
The chemical compound 1,2-dichloroethane, commonly known by its old name of ethylene dichloride , is a chlorinated hydrocarbon, mainly used to produce vinyl chloride monomer , the major precursor for PVC production. It is a colourless liquid with a chloroform-like odour...
. Ethyl fluid contained a dye which would distinguish treated gasoline from untreated gasoline and discourage the diversion of gasoline for other purposes, such as cleaning.
External links
- Albemarle Corporation
- New Market Corporation miplastics 20:37, 18 September 2008 (UTC)
- Controversy over Ethyl leaded gasoline
- When Smoke Ran Like Water: Tales of Environmental Deception and the Battle Against Pollution. by Devra Lee DavisDevra DavisDevra Lee Davis is an American epidemiologist and writer. She was born on June 7th, 1946, in Washington, DC, the daughter of Harry B. and Jean Langer Davis, and was raised in Donora and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....