Refining

PETROLEUM refining, like other industries in the United States in 1940, focused much attention on its duties and opportunities in the field of national defense. In counter-distinction to the situation during the World War; the industry is well constituted as LO existing equipment, processes, and capacity together with planned additions to handle any demands that may be made upon it by the defense program needs. Evident throughout was the growing sense of ability to manipulate oil molecules for the production of materials not hitherto considered as being available commercially from petroleum The development and application of catalytically-induced reactions on a broad front is one of the distinguishing characteristics of refining progress during the year.