Word: alkalis
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...bright target yellow. Britain muddled through with U.S. and South American help. But to make sure it would never happen again, I.C.I, was formed in 1926 by merging the four biggest companies−the British Dyestuffs Corp. for dyes, Brunner, Mond & Co. for nitrates and ammonia soda products, United Alkali Co. for alkalis, and Nobel Industries Ltd. for explosives...
...biggest chemical complex with 5 square miles of factories spewing out 2,000,000 tons of chemical products a year. Billingham made everything from fertilizers to sulphuric acids, annually turned out 100,000 tons of synthetic high-octane gas from coal and creosote oil. I.C.I.'s alkali division reached bulk production of the plastic polyethylene the day the Nazis marched into Poland. In the metals division, new plants made fuel tanks for planes, periscope tubes for submarines, 60 different types of ammunition. Other divisions boosted production, and I.C.I.'s researchers added their bit with such things as Gamma...
...Pont would stay out of Britain. (After Du Pont and I.C.I. came under antitrust fire in 1944, most of their deals were dropped, others canceled after they were finally convicted in 1951.) By its own admission, I.C.I, now controls almost 100% of British alkali production, has a monopoly in nylon polymer and Nitro-Chalk, produces 60% of all British dyestuffs, and 90% of its chlorine. The critics argue that I.C.I, is too big to be good, can produce or not produce at will, fix prices arbitrarily, that high profits and managerial hardening of the arteries will eventually slow down research...
After 20 years of experimenting, he solved his mystery. He discovered that if hair is soaked in an alkali solution and heated in a curl, it will stay curled. Thus the permanent wave was born. Not content with his triumph, Nessler was busy on many another front. He patented more than a score of hairdressing devices (curlers, solutions, testing machines) and licensed operators all over the world to use them. He came to the U.S. and made a fortune...
...influence of Levis spread, they changed a little with the times. "Alkali," a Virginia City miner, insisted on carrying rock specimens that ripped his hip pockets. The local tailor wearied of repairing them, one day seized a hammer and riveted the corners down with square iron nails. When this made Alkali practically rip-proof, Levi Strauss picked up the idea, from then on fastened all his pants' pockets with copper rivets...