Reynolds Metals Research Articles

Unsuccessful in Alfredo Stroessner’s Political Economy: Reynolds Metals’ Investment Attempt in Paraguay (1974-1982)

Unsuccessful in Alfredo Stroessner’s Political Economy: Reynolds Metals’ Investment Attempt in Paraguay (1974-1982)

This Thing Called Goodwill: The Reynolds Metals Company and Political Networking in Wartime America

This article examines the Reynolds Metals Company’s political networking activities in Washington, D.C., and the state capitals of the U.S. South in the 1940s and 1950s. It argues that Reynolds’ astute recruitment of senior staff from federal and state governments, its adept building of elite networks in the legislative and executive branches, its judicious espousing of key political rhetoric (antitrust, regional development, national security), as well as its nurturing of Democratic circles in the South were crucial to their attainment of competitive advantage. This saw the company rise from being a new entrant in the U.S. primary aluminum production during World War II to the second-largest national producer by 1946 and a major global player by the mid-1950s. This same political networking was critical in maintaining that advantage after World War II in the face of competition from the Aluminum Company of America and the Canadian multinational Aluminium Company of Canada. Both “wartime” (covering the period from World War II and into the Cold War) and the legacy of government intervention (from the early twentieth century until the 1960s, including the New Deal) provided a fertile context for RMC’s business strategy. The company’s success owed much to founder Richard S. Reynolds Sr.’s acumen in hiring the right people, creating or joining the right networks, having the right social capital, as well as his experiences and connections accrued from working with his uncle, the noted tobacco magnate R. J. Reynolds. The article offers insights into the nature of U.S. business–government relations.

Wrapping Aluminum at the Reynolds Metals Company

ABSTRACTA bright future for aluminum was envisioned in the 1950s, as the Reynolds Metals Company boldly set out to reinvent the material from military applications to domestic use in the American “good life.” The company literally wrapped a number of new products for the American lifestyle with aluminum, prompting comparisons today with Roland Barthes's theory of wrapping the empty center. However, after a generation's use, aluminum wrapping was discarded. The consequences of rampant consumerism became apparent in the next decades, revealing a legacy of mounting aluminum waste and the company's 1960s and 1970s recycling efforts appeared to be nothing more than a greenwashed front. Aluminum's contemporary status as a sustainable material is considered within the complexity of this history.

Aluminum reduction technology—where to from here?

John J. Chen (University of Auckland): When the program for the TMS 2000 Aluminum Reduction Technology sessions was put together, there was much media attention on the so-called Y2K bug. With the dawning of the new millennium—the correct start-date of the new millennium aside—we felt that it would be timely to take stock of the technology and discuss what the direction and needs are for research and development in the new millennium. Hence the title, Aluminum Reduction Technology—Where to from Here. It was felt that the best way to achieve a free interchange of ideas would be to deviate from the normal TMS paperpresentation format. Instead, we decided on having a panel of experts who represent the broad cross section of the industry, in terms of geography, academe, industry, etc. We would also encourage comments and questions from the audience. We are very grateful to the panelists who have accepted our invitation to present their viewpoints, which will act as the seed for further discussion and debate. We are very pleased that Dr. Nolan Richards agreed to chair the discussion. Nolan Richards (Consultant): Firstly, this is your panel. These people have consented to be up here to be of service to you. They are going to present ideas— it could be their visions, their wishes, or their complaints. It is up to you to react. I hope that some things that are said up here will inspire you to ask questions and comments. We came to this symposium, I believe, to be inspired and to learn something. I love what Barry Welch said on Monday—think out of the box. It reminded me of some innovative experiments that we conducted together in our early years at Reynolds [Reynolds Metals Company]. That’s how I perceive what Dr. Welch and others are going to inspire you to think out of the box.

Chemical changes in the stem matrix of three tree species exposed to fluoride emissions from an aluminum smelter

The principal objective of this study was to investigate the major organic and trace elemental composition of the stem tissues of three tree species of a mixed forest on Cornwall Island in the St. Lawrence River, Ontario. This forest was exposed to atmospheric hydrogen fluoride (HF) at levels > 71 μg F/m3/24 h from an aluminum smelter (Reynolds Metals Co. Ltd.) for twenty years, followed by fourteen years of reduced emissions (< 40 μg F/m3/24 h), which is still greater than the current Ontario air quality criterion for HF (0.36 μg F/m3/24 h). Increment cores were collected at breast height from white pine, red oak, and American beech from the study woodlot on Cornwall Island and at a control site in Long Sault Provincial Park.Tree-rings were analyzed for eight elements (fluorine, aluminum, manganese, magnesium, calcium, sodium, chlorine and potassium) and some major organic compounds (total extractives, lignin and holocellulose). All three species from the study woodlot showed significant chemical compositional changes during the peak pollution and post-abatement periods. There was a substantial increase of the levels of total extractives (up to 167%), lignin (up to 38%), fluorine, aluminum and manganese and a significant decrease of holocellulose content (up to 17%) in the stem tissues during the period of HF exposure, compared to the pre-pollution period. In contrast, trees from the control site showed no significant change in chemical composition in any of the three periods. Lower cellulose and higher lignin and extractives concentrations potentially makes the wood weaker and less suitable for dimension lumber and pulping. Key words: hydrogen fluoride, extractives, lignin, holocellulose, trace elements

Reasonable accommodation: profitable compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act

The Role of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities: An Interview with Richard Douglas, Executive Director, The President's Committee A Model for Implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act and Implementing a Disability Management Process Case Studies, Companies: American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) Bank of America Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Citicorp Diners Club, Inc. Digital Equipment Corporation Eaton Corporation Federal Express Florida Power & Light Company Ford Motor Company General Electric Company Honeywell International Business Machines (IBM) John Alden Life Insurance Company John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company Marriott International, Inc. Motorola SPS Philip Morris Companies, Inc. The Prudential Asset Management Company Reynolds Metals & Company Sears Roebuck and Company Texas Instruments Union Pacific Technologies United Services Automobile Association (USAA) United Technologies Corporation, USBI Co. UNUM Life Insurance Company of America WAUSAU Insurance Companies Wegmans Case Studies, Rehabilitation Organizations: Baylor Medical Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, State of Florida International Center for the Disabled Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities MEED Program Physical Ergonomics Rehabilitation Center of Dallas Physio-Control Corporation Professional Courtesy Corporation AIDS in the Workplace Access Technologies Appendices: I Resources II Employment of People with Disabilities, Common Employer Questions III ADA Supervisor's Guide IV Employer Incentive Programs V 20 Questions and Answers on the Americans with Disabilities Act VI Disability Awareness Information VII ABLE DATA, The National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) Resource Guide Documents, Publications, Videos, and other Resources Index

Corrosion and Fatigue Resistance Study of Aluminum Bridge Deck

Thousands of bridges on which the U.S. transportation system depends are in need of repair or replacement. Engineers are continually looking for materials that can significantly extend the lives of these structures. The use of lightweight materials such as aluminum could often avoid the cost of the replacement of the sound foundations and steel girders of bridges listed as structurally deficient. However, bridge engineers have not considered aluminum for use as a bridge material because of a lack of information on the in-service performance of existing aluminum bridges and a lack of knowledge about the metal's lower life-cycle costs compared with those of traditional materials. The reconfiguration of the Smithfield Bridge in downtown Pittsburgh from a mass transit-highway bridge to a highway-traffic bridge presented an opportunity for Reynolds Metals Company to analyze the corrosion and fatigue performance of the almost 30-year-old deck and the more than 60-year-old cross members. The results of the study indicate that aluminum is a viable material for bridge decks when it is properly designed into the application.

Corrosion and Fatigue Resistance Study of Aluminum Bridge Deck

Thousands of bridges on which the U.S. transportation system depends are in need of repair or replacement. Engineers are continually looking for materials that can significantly extend the lives of these structures. The use of lightweight materials such as aluminum could often avoid the cost of the replacement of the sound foundations and steel girders of bridges listed as structurally deficient. However, bridge engineers have not considered aluminum for use as a bridge material because of a lack of information on the in-service performance of existing aluminum bridges and a lack of knowledge about the metal's lower life-cycle costs compared with those of traditional materials. The reconfiguration of the Smithfield Bridge in downtown Pittsburgh from a mass transit–highway bridge to a highway-traffic bridge presented an opportunity for Reynolds Metals Company to analyze the corrosion and fatigue performance of the almost 30-year-old deck and the more than 60-year-old cross members. The results of the study indicate that aluminum is a viable material for bridge decks when it is properly designed into the application.

Heat transport and solidification in the electromagnetic casting of aluminum alloys: Part I. Experimental measurements on a pilot-scale caster

While many investigators have examined electromagnetic and magnetohydrodynamics phenomena in electromagnetic casting (EMC) of aluminum, there appears to be no published work on heat transport and solidification in such casters. This two-part series is an attempt to remedy this deficiency. The first part describes two experimental campaigns, carried out on a pilot-scale electromagnetic caster at Reynolds Metals Company, in which sacrificial thermocouples were used to obtain many data on temperature distributions within the aluminum of a pilot-scale caster and thereby to obtain the shape of the liquid metal pool (sump). The data reveal a strong dependence of temperature distribution and sump depth on casting speed but a relatively weak dependence on the flow rate of the quenching water striking the outside of the ingot.

Heat transport and solidification in the electromagnetic casting of aluminum alloys: Part II. Development of a mathematical model and comparison with experimental results

In this second article of a two-part series, a mathematical model for heat transport and solidification of aluminum in electromagnetic casting is developed. The model is a three-dimensional one but involves a simplified treatment of convective heat transport in the liquid metal pool. Heat conduction in the solid was thought to play a dominant role in heat transport, and the thermal properties of the two alloys used in measurements reported in Part I (AA 5182 and 3104) were measured independently for input to the model. Heat transfer into the water sprays impacting the sides of the ingot was approximated using a heat-transfer coefficient from direct chill casting; because this heat-transfer step appears not to be rate determining for solidification and cooling of most of the ingot, there is little inaccuracy involved in this approximation. Joule heating was incorporated into some of the computations, which were carried out using the finite element software FIDAP. There was good agreement between the computed results and extensive thermocouple measurements (reported in Part I) made on a pilot-scale caster at Reynolds Metals Company (Richmond, VA).

5423922 Delacquering of aluminum cans for recycling: Kirk Thomas E Henrico County, VA, United States Assigned to Reynolds Metals Company

Increasing population and individual wealth have led to a higher demand for energy and raw material resources as well as for steady improvement of processing technology in view of efficient use of resources and avoiding emissions in production and recycling processes. Present situation and future trend of recycling processing are discussed by examples from the aluminium and steel industries, recycling of cars and post-consumer municipal recovery. The importance of more intense observance of thermodynamic laws and of a 4E strategy “Economy, Energy, Environment and Education” is outlined.

Microstructure and properties of Al-Cu-Li-Ag-Mg-Zr alloy

Weldalite™ 049 is an ultrahigh strength weldable Al-Cu-Li based alloy containing minor amounts of Ag, Mg and Zr, developed at Martin Marietta. Additions of Ag and Mg seem to stimulate precipitation in this alloy, but the exact role of these elements in promoting the precipitation of strengthening phases is as yet unclear. In this paper, we report the characteristic microstructure of the Weldalite™ 049 alloy in the near peak aged T8 temper condition and its effect on the measured tensile properties of this alloy.The alloy used in this study was prepared by the Reynolds Metals Company. Measured alloy composition was Al-4.36 Cu-1.25 Li-0.39 Mg-0.35 Ag-0.14 Zr (wt.%). Tensile tests were performed at both room and cryogenic temperatures. The samples for TEM observations were cut from the mechanical testing specimens and then thinned to electron transparency by polishing and ion milling. Liquid nitrogen cooled specimen holder was used for ion milling to avoid local specimen heating. Diffraction contrast and tilting experiments were performed at 200kV in a JEM-2000FX. HREM was done in an ISI-002B at 200kV, with an interpretable resolution limit of 0.18 nm.

The Indispensable Role of Management Science in Centralizing Freight Operations at Reynolds Metals Company

In October 1988, the Reynolds Metals Company centralized interstate truckload freight operations. Reynolds' over-200 plants, warehouses, and suppliers no longer dispatch their own shipments to some 200 van and flatbed carriers of their choosing. Instead, they communicate daily shipments to central dispatch at the company's headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. There shipments are assigned to one of 14 premium-quality carriers through a comprehensive automated dispatching system. The Reynolds management sciences department built mixed integer programming and simulation models of central dispatch operations that transportation used to select and deploy carriers. To support daily freight operations, it built on-line dispatching models to help dispatchers route freight by the best service alternative at the lowest cost. Central dispatch has improved on-time delivery of shipments and reduced annual freight costs by over $7 million.

Productivity through automation

Information is an essential component of every salaried employee's job. Automation is a mechanism for improving productivity of handling information. This paper serves as a case study in describing the Reynolds Metals approach of planning, marketing and delivering automation services.

Political risk analysis for extractive industries

Firms with extractive businesses abroad dread political instability and sudden government switches in business agreements in the countries in which they operate. The take‐over of copper firms in Chile during the Allende administration in 1971 and the recent decision by Venezuela to reduce Reynolds Metals' equity share in a smelting operation from 50 percent to 28 percent are two examples of hundreds of such events that have determined the profitability of extractive operations over the past decade. Both the risks and opportunities for international firms seeking to produce and market raw materials or firms dependent on raw materials are heavily affected by political conditions.

New Ghana—old VALCO

Abstract In January 1983 the Ghanaian government announced that it plans to seek a revision of the agreement concluded in 1962 with the Volta Aluminium Company, controlled by the US-based aluminium transnationals Kaiser Aluminum and Reynolds Metals. After a visit to Ghana late in 1982 Ronald W Graham sent this background report explaining the issues at stake.

Ultrasonic Technology for Measuring Molten Aluminum Quality

In order to increase our understanding and control of the quality aspects of aluminum in the molten state, Reynolds Metals Company has developed a pulse-echo ultrasonic system to make four ultrasonic measurements: discontinuity evaluation, relative changes in attenuation, longitudinal wave velocity, and spectrum analysis of reflected pulses. These measurements are made possible through the use of a specially designed probe which is immersed in the molten metal; the metal can be either in a quiescent or a dynamic (flowing) condition. The system has been applied to examine several conditions of molten alumimum quality, and it has been determined that it can detect improvements, as well as deleterious effects.

Machining of aluminum alloys

Machining of aluminum alloys was the subject of a technical session at the Materials and Processing Show and Congress held in Chicago on November 13, 1979. This article presents some of the highlights on machining of aluminum alloys discussed at this session. The papers presented were: “Influence of Aluminum Casting Alloy Characteristics on Machinability” John L. Jorstad, Reynolds Metals Company “A Practical Approach to Aluminum Machining” Daniel R. Stashko, Valeron Corporation “Successful Broaching of Aluminum Automotive Engine Components” Myron J. Schmenk, Cincinnati Milacron “Drilling of 380 and 390 Aluminum” Thomas J. Skingle, Acme-Cleveland Corporation “The Skiving of Extruded Aluminum Tubing for Automotive Condenser Tubes” Robert B. Jagers, Chrysler Corporation “Ultra High-Speed Machining of Aluminum” Robert I. King, Lockheed Missile & Space Co.

EFFECTS OF HEATING METHODS ON VITAMIN RETENTION IN SIX FRESH OR FROZEN PREPARED FOOD PRODUCTS

Journal of Food ScienceVolume 40, Issue 5 p. 997-1003 EFFECTS OF HEATING METHODS ON VITAMIN RETENTION IN SIX FRESH OR FROZEN PREPARED FOOD PRODUCTS CATHARINA Y. W. ANG, CATHARINA Y. W. ANG Food Science Associates, inc. Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522Search for more papers by this authorCHARLOTTE M. CHANG, CHARLOTTE M. CHANG Food Science Associates, inc. Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522Search for more papers by this authorA. E. FREY, A. E. FREY Food Science Associates, inc. Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522Search for more papers by this authorG. E. LIVINGSTON, G. E. LIVINGSTON Food Science Associates, inc. Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522Search for more papers by this author CATHARINA Y. W. ANG, CATHARINA Y. W. ANG Food Science Associates, inc. Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522Search for more papers by this authorCHARLOTTE M. CHANG, CHARLOTTE M. CHANG Food Science Associates, inc. Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522Search for more papers by this authorA. E. FREY, A. E. FREY Food Science Associates, inc. Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522Search for more papers by this authorG. E. LIVINGSTON, G. E. LIVINGSTON Food Science Associates, inc. Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522Search for more papers by this author First published: September 1975 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1975.tb02252.xCitations: 41 The research reported upon herein, was conducted by the authors while affiliated with the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, N.Y. Project ACTION sponsors were the Campbell Soup Co. Hoffman-La Roche. National Restaurant Association, Reynolds Metals Co. and Young-Block Associates. The specific research reported here was supported in part by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Div. Agricultural Research Service, Beltville, Md. through cooperative agreement HN 09–04–09(CA). The authors also gratefully acknowledge the technical guidance received from the American Dietetic Association, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (Human Nutrition Research Lab.) and the Surgeon General of the United States Army through the participation of their representatives on the Project ACTION Advisory Committee. Gratitude is also extended to Mrs. Anne Marsh (USDA) for the carotene assays on carrot samples. AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume40, Issue5September 1975Pages 997-1003 RelatedInformation

MULTI LEVEL PROGRAMMED DECISION MAKING IN PRODUCTION PLANNING: A CASE STUDY IN ALUMINUM MANUFACTURE.

The article reports on decision making in an industrial environment. The author focuses on decisions related to product routings made at the Alloys Plant of Reynolds Metals Company of Sheffield, Al...