CHEMICAL WORKS, NATIONAL CORPORATION, IN SOKOLOV

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000300120016-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2001
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: December 28, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2061%09/05` CIfi-RDP82-00046R0003001200i6-8
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
CONFIDENTIAL
SUB]ECT Chemical Works, National Corporation,
in Sokolov
1. The Chemical Works, National Corporation, in Sokolov '15-11, E 12-3)
produced calcium carbide, ferrochromium, calcium cyanamide, borax,
formic acid, potassium chlorate, soot, boric acid, oxalic acid,
potassium oxalate, and sodium perborate. The plant was built by the
then United Chemical Works in 1916 and remained in their possession
until October 1938. From that date until the end of World War II the
plant was a part of the then.Chemische Werke Aussig-Falkenau, a pro-
perty of IG Farben. After the war the plant was returned to the United
Chemical Works and became subordinate through that organization to the
Czechoslovak Chemical Works, National Corporation.. Starting in January
1950 the plant became an independent enterprise directly subordinate
to the Ministry of Chemical Industry. 5or.the plant location, see
Annex A; for the plant layout, see Abhex S_]
2. The original production equipment of the Sokolov Works was from
.Germany and Switzerland; it was very well maintained. Dr. REGNER, the
first post-war manager of the plant, declared in 1945 that no renova-
tions of the equipment or of the installations would be needed in the
near future. The plant was not bombed or otherwise damaged during
World War II. The equipment for the electrolysis process was of Swiss
origin. The plant laboratories were normal industrial laboratories
and they were very well equipped. There were eight electric furnaces
of 8,000 kw. each, all of them of German origin. However, since 1945
only five or six furnaces have been in operation because of a shortage
of electricity. Electricity was supplied by a power station located
within the plant area. The power station was owned by the plant until
1945, when it was taken out of the plant's jurisdiction and nationalized.
This was very inconvenient for the plant, because the power station
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25X1A
now had to supply other consumers also, and its current supply to the
plant was therefore limited and enabled the plant to operate, as of
1952, only at about 80% of its capacity.
tion wouldin?t have changed 25X1X
The plant's equipment for so
II, but the construction was interrupted by the end of the war and was
finally completed sometime after 1948. The plant was supplied with
lignite from the Jiri Mine, carried by an overhead oar conveyor system.
The Jiri Mine was,the largest mine in the Sokolov area and had more
than 2,000 miners. The mine was owned by the plant until 1945 when
it was nationalized and made subordinate to the Sokolov Mines. Aside
from the shortage of electric current, the plant had no special pro-
duction difficulties.
a. The production rbide used 1,350 tn. of carbon elec- 25X1A
trodes yearly . These electrodes were 450 x 500 x
2,200 mm. in s ze. -bou kg. of electrodes were needed for the
production of'one ton of carbide. Coke used for calcium carbide
was delivered from the Ostrava Region. Lime and limestone were,
delivered f Aim Beroun 5 49-57, E 14-0V
.
b,. The production of ferroohromium used 350tn. . of carbon electrodes
of'450 mm. size, and 1,000 tn. of chromium ore 25X1A
yearly . This cbromj.um'ore was imported from the
USSR.Caucas an e s and was exported by So juzPromExport, Mos,oow.
The purchase price paid by Chemapol was 2,000 crowns per ton,
dry weight, on the basis of 48% Cr20g, franco railroad freight car,
Cerna pri Cope 4 48-26, E 22-0 '. before World War II the ,Sokolov
Chemical Works used 2,000 tn. oY ohromium ore yearly in the pro-
duction of ferroohromium. Ferrosilicon was also produced by.the
plant formerly, but. since the end of World War II ferrosilicon
was produced only in the Novaky,Chemical 1 Corpora-
tion, Handlova Plant 548-44, EE l8-4 Produa- 25X1A
tion of-ferrovanadium, which also too p olov Plant
before World War II, has not yet been resumed in Sokolov or in any
other Czechoslovak plant.,.
c. Eight thousand tons of the total yearly production of calcium
25X1A carbide at was used in the production of calcium
c anamide Further, 17 tn. of carbon electrodes were
used yearl r n ha production. (These electrodes were called
"Azotation' electrodes.)
d. Carbon electrodes for use in the Sokolov Works both for carbide
and ferrochromium production were imported by Chemapol, about
1,2Q0 tn. from the former. Siemens-Plania Works at Ratibor,.Poland,
and the remaining 500 tn. from the former Siemens-Plania Works at
Berlin-Liohtenberg, Germany. The purchase price' for Polish elec-
trodes` was 8,150 crowns a ton and for German electrodes 7,800
orowns per ton. In both cases, the price was franco railroad
freight car, Czechoslovak border station. The selling price,
paid by t'he,Sokolov Works, was 9,545 crowns a ton franco railroad
freight oar Sokolov for electrodes of both origins. The 17 tn..
of carbon electrodes used in production of oaloitlm cyanamide were
also imported from Poland. The urchase price was 5,296 crowns a
ton. The selling price was 6,4lcrowns a ton, franoo railroad
fret ht oar Sokolov. Further, .25 tn. of carbon electrodes, 130-
mm', diameter) x 100 mm?were used yearly in the production of,
o'alpium carbide and of ferroebromiupi for tapping of blast furnaces.
They were of Polish origin .and the purchase pride was 11,250 crowns
per ton; the selling price was 12,842 a ton, franco railroad
freight oar Sokolov. All the Polish electrodes mentioned above
were exported by Czieoh, a Polish export monopoly, located at Jasna
Street #10, Warsaw.
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5.
6.
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e. Six hundred tons of high percentage potassi s used25X1A
yearly for production of potassium chlorate From
12, to 15 tn. of graphite electrodes, 25 x 15 x rsn. A size,
was used yearly in that production. These electrodes were imported
from de-Ce Graphitwerke, Zurich, Switzerland.
I do not know the production figures for the. other products of the
Sokolov-Works. All the ferrochromium and calcium cynamide produced
e used for domestic needs. Some carbide was exported. 25X1A
Some formic acid was also exported.'
of this item for 1953 amounted to 1,200 tn. 25X1A
destined mostly for Areas V and VII I cannot
remember what quantities of other pro_ ~~ Miolov Works were
exported. The Chemapol 1953 Export Import Plan does not provide for
them under a special title but includes them in grouped titles only,
such.,as acids or various chemical goods.
The Sokolov Chemical Works had more than 1,000 employees, including
Germans and prisoners from the Sokolov prison. The prisoners attended
to-the most difficult jobs such as work at. the. furnaces or in the car-
bide mill. The Sokolov Chemical Works was one of the Czechoslovak
Chemical plants with the highest percentage of CP members. PEROUTKA,
about 35 years old, was Manager of the plant. Ing. CERNY, a chemist,
was Production Manager. Dr. TOMES, a chemist, was head of electro-
lysis'. All of them were reliable CP members. (The first so-called
worker-manager in the chemical industry was appointed in the Sokolov
Works. His name was ZURKA and he was a former worker in the plant.
ZURKA, later on, became manager of the Usti nad Labem Chemical Works.)
The plant's security measures were the usual security measures appli-X1A
by all Czechoslovak chemical works.
lant had a militia and a firem
The
_
p
extinguishers were distributed throughout the plant. Water hydrants
were also located throughout the factory area and there was also a
water reservoir 10 x 25 x 3 m. in size. This reservoir was in the
open and centrally located. There were several bomb shelters in'a
nearby hill (I do not know the exact location). These shelters had
a total capacity of 200 men. The plant was not lighted up at night.
Annexes :
A. Chemical Works, n.p.,Sokolov Overlay on Map: Czechoslovakia
3949/2W, M872, 1:25,000
B. Plant Layout of the Chemical Works, National Corporation,
in Sokolov
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LJ -Y 4.# AJUYLU-LUV
verlay on map: Czechoslovakia 3949/2W,
Moles 1:25o000
1. Chemical Works, n.p,, Sokolov
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Afnex B: Plant Layout of the Chemical Works, National, Corporation,
in Sokolov _
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Annex B LEGEND
1. Administration Building (Two stories high; the highest building of
the plant)
2. Gate and Gatekeeper House
3. Cafeteria (Wooden building and the lowest building in the area;
accommpdates 120
persons)
Garage: for ambulance and for fire engines
5. Farm Building8s belonging to the plant
Power Plant and Furnaces
7. Carbide Mill
8. Raw Materials Storage
9. Overhead Conveyor
10. Storage for Finished Products
11. Production of Borax and Production of Boric Acid
12. Potassium Chlorate Electrolysis
13 Formic Acid Storage
14. Cooling Towers and Smokestack (the coolin towers were approximately
30 m. high)
15. Storage
16, Maintenance Department
17. Motor Car Repair Shop and Garage
18 and 19. Jiri Mines
20. Sokolov. Railroad Station
21. Bohemia Mine: with an overhead conveyor
22. Slack Pile
23. Coal Storage
24. Fence: surrounding plant areas; of brick and wood construction.
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