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62-683: Olin Corporation is an American manufacturer of ammunition , chlorine , and sodium hydroxide . The company traces its roots to two companies, both founded in 1892: Franklin W. Olin 's Equitable Powder Company and the Mathieson Alkali Works. Accidents at Olin chemical plants have exposed employees and nearby residents to health hazards. The company was started by Franklin Walter Olin in Niagara Falls, New York as

124-514: A chiral centre in these molecules and biological activity is found only in the (2R)-isomer (illustrated for dichlorprop). Other members of this group include 4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butyric acid ( 2,4-DB ) and 4-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)butyric acid ( MCPB ) which act as propesticides for 2,4-D and MCPA respectively: that is, they are converted in plants to these active ingredients. All the auxin herbicides retain activity when applied as salts and esters since these are also capable of producing

186-749: A chlorine plant in McIntosh, Alabama . The production process at this facility originally involved mercury , which contaminated the groundwater . After the war, the Olins acquired the Mathieson Chemical Corporation —also founded in 1892. Long before its association with Olin, Mathieson Alkali Works began business in Saltville, Virginia , and a year later acquired its neighbor, the Holston Salt and Plaster Corp. Saltville became

248-563: A fiber wad facility. The company also started its own brass mill . Franklin Olin, along with his two sons John and Spencer , merged these companies together to form the Western Cartridge Company in direct competition with Remington and Winchester . For a time, his competitors were able to get their suppliers to shut off sources of raw materials in an attempt to drive Olin out of business and, in order to survive, Olin

310-501: A shot , contains explosives or other fillings, in use since the 19th century. Artillery shells are ammunition that is designed to be fired from artillery which has an effect over long distances, usually indirectly (i.e., out of sight of the target). There are many different types of artillery ammunition, but they are usually high-explosive and designed to shatter into fragments on impact to maximize damage. The fuze used on an artillery shell can alter how it explodes or behaves so it has

372-757: A chlorine leak which led to the evacuation of the Dow plant. In 2016, Olin Corp, which was still based in Missouri, announced it was laying off 100 workers, or around 80% of the facility's workforce, at a factory north of downtown Henderson, also halting chlorine production at the site. It also stopped production of lye, with the facility to be remade into a bleach factory and distribution center for various industrial chemicals. Olin also scaled back chlorine production at other factories in New York and Texas. In 2019, Olin announced it

434-504: A class are called "fops", referring to their common fenoxy-phenoxy [sic] feature. This group of herbicides acts by inhibiting plant acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), a completely different mechanism of action to that of the auxins. Their selectivity for grasses arises because they target the isoform of the enzyme present only in the plastids of these species, making them ineffective on broad-leaf weeds and other organisms including mammals. When applied as an ester, metabolism in

496-404: A corresponding modification has occurred in the method of supplying ammunition in the quantity required. As soon as projectiles were required (such as javelins and arrows), there needed to be a method of replenishment. When non-specialized, interchangeable or recoverable ammunition was used (e.g., arrows), it was possible to pick up spent arrows (both friendly and enemy) and reuse them. However, with

558-758: A joint venture with Plug Power Inc., to produce 15 tons of "green" hydrogen per day at a plant in Louisiana, to be operational by 2023 according to the company. In 2022, it had seven production facilities in the United States and Canada dedicated to chlorine and caustic soda. The former Olin Corporation headquarters in East Alton, after being purchased by the Wieland Group , were razed in 2022. The structure had previously employed 1,800 people when Olin had used it as an ammunition production facility. As

620-409: A modern soldier is an assault rifle , which, like other small arms, uses cartridge ammunition in a size specific to the weapon. Ammunition is carried on the person in box magazines specific to the weapon, ammunition boxes, pouches or bandoliers. The amount of ammunition carried is dependent on the strength of the soldier, the expected action required, and the ability of ammunition to move forward through

682-422: A more specialized effect. Common types of artillery ammunition include high explosive, smoke, illumination, and practice rounds. Some artillery rounds are designed as cluster munitions . Artillery ammunition will almost always include a projectile (the only exception being demonstration or blank rounds), fuze and propellant of some form. When a cartridge case is not used, there will be some other method of containing

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744-636: A new class of compound, the aryloxphenoxypropionates, which showed such selectivity and led to the commercialisation of diclofop. Then the Japanese company Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha (ISK) found improved biological activity in an analogue, chlorazifop, which replaced the aryloxy portion of diclofop with a pyridine ring containing the same two chlorine substituents. This area of research became very competitive and within three weeks of one another in 1977 ISK, Dow Chemicals and Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) all filed patents covering another group of analogues, with

806-606: A new license agreement with Browning Arms Company to market Winchester brand rifles and shotguns. The new Winchester company was named U.S. Repeating Arms as a licensee of Olin Corporation, which still owned Winchester ammunition. In May 2007, Olin agreed to buy Pioneer Co. Inc., a chlor-alkali products maker, for $ 414 million. Olin announced the sale of its brass division in October 2007 to Global Brass and Copper, an affiliate of KPS Capital Partners , for $ 400 million. The sale included all of Olin's worldwide metals operations, including

868-602: A producer of ammunition and industrial chemicals, in 2022, the Olin Corporation had three overall business segments: "Chlor-Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy (epoxy materials and precursors), and Winchester (arms and ammunition)." The company produces chemicals such as chlorine , caustic soda , and hydrogen through a process involving the electrolysis of salt. The chemical branches of the business also produce vinyls , epoxies , chlorinated organics , bleach , and hydrochloric acid . Ammunition Ammunition

930-602: A quintessential company town , where they produced chlorine and caustic soda , and in the process leached methylmercury (by the company's own estimates, up to 100 pounds per day) into the soils and the North fork of the Holston River . The site was declared a Superfund site in 1982. In 1952, Mathieson Chemical Company, as it was known by then, acquired controlling interest in the pharmaceutical firm of E. R. Squibb and Sons (now part of Bristol-Myers Squibb ). Afterward,

992-519: A significant impact on anti-tank ammunition design, now common in both tank-fired ammunition and in anti-tank missiles, including anti-tank guided missiles . Naval weapons were originally the same as many land-based weapons, but the ammunition was designed for specific use, such as a solid shot designed to hole an enemy ship and chain-shot to cut rigging and sails. Modern naval engagements have occurred over far longer distances than historic battles, so as ship armor has increased in strength and thickness,

1054-401: A specialized effect on a target, such as armor-piercing shells and tracer ammunition , used only in certain circumstances. Ammunition is commonly labeled or colored in a specific manner to assist in its identification and to prevent the wrong ammunition types from being used accidentally or inappropriately. The term ammunition can be traced back to the mid-17th century. The word comes from

1116-453: A trifluoromethyl (CF 3 ) group in place of one of the chlorine atoms in the pyridine. Subsequently, ISK and ICI cross-licensed their intellectual property and first marketed fluazifop as its butyl ester in 1981 under the brand name Fusilade while Dow marketed haloxyfop as its methyl ester. All these compounds have an additional oxygen-linked aromatic group in the para position of the phenyl ring with its OCH(CH 3 )COOH group and as

1178-425: A warship is referred to as the "ship's magazine". On a smaller scale, magazine is also the name given to the ammunition storage and feeding device of a repeating firearm. Gunpowder must be stored in a dry place (stable room temperature) to keep it usable, as long as for 10 years. It is also recommended to avoid hot places, because friction or heat might ignite a spark and cause an explosion. The standard weapon of

1240-408: Is activated by the fuze, which causes the ammunition effect (e.g., the exploding of an artillery round). The cartridge is the container that holds the projectile and propellant. Not all ammunition types have a cartridge case. In its place, a wide range of materials can be used to contain the explosives and parts. With some large weapons, the ammunition components are stored separately until loaded into

1302-413: Is packaged with each round of ammunition. In recent years, compressed gas, magnetic energy and electrical energy have been used as propellants. Until the 20th-century, gunpowder was the most common propellant in ammunition. However, it has since been replaced by a wide range of fast-burning compounds that are more reliable and efficient. The propellant charge is distinct from the projectile charge which

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1364-626: Is the firearm cartridge , which includes all components required to deliver the weapon effect in a single package. Until the 20th century, black powder was the most common propellant used but has now been replaced in nearly all cases by modern compounds. Ammunition comes in a great range of sizes and types and is often designed to work only in specific weapons systems. However, there are internationally recognized standards for certain ammunition types (e.g., 5.56×45mm NATO ) that enable their use across different weapons and by different users. There are also specific types of ammunition that are designed to have

1426-451: Is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs , missiles , grenades , land mines ) and the component parts of other weapons that create the effect on a target (e.g., bullets and warheads ). The purpose of ammunition is to project a force against a selected target to have an effect (usually, but not always, lethal). An example of ammunition

1488-456: Is the second-largest annual use of lead in the US, accounting for over 60,000 metric tons consumed in 2012. Lead bullets that miss their target or remain in a carcass or body that was never retrieved can enter environmental systems and become toxic to wildlife. The US military has experimented with replacing lead with copper as a slug in their green bullets which reduces the dangers posed by lead in

1550-551: The St. Louis Arsenal and contributed to the war effort with manufacturing roles at the Badger Army Ammunition and Lake City Army Ammunition Plants . Olin's New Haven and East Alton plants employed about 17,000 workers each — producing the guns and small-caliber ammunition needed during World War II . The war production helped the Olins to become one of the wealthiest American families of the time. In 1952, Olin opened

1612-706: The Winchester Division affirmed in a legal brief that: ... the Winchester employees principally responsible for dealing with the State Department on export license matters over the years developed the belief that the Department was "winking" at the representation [by the company] that arms sent to South Africa were said to be destined for other countries. After ongoing declines in its business at Winchester, on December 12, 1980, Olin made

1674-495: The detonator of an explosive round or shell. The spelling is different in British English and American English (fuse/fuze respectively) and they are unrelated to a fuse (electrical) . A fuse was earlier used to ignite the propellant (e.g., such as on a firework) until the advent of more reliable systems such as the primer or igniter that is used in most modern ammunition. The fuze of a weapon can be used to alter how

1736-583: The propellant bags, usually a breech-loading weapon; see Breechloader . Tank ammunition was developed in WWI as tanks first appeared on the battlefield. However, as tank-on-tank warfare developed (including the development of anti-tank warfare artillery), more specialized forms of ammunition were developed such as high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warheads and armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS), including armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds. The development of shaped charges has had

1798-421: The 1950s. The best known phenoxy herbicides are (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid ( MCPA ), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). Analogues of each of these three compounds, with an extra methyl group attached next to the carboxylic acid , were subsequently commercialised as mecoprop , dichlorprop and fenoprop . The addition of the methyl group creates

1860-403: The A.J. Oster metals service centers. It sold a plant in East Alton in 2007, and moved production of centerfire ammunition to Oxford, Mississippi in 2010 from East Alton. The McIntosh chlorine plant began using asbestos , a potent carcinogen , in 1978. The chemical was not safely contained, and employees regularly breathed it in and were not given protective equipment. The company was aware of

1922-656: The Equitable Powder Company. Olin created the company for the purpose of supplying the area's coal mines and limestone quarries with explosives. Olin's blasting and gunpowder company expanded into the production of cartridges in 1898. The company bought a paper manufacturer (the Ecusta Paper Company in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina ), a lead shot facility, an explosive primer facility, a cartridge brass manufacturing facility, and

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1984-644: The French la munition , for the material used for war. Ammunition and munition are often used interchangeably, although munition now usually refers to the actual weapons system with the ammunition required to operate it. In some languages other than English ammunition is still referred to as munition, such as: Dutch (" munitie "), French (" munitions "), German (" Munition "), Italian (" munizione ") and Portuguese (" munição "). Ammunition design has evolved throughout history as different weapons have been developed and different effects required. Historically, ammunition

2046-746: The Olin Chemical Superfund Site was still undergoing cleanup under Olin Corporation, with the EPA having managed the site 2006, and the 53-acre facility purchased by Olin in 1980. The EPA was overseeing the cleanup of a Olin Corp. facility in East Alton by 2021, taking public comments on Olin's proposed cleanup plan to contaminated soil and groundwater in July 2021. In 2021, Olin shut down half of its diaphragm-grade chlor alkali production at its facility in McIntosh, Alabama. In 2022, Olin created

2108-620: The Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation. The new company had 35,000 employees, 46 domestic and 17 foreign plants. The company manufactured phenoxy herbicides and anti-crop agents for Fort Detrick under contract to the U.S. Army Chemical Corps . The company also manufactured electric batteries , marketing them for use in flashlights. John Olin retired in 1963. The following year, the company brought in hardware-experienced executives to run Winchester. The new management team introduced cheap, stamped metal parts into

2170-478: The Winchester line, which eventually damaged the quality reputation Winchester had previously enjoyed. Nearly 30 years prior to Olin acquiring Mathieson Chemical, a muck dam collapsed, sending a 30-foot wall of water, mud, mercury, and alkali down the Holston River valley into the company town of Palmertown, a community of Saltville , Virginia. Bodies, homes, and cars were washed as far as seven miles down

2232-630: The advent of explosive or non-recoverable ammunition, this was no longer possible and new supplies of ammunition would be needed. The weight of ammunition required, particularly for artillery shells, can be considerable, causing a need for extra time to replenish supplies. In modern times, there has been an increase in the standardization of many ammunition types between allies (e.g., the NATO Standardization Agreement ) that has allowed for shared ammunition types (e.g., 5.56×45mm NATO). As of 2013, lead-based ammunition production

2294-500: The ammunition has cleared the weapon. The propellant is the component of ammunition that is activated inside the weapon and provides the kinetic energy required to move the projectile from the weapon to the target. Before the use of gunpowder, this energy would have been produced mechanically by the weapons system (e.g., a catapult or crossbow); in modern times, it is usually a form of chemical energy that rapidly burns to create kinetic force, and an appropriate amount of chemical propellant

2356-405: The ammunition to defeat it has also changed. Naval ammunition is now designed to reach very high velocities (to improve its armor-piercing abilities) and may have specialized fuzes to defeat specific types of vessels. However, due to the extended ranges at which modern naval combat may occur, guided missiles have largely supplanted guns and shells. With every successive improvement in military arms,

2418-436: The ammunition works. For example, a common artillery shell fuze can be set to "point detonation" (detonation when it hits a target), delay (detonate after it has hit and penetrated a target), time-delay (explode a specified time after firing or impact) and proximity (explode above or next to a target without hitting it, such as for airburst effects or anti-aircraft shells). These allow a single ammunition type to be altered to suit

2480-486: The atmosphere, and the plant frequently releases chlorine into the atmosphere. Residents have complained that they were not adequately informed of the leaks. On March 27, 2015, Dow Chemical Company announced that it would spin off its chlorine and epoxy businesses and merge them with Olin Corporation. Dow earned around $ 5 billion in the deal including $ 2 billion in cash, with the new Olin to have revenue of around $ 7 billion, with Olin chairman and CEO Joseph D. Rupp to lead

2542-405: The auxin growth hormone indoleacetic acid (IAA). When sprayed on broad-leaf plants they induce rapid, uncontrolled growth ("growing to death"). Thus when applied to monocotyledonous crops such as wheat or maize (corn), they selectively kill broad-leaf weeds, leaving the crops relatively unaffected. Introduced in 1946, these herbicides were in widespread use in agriculture by the middle of

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2604-526: The corporation diversified its interests into a wide variety of businesses, including plastics, cellophane , bauxite mining, automotive specialties, powder actuated nailing tools , and home construction. The Olin Ski Company manufactured camping and skiing gear. By 1988, however, Olin skis were produced under license by K2 Sports . Olin Industries and Mathieson Chemical merged in 1954 to form

2666-616: The damage inflicted by one round. Anti-personnel shells are designed to fragment into many pieces and can affect a large area. Armor-piercing rounds are specially hardened to penetrate armor, while smoke ammunition covers an area with a fog that screens people from view. More generic ammunition (e.g., 5.56×45mm NATO ) can often be altered slightly to give it a more specific effect (e.g., tracer, incendiary), whilst larger explosive rounds can be altered by using different fuzes. The components of ammunition intended for rifles and munitions may be divided into these categories: The term fuze refers to

2728-664: The decision to sell Winchester firearms to the firm's employees under the name US Repeating Arms Company . Olin, however, kept the Winchester brand name and licensed it to US Repeating Arms Company. Olin sold its European Winchester ammunition business, and also licensed the Winchester brand name, to GIAT (of Versailles, France ). Olin transferred its ball propellant manufacturing plant to General Dynamics subsidiary St. Marks Powder in 1998. Olin spun off its specialty chemicals business on February 8, 1999, as Arch Chemicals, Inc. Olin afterwards focused more on its ammunition, brass and chlor-alkali businesses. The ammunition business

2790-411: The delivery of explosives. An ammunition dump is a military facility for the storage of live ammunition and explosives that will be distributed and used at a later date. Such a storage facility is extremely hazardous, with the potential for accidents when unloading, packing, and transferring the ammunition. In the event of a fire or explosion, the site and its surrounding area is immediately evacuated and

2852-416: The environment as a result of artillery. Since 2010, this has eliminated over 2000 tons of lead in waste streams. Hunters are also encouraged to use monolithic bullets , which exclude any lead content. Unexploded ammunition can remain active for a very long time and poses a significant threat to both humans and the environment. Phenoxy herbicides The first group to be discovered act by mimicking

2914-399: The hazard and told workers that they could stay safe by preventing the material from becoming airborne. OSHA gave the company advance notice of its inspections, for which they regularly cleaned up the asbestos. The 2007 merger between Pioneer and Olin created the third-largest chlorine producer in the United States. In 2010, an equipment failure at the McIntosh plant released caustic soda into

2976-424: The logistical chain to replenish the supply. A soldier may also carry a smaller amount of specialized ammunition for heavier weapons such as machine guns and mortars, spreading the burden for squad weapons over many people. Too little ammunition poses a threat to the mission, while too much limits the soldier's mobility also being a threat to the mission. A shell is a payload-carrying projectile which, as opposed to

3038-606: The new larger company. Separately, Dow also agreed to supply Olin with ethylene. On October 5, 2015, Olin successfully acquired Dow's U.S. Gulf Coast Chlor-Alkali and Vinyl, Global Chlorinated Organics, and Global Epoxy business units, in addition to 100 percent interest in the Dow Mitsui Chlor-Alkali joint venture. As of 2016, Olin president and CEO was John E. Fischer. In 2016, an Olin Corp. facility on Dow Chemical property in Plaquemine near Baton Rouge had

3100-475: The parent acid in situ . The use of herbicides in US agriculture is mapped by the US Geological Survey. As of 2019 , 2,4-D was the most used of the auxins. 45,000,000 pounds (20,000,000 kg) were sprayed that year, compared to 2,000,000 pounds (910,000 kg) of the next most heavily applied, MCPA. The other auxin now used in comparable amounts to 2,4-D is dicamba , where the 2019 figure

3162-435: The potential threat from enemy forces. A magazine is a place where a quantity of ammunition or other explosive material is stored temporarily prior to being used. The term may be used for a facility where large quantities of ammunition are stored, although this would normally be referred to as an ammunition dump. Magazines are typically located in the field for quick access when engaging the enemy. The ammunition storage area on

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3224-425: The situation it is required for. There are many designs of a fuze, ranging from simple mechanical to complex radar and barometric systems. Fuzes are usually armed by the acceleration force of firing the projectile, and usually arm several meters after clearing the bore of the weapon. This helps to ensure the ammunition is safer to handle when loading into the weapon and reduces the chance of the detonator firing before

3286-477: The stored ammunition is left to detonate itself completely with limited attempts at firefighting from a safe distance. In large facilities, there may be a flooding system to automatically extinguish a fire or prevent an explosion. Typically, an ammunition dump will have a large buffer zone surrounding it, to avoid casualties in the event of an accident. There will also be perimeter security measures in place to prevent access by unauthorized personnel and to guard against

3348-415: The target plant leads to the parent acid which is responsible for the herbicidal action. It is a coincidence that it is the (2R) stereoisomer which binds to plant ACCase, just as that isomer is responsible for the activity of dichlorprop as an auxin. Salts and esters of this class of herbicide are active owing to their ability to metabolise to the corresponding parent acid. For example, fenoxaprop-P ethyl

3410-539: The valley. In the aftermath of the flood, 19 people had died. The company became Olin Corporation in 1969 and subsequently began selling-off many of its acquired businesses. Since then, Olin Corporation has been shrinking (except for a brief expansion in the early 1980s). Olin was the first U.S. corporation to be prosecuted for violations of the arms embargo , and in 1978 was convicted for selling Winchester rifles to private dealers in South Africa . When charged,

3472-414: The weapon system for firing. With small arms, caseless ammunition can reduce the weight and cost of ammunition, and simplify the firing process for increased firing rate, but the maturing technology has functionality issues. The projectile is the part of the ammunition that leaves the weapon and has the effect on the target. This effect is usually either kinetic (e.g., as with a standard bullet) or through

3534-498: Was 30,000,000 pounds (14,000,000 kg). It is a benzoic acid rather than a phenoxyacetic acid whose use has grown rapidly since 2016 as crops genetically modified to be resistant to it have been cultivated. In the 1970s, agrochemical companies were working to develop new herbicides to be complementary to the auxins. The aim was to find materials which would selectively control grass weeds in broad-leaf crops such as cotton and soybean . In 1973, Hoechst AG filed patents on

3596-520: Was closing two plants in Texas by the end of 2020. It was reported in 2020 that Sachem Head Capital Management had built a stake in Olin Corporation at 9.4%. At that time, Olin remained headquartered in Clayton, Missouri and had 12 directors on its board. In 2020, Scott M. Sutton was selected by the Olin board to succeed Fischer as CEO and president, with Fischer becoming executive chairman. As of 2021,

3658-420: Was forced to diversify the activities of the company. With the advent of World War I , the Olins made a fortune supplying ammunition through Western Cartridge. In 1931, Western bought Winchester and in 1935 merged the two, forming Winchester-Western. In 1944, the various Olin companies were organized under a new corporate parent, Olin Industries, Inc. At the time, Olin Industries and its subsidiary companies ran

3720-646: Was introduced by Bayer Crop Science and quizalofop-P ethyl by Nissan Chemical Corporation , both in 1989. In 1990, Dow introduced cyhalofop-P butyl for the control of weeds in rice. Fluazifop-P butyl still has significant use in the USA. 200,000 pounds (91,000 kg) were applied in 2018 — almost exclusively in soyabean. The "P" in the name of these materials refers to their use now as single enantiomers . Cummins et al. , 1999, 2009, and 2013 find that Alopecurus myocuroides ' s mechanism of fenoxaprop-P-ethyl resistance reduces hydrogen peroxide concentrations at

3782-414: Was of relatively simple design and build (e.g., sling-shot, stones hurled by catapults), but as weapon designs developed (e.g., rifling ) and became more refined, the need for more specialized ammunition increased. Modern ammunition can vary significantly in quality but is usually manufactured to very high standards. For example, ammunition for hunting can be designed to expand inside a target, maximizing

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3844-480: Was strengthened by the Iraq and Afghanistan wars . After 2004, the Olin Corporation moved some manufacturing of its Winchester products from East Alton to Oxford , Mississippi, which started with the rimfire cartridge ( .22LR ) production, then its load and pack operations. After Olin moved production of its Winchester rimfire ammunition production to Mississippi in 2004, in 2006, Olin announced that it had entered into

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