Commercial Solvents Corporation (CSC) was an American chemical and
biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...
company created in 1919.
History
The Commercial Solvents Corporation was established at the end of World War I; earning distinction as the pioneer producer of acetone and butanol by fermentation processes developed and patented by Dr.
Chaim Weizmann
Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( he, חיים עזריאל ויצמן ', russian: Хаим Евзорович Вейцман, ''Khaim Evzorovich Veytsman''; 27 November 1874 – 9 November 1952) was a Russian-born biochemist, Zionist leader and Israe ...
.
Terre Haute, Indiana was chosen to be the site of CSC's research as this location made possible the expedient translation of new processes from the laboratory and demonstration plant into full production.
As early as 1917, the corporation began work in
Terre Haute, Indiana. It developed the conversion of corn and other grains into
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...
by
fermentation. They later produced
riboflavin by microbial action.
Presidents
*
Philip G. Mumford 1922 to 1928.
*
William Davis Ticknor Sr. 1920 to 1922 and 1928 to 1938, was president and
chairman of the board.
*
Theodore P. Walker 1938 to 1947.
*
Henry E. Perry 1947 to 1950.
*
J. Albert Woods 1950 to 1959.
*
Maynard C Wheeler 1959 to 1966.
*
Robert C. Wheeler 1966 to 1973.
*
William S. Leonhardt 1973 to 1975.
References
{{Authority control
Chemical companies of the United States
Ethanol
Defunct companies based in Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Chemical companies established in 1919
Technology companies established in 1919
American companies established in 1919