Philadelphia Quartz Company

The Elkinton Company began as a Philadelphia candle and soap shop founded by Joseph Elkinton in 1831. In the 1840s the company began to diversify its products to include a line of "fancy and specialty soaps." By mid-decade Joseph's son, Thomas, began to develop a synthetic detergent. After more than a decade of experimentation with soluble silicates, the firm built a furnace for synthesizing detergents with a silicate base. During the Civil War, when the supplies of rosin from the South were cut off, leaving Northern soap makers without an essential raw material, the Elkinton firm found a large market for its synthetic soap.

After the Civil War, the Elkinton firm grew rapidly. They acquired a new plant in Anderson, Indiana and began manufacturing lye, fertilizers, oils, greases, adhesives, fiber, and wall board. In 1875, the company hired its first sales agent. In 1888 the name was changed to the Philadelphia Quartz Company.

World War I created an array of opportunities and opened up new markets for soluble silicates. During the war, under the direction of Dr. James Vail, the company's Chemical Department discovered that silica gels could be used as a base to manufacture catalysts for cracking crude oil molecules to make high-octane gasoline. Vail also developed a potassium silicate that was soon adopted for use in cathode ray tubes. This innovation had important implications for television and radar. The company name was changed to PQ Corporation in 1978.

From the description of Records, 1831-1981. (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122370797