During 1936 and the first part of 1937 a serious shortage of cresylic acid existed in the domestic market owing to increased demand by synthetic resin makers. The output in 1936 exceeded that in 1935 and the production in 1937 was appreciably higher than in 1936. These increases are due to the recovery of appreciable quantities at several new distillation plants, the topping of large amounts of tar hitherto not processed, and increased production by present recovery units. There are many grades of cresylic acid, most of which are prepared by mixing or blending to individual specifications. Every large consumer apparently has his own specifications. In addition to these special mixtures there are the following standard blends: (1) Ninety-nine percent high-boiling, straw color. (2) Low-boiling, straw color. (3) Special resin grade, high-boiling. There are four domestic producers of cresylic acid with recovery and refining units at Pittsburgh, Pa., Philadelphia, Pa., Indianapolis, Ind., and Follansbee, W. Va. The last three mentioned are refining plants operated in conjunction with a number of tar distillation units widely scattered throughout the country. These units usually recover crude tar-acid fractions in the distillation of tar and ship them to these refining plants for separation and refining. All in this group are purchasers of coal tar. The fourth producer operates a byproduct recovery unit in connection with the company’s coke-oven operations. Part of the coal tar produced is distilled to recover the several products, including creosote oil, tar acids, and naphthalene, and the residual pitch is mixed with the remaining undistilled tar and used for fuel. The shortage of tar acids and naphthalene in 1936 caused this producer to begin the topping of tar. Foreign production. The cresols are produced in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and other European countries. Coal tar recovered in the United Kingdom is principally gas tar, which is much richer in tar acids than coke-oven tar, the principal source in the United States. This is true because low temperature carbonization of coal yields greater quantities of tar acids than are obtained in the tar from byproduct coke ovens. Exports to the United States are chiefly mixtures which can enter as crude cresylic acid. Production of cresol in Germany in recent years is shown in table 69. TABLE 69.—_Cresol: German production, in specified years_ -------+------------ Year |1,000 pounds -------+------------ 1929 | 23,814 1931[1]| 15,435 1933 | 11,780 1934 | 10,476 -------+------------ [1] Includes 2,866,000 pounds of separated ortho, meta, and para cresols. Source: Consular reports. German imports and exports of cresol, in recent years, are shown in table 70. TABLE 70.—_Cresol: German imports and exports, in specified years_