Armour Research Foundation Reports Biggest Year D u r i n g 1948 t h e c h e m i s t r y a n d c h e m i c a l e n g i n e e r i n g d e p a r t m e n t o f t h e A r m o u r R e s e a r c h F o u n d a t i o n d i d w o r k o n 53 o f t h e 235 p r o j e c t s u n d e r w a y . . . A s p a r t of t h e e x p a n d i n g p r o g r a m 44 f u n d a m e n t a l a n d p u b l i c service research p r o g r a m s w e r e u n d e r t a k e n by t h e f o u n d a t i o n . . . N e w s e r v i c e s w e r e i n a u g u r a t e d JTL GROWING, active interest in scientific research aimed at the development of new products and new pi\)cesses is indicated in the 1947-48 annual report of Armour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology. The foundation reports an increase of 25% in gross volume for the fiscal year which ended Aug. 31, 1948. The annual report, just released, shows a 60.% increase in volume in the past two years. In addition to its expanded research volume the foundation reports the addition of approximately 150 persons to its staff during the 3-ear. At the close of the fiscal period 640 persons were employed full time. More than 110 industrial organizations and 20 government agencies sponsored long-term research projects with the foundation during the 12-month period. In all, 191 industrial and governmentsponsored projects were in progress. Of these, 129 were sponsorecj. by industry and 62 by the Federal Government. In addition the foundation sponsored 44 fundamental research and public service programs from its general funds. Such projects are important both for the technical and professional advancement of the staff and for possible application of the knowledge gakied to future research problems. In all there were 235 projects in Armour's laboratories. Government projects undertaken were carefully selected and are in the fields wThich will enable the foundation to build its personnel, facilities, and experience for industrial research in the coming years. Thirty-one projects were terminated during the year because of successful completion. During the year scientific equipment valued at $111,081.04 was added to foundation laboratories. At the close of the year it was apparent that existing space in present buildings was not adequate to supply the needs of the foundation's expanded program. Consequently additional space was rented in a commercial building. The foundation began the 1948-49 fiscal year on Sept. 1, with 204 active projects—a considerable increase over previous years—and with indications that 844
the current year will be the largest in history. Haldon A. Leedy became acting director of the foundation in March and was officially named director in June. H e succeeded Jesse E. Hobs on whp resigned to become executive director of Stanford Research Institute. Dr. Leedy had been chairman of the physics department. At the time of Dr. Leedy's appointment Edgar A. Jett II was named assistant director. Former director of sales for the sixstate Great Lakes District for General Electric Corp., Mr. Jett had been with the foundation for one year as director of sponsor relations. International Division Aug. 31 marked the end of the first full year of operation of Armour's international division—in form and function the only organization of its kind in existence. (Although the foundation has been doing international research for seven years, the international division, as such, was not established until May 1946.) In its Mexico City laboratories, with work also done in the chemistry laboratories in Chicago, progress was made on several projects. Two ventures are especially interesting: A stable dry flour for making tortillas, the basic Mexican diet item, was developed. This was the first to yield a tortilla completely acceptable to the Mexican public. Since the days of the Aztecs tortillas have been made only from freshly ground wet corn. Another project, now in the pilot-plant stage, has produced a new, high-melting industrial wax from henequen waste. The wax is conservatively estimated to mean $20 million annually in exports. Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Because of space limits a discussion of the year's activities in all seven of the departments of the research division (applied mechanics, ceramics and minerals, chemistry and chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, metals, and physics) will not be possible. However, some information on the chemistry and chemical engineering department, under the chairmanship of Louis Koenig, might be interesting. CHEMICAL
Chemistry and chemical engineering added 21 members to its staff during the year to bring the total to 73 full-time staff members. A breakdown shows 48 professional people, 18 technicians, and 7 office workers. Sixteen of the 21 new persons were professional—-a 55% increase in the professional staff during the year. During the period the department was active in 53 projects for industrial and government sponsors, for the foundation, and, under the Armour Plan for Industrial Research, for other departments of the foundation. Equivalent gross volume of work done was $453,000. Thirty-five projects were sponsored by industrial organizations, five by government agencies, seven by the foundation, and 12 were undertaken for other departments of the foundation. In addition the chemistry and chemical engineering department conducted 27 tests. Special
Services
All special services maintained by the department were continued during the year. These include the Registry of Rare Chemicals, the dust analysis laboratory maintained for the Chicago Smoke Abatement Committee, and others. Two new special services were begun. They are the Crystal Center and the Symposium on Light and Electron Microscopy. The Crystal Center, under the direction of Walter C. McCrone, assistant chairman, is a project on the determination, checking, editing, and publishing of crystal data. A monthly paper covering crystal data on important and common compounds has been presented. The symposium, conducted in cooperation with physics research, was held in held in June at the Stevens Hotel in Chicago. Dr. McCrone was cochairman of the symposium with Charles Tufts, associate physicist. It was the first such attempt on a broad scale to correlate the two fields of microscopy. More than 300 persons attended the three-day meeting which is expected to become an annual affair. Equipment costing approximately $10,000 was added to the chemistry and chemical engineering laboratories during the year, making the department one of the best-equipped organizations of its kind in existence. Certain changes in the foundation's space allotments have taken place since the close of the fiscal year which will allow for considerable expansion during the coming months. Among the plans for the current year, some of them already well under way, are retting of ramie, eletrets, low cost molded AND
ENGINEERING
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fiber furniture, chemical milling of wheat, and optical bleaches. Below are several abstracts of projects conducted by the department during t h e year:
Research Sponsored the Foundation
by
Preparation of Boron Analogs of Silicone R e s i n s : The objective of this program is to synthesize boron analogs of silicone resins and to determine if their properties warrant intensive research in this field.* Partial Oxidation of Organic Com pounds: Initial studies are being made of the oxidation of thiophene and toluene in the vapor phace over vanadium oxidetype catalysts, primarily to determine mechanism of the reaction. Contrary t o statements in the literature, it w a s found that thiophene has no resemblance t o benzene since it is even more sensitive t o oxidation than furan. Thus, a catalyst which is capable of producing maleic anhy dride in high yields from furan and fur fural, produces under similar conditions only insignificant amounts of maleic anhy dride from thiophene. A small amount of neutral crystalline substance is formed which, it is believed, contains condensed rings. The research has shown that the oxidation can be performed under condi tions which will permit recovery of hydro gen sulfide, thus indicating that the ringsplitting step involves splitting off hydro gen sulfide. T h e toluene studies have the objective of developing catalysts which will be mainly benzaldehyde producers.
Research Projects for
Industry
Catalytic Removal of Acetylene and Other Hydrocarbons from Air: T h i s proj ect, sponsored by the Stanolind Oil and Gas Co. for the purpose of eliminating the explosion hazard created b y small quanti ties of acetylene in oxygen produced by air liquefication, has been completed. The Standard Oil Co. (Ind.) research labora tories cooperated in the project which has resulted in the development of a highly efficient catalyst. Operating data have been obtained on a pilot plant scale. T h e findings from these studies may be incor porated in one of the largest oxygen plants in the country. Decalcomania Ink Drying: T h e new rapid method of drying decalcomania inks developed by the foundation for the Meyercord Co. last year is now in the pilot plant stage. An installation capable of handling the full factory output of a rotary press has been installed in the com pany's plant. Tests being conducted on this unit will establish commercial costs and speeds which will be applied to larger units and to other ink drying problems. Infrared Photosensitive Semiconduc tors: T h e infrared photocell development program sponsored by t h e Army Engineer Research and Development Laboratories is entering its third year. During the first two years a highly sensitive lead sulfide photocell for use with infrared up t o a wave length of 3.5 microns has been success fully produced. Arrangements h a v e been made for commercial production of these photocells. Research is continuing to de velop another type of photocell capable of high sensitivity at wave lengths i n excess of 3.5 microns. Lubricating Oil, Identification and Qual ity: Quality research and the enforcement program for t h e Pennsylvania Grade Crude Oil Association have continued through their third year. A program for t h e identi fication of lubricating oil products of V O L U M E
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association members and nonmembers purchased at random throughout the country has been in operation for most of this year. Methods used were developed during the first two years o f the program: infrared absorption and refractivity inter cept. Results of these identification methods were recently upheld in court and although still not published completely are reliable techniques for identifying the geo graphical source of the lubricating oil. Research activities are being extended with trie completion of the development of identification tests to show that certain compounds contained in Pennsylvania grade oils are responsible, i n part at least, for the superior qualities of these lubri cants. Further correlation between com position and quality is expected in the future. Sizing Material for Rayon Tapes: Sponsored by the Chicago Printed String Co., t h e initial phase of-the project con cerning rayon tape has been satisfac torily completed. A sizing material suitable for the manufacture of glass tapes i s in the development stage. Substitutes for Palm O i l : T h e depart ment i s conducting a program i n conjunc tion with the metals department designed to develop a suitable substitute for palm oil in t h e hot dip tinning of steel plate. Initial phases of the work were concerned with the establishment of t h e fundamental nature of the tinning oil function. This has ηοΛν been establishedito a large degree. A test has been developed which permits rapicVfevaluation of an oil for tinning pur poses "without resort to actual operation. With this background i t is possible to select several substitute materials showing considerable advantage over palm oil with respect to both economy and quality. Work o n this project is continuing in order to explore fully the possibilities thus far revealed. Solvent Extraction: Laboratory scale investigations are being conducted for Wurster & Sanger, Inc., t o determine the solvent extraction characteristics of a number of oil bearing materials consisting of: peanuts, soybeans, cottonseed, flax seed, sunflower seed, sesame seed, and rice bran. Data from these investigations pro vide the basis for the design of plant scale extraction equipment. Eventual instal-
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lation of a pilot scale extractor of advanced design is planned. In addition, viscosity, density, and vapor pressure data are being obtained on the oil solvent mixtures for use i n design. In addition to the projects described many projects of a chemical and electro chemical nature were conducted by the ceramics and minerals department and t h e metals department and are described i n the report. Two of the several projects conducted by the ceramics and mineral are: Blast Furnace Refractories. An in vestigation of the refractories of a blast furnace that failed after an unusually short campaign was sponsored by Inland Steel Co. Macro and microscopic exami nations were made of the brick and mortar from various locations in the blast furnace, and a series of laboratory tests was per formed on the linear components. I t was found that the clay mix used in plugging the t a p hole melted at an undesirably low temperature and that the resulting liquid had a very corrosive effect on any refrac tory with which it came in contact. Otherwise, no single factor, or group of factors, were disclosed that would explain the short life of the lining, as no undue variations from accepted standards were found in the refractories. Refractory Oxide Bodies. Under spon sorship of the Air Matériel Command, a project has recently been initiated on the development of refractory oxide bodies for such applications as turbine nozzles, interstage stator blades, rotois and buckets, rocket liners, nozzles, and control vanes. Phase equilibria in various systems containing lime or magnesia as the principal component are being investigated. The objective of this work is to determine which combinations of oxides are capable of giving bodies that will be resistant to stress a t elevated temperatures and to thermal shock. Primary emphasis is being given to the utilization of nonstrategic oxides in conjunction with lime and magnesia. T w o of the many electrochemical projects conducted by the metals department were: Improved Surfaces for Microwave Transmission: The purpose of this project, sponsored by the Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories, is the development of improved techniques of plating and treating the interior surfaces of brass waveguides and wavegu 'e components in order t o decrease attenuation losses and corrosion. The conductivity of the plating and the uniformity of plating deposition in the varied and intricate waveguide components employed is important. A study of the electrical characteristics and corrosion resistance of surfaces finished in various ways as well as the use of metals other than brass for thé base waveguides is included in the program. Metal Closures: This project, sponsored by t h e White Cap Co., is now in its second year and embraces ther study of corrosieta problems associated w ith the use of metal closures o n glass food containers. The work has included investigation of the properties of steels, tin coatings, lacquer systems, and other materials used in cap manufacture. These studies have been made with a view to obtaining maximum quality of these closures with regard to shelf life of the package, maintenance of high vacuum, freedom from food contamination or discoloration, and appearance. 845
