Chemistry prominent in science medal awards Over the years, the White House's National Medal of Science awards have been gaudy affairs replete with engraved invitations, orchestrated press coverage, an impressive array of scientific elite in the audience, and serenading by the U.S. Marine orchestra. This year, however, the White House chose to keep the matter low key and free from the working press as President Reagan in a brief ceremony last Tuesday handed out the awards to 12 recipients, eight of whom work in fields in or related to chemistry. The chemically related winners are: • F. Albert Cotton, Texas A&M University, for his work on multiple metal-metal bonds and applying group theory to chemical problems. • Gilbert Stork, Columbia University, for his research on the s y n t h e s i s of biologically active compounds. • Donald L. Katz, chemical engi-
Cotton: work on metal-metal bonds
neering, University of Michigan, for solving a variety of process problems in chemical and petroleum engineering. • Seymour Benzer, biochemist, California Institute of Technology, for his classical work on gene structure and function. • Mildred Cohn, biochemist, University of Pennsylvania, for her work on enzyme catalysis. • Edward Teller, Stanford University, "for contributions to molecular physics, understanding the origin of stellar energy, the theory and application of fusion reactions, and the field of nuclear safety." • Philip W. Anderson, Princeton University and Bell Laboratories, for his theoretical work on condensed matter. • Glenn W. Burton, plant geneticist, Agricultural Research Service, Tifton, Ga., for developing pearl millet as a food crop for developing
countries and revolutionizing the transformation of Bermuda grass from a weed to a popular forage crop. The other science medal winners are Edward Heinemann, aircraft design engineer, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Yoichiro Nambu, particle physicist, Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago; Charles H. Townes, physicist, University of California, Berkeley; and Marshall H. Stone, mathematician, University of Massachusetts. The awards received little public attention because of an apparent crossing of signals between the Office of Science & Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation. Spokesmen for both agencies say they believed the other was assigned to handle the publicity, so hardly anyone in Washington knew about the awards until a day before the ceremony. D
Celanese to take over all of Fiber Industries The second largest U.S. polyester fiber enterprise, Fiber Industries, is about to come under complete U.S. ownership. Celanese is buying out its 25-year partner, Imperial Chemical Industries of the U.K. The move represents a rare major investment in fibers by a U.S. firm and could be a coup for Celanese if polyester continues its strong current rebound (see page 11). Fiber Industries was set up in 1958 as a 50-50 joint venture. Celanese acquired an additional 12.5% in the early 1960s, leaving ICI with a 37.5% interest. Fiber Industries has an estimated annual capacity of about 1.2 billion lb. Celanese will pay ICI about $119 in cash for that 37.5% share. The sale, which has been approved by both boards of directors, is expected to become effective on June 1. The agreement provides for a continuing liaison on polyester polymer and fiber technology. ICI also will continue to supply Fiber Industries with part of its ethylene glycol requirements. John D. Macomber, chairman and chief executive officer of Celanese, says the decision to take over the entire venture reaffirms the compa-
ny's commitment to core fibers businesses where Celanese has market and quality leadership. N. Brian Smith, ICI director with responsibility for the Americas, explains his company's decision to sell this way: "The fibers interests of Celanese in the U.S. and ICI in Europe have developed in different ways, and we have found that our interest in Fiber Industries had increasingly become a financial investment rather than an integrated part of our North American business." ICI says it probably will reinvest much of the money from the sale of Fiber Industries in the U.S. Possibilities for investment include polyester film and specialty chemicals such as pesticides, biocides, and pharmaceuticals. ICI is Europe's leading producer of nylon fiber, but the firm has been getting out of bulk polyester fiber operations in the past few years. It will continue to produce specialty polyester fibers worldwide, however. Last year ICI lost about $43.8 million on worldwide fiber operations. Celanese was more fortunate in 1982, when its fiber operations manMay 30, 1983 C&EN
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