CLASS EXERCISES in the INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY COURSE* KENNETH A. KOBE University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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Research and Product Development
"T
HE price of progress is research, which alone assures the security of dividends," is the statement of Arthur D. Little," who points out the necessity of research in a progressive industry. The student has no idea of how research is carried out in the large commercial organization. It is desirable that he have a knowledge of the size and operation of a research and development department and its relation to the production and sales divisions of the company. Since the work of the research staff results in patents,, the student may follow their work by the patents assigned to the c ~ m p a n y . ' ~Thus a knowledge of patents and patent sources will be secured.
it has a patent monopoly? Upon what processes does i t have a patent monopoly? Are the products patented now being produced by the company? Are they sold under trade names? All statements and conclusions are illustrated by references to the patents. LITERATURE SOURCES
The history of the company gives some idea of its advancement to its present position. Information can be secured from Moody's "Manual of Investments," or possibly the company's history has been the subject of a review in the American Chemical Industries section of Industrial and Engineerng Chemistry. The personnel and general lines of research carried THE ASSIGNMENT on by the research department are given in National It is pointed out to the student that all progressive Research Council Bulletin 91, "Industrial Research companies have research and development .divisions Laboratories of the United States." for the purpose of discovering and developing new prodThe student is informed that patents of a chemical ucts and for the improvement of existing processes for nature are abstracted in Chemical Abstracts. They are more economical operation. New products or proc- listed in the author index under the name of the patesses are generally patented to secure the monopoly entee and also under the name of the assignee. This which the government gives in return for an adequate allows the student to secure a brief abstract of each disclosure. One company or group of related com- chemical patent which has'$een assigned to the companies is assigned to each student for investigation, pany on which he is reporting. He must then turn to such as: the Patent Gazette where he will find an index which 1. Atlantic Relining Co. 9. Carbide & Carbon Chemi- includes patentee and assignee by name. This will give a complete list of all patents assigned to the com2. CnmrnerriaI m 1.. i.. Corn -. -.-~~-~--~ - So~vent. ~ ~ -~ -..-. 3. Eastman Kodak Co. 10. Monsanto Chemical works pany, and iisted under th; patent number he will find 4. D m Chemical Co. 11: New Jersey Zinc Co. a typical claim of that patent.- In order that the stu5. B. F. Goodrich Co. 12. Gorp. & dent may know how to obtain a copy of a patent it is 6. Seldon Ca. and Seldon ReDevelopment Co. well to have him obtain one from the Commissioner 13. Rohm and Haas Co. search & Ena. Corn. 7. Hercules PoGder CO. 14. Grasselli Chemical Co. of Patents. 8. International Nickel Co. 15. Newport Chemical Corp. The research divisions of some of the larger companies 16. American Cyanamid Co. have been the subject of some special articles appearing chemical publications, as, for example, the ~ ~ ~for thet report ~ may ~ be given, ~ t mo i is ~in various ~ ~ the research diredor ,,f the company? what is the Eastman Kodak Co.18 Other companies have depersonnel af the research staff? what are the general scribed their research activities in company bulletins, lines of research being undertaken? promthe patents sometimes available in city libraries. Advertisements granted to the company show the lines of research and ~nthe technical journals, "Chemical Engineering Catadevelopment being undertaken. Are,the patents proc- log," and advertising pamphlets show the student the ess, machine, manufacture, or product patents? products that are being sold and their trade names. upon which It is usually necessary to show the students how to what products does this company arrange their patent abstracts into various groups. * For previous articles on this subject, see J. C m x . EDI~c.,10, =he petroleum industry an example 679-81 (Nav., 1933): 73840 (Dec., 1933). LITTLE, "The handwriting on the wau," ckm. & ~ ~EXZ., f . when crude oil is distilled and the products treated in 32, 6 7 M (1925). various ways, by-products converted into valuable ma" ROSSLUN. "Patents and research." Chcm. Markets, 28, 373-6 (1931); GROSVENOR, "The seeds of progress." ibrd., 24,23-6 38 CL-, "Eastman chemical research," Ths Ckmirt, 9,
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1P30 (Jan., 1932).
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stored up in the patent literature and to enable him to use it intelligently. Only actual contact with the sources will impress them upon his memory; it is not sufficient to tell him where to go and what to do. I t is refreshing to read the conclusions of the student's reports, as the following one for a company that changed management some time ago may illustrate. PATENTS AND SEARCHES " ~ -h- ~- Co. has an excellent research staff, This exercise has taught the student very little con- capable of meeting problems which arise in making cerning just what a patent is, of what it consists, or their products and of findmg new uses for them as any how it is obtained. The industrial chemistry course moderately progressive research staff should do. The is not the place to teach the student patent formulation. fact remains, however, that nothing of great importance However, by a series of questions he can he asked to has been accomplished. No classical or thoroughly indicate on the patent he has purchased the essential fundamental process has been established by this parts of the patent and the difference in the individual company. It is true that world-shaking discoveries claims of the patent. He may be asked to investigate are not made every day, but a company that has existed the prior art on the subject as found in the Patent for ninety-three years should have a process of imporGazette for the precedmg five years. By reference to tance exclusively its own. Puttering along with the Ro~sman'~ the student can find information concerning same old chemicals and keeping just abreast, or a t least the available sources of patent literature concerning not far ahead of their competitors yields good monetary returns but it is not advancing the industry as much as the prior art. it might." This student had carefully analyzed the CONCLUSIONS company and its work and found it to be wanting. The entire purpose of the exercise is to familiarize A visit to the plant of this company leaves the same the student with the great mass of useful knowledge impression. terials, and special combmations made for speical purposes. The chemical flow-sheet gives a system to which the patents can be attached to show the various phases of the process which are being attacked by the research department or how various materials are being combined to form a new product.
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Advertisements and rNanufacfurersJ Bulletins
The student who reads the technical periodifals neering, and Industrial & Engineering Chemistry a list will read of developments in the production of indus- of organic chemicals that have been recently announced trial chemicals. Usually the descriptions in the maga- and concerning which no process description has apzines are of the plant or process for the production of peared in any of the journals. Each student is asseveral related chemicals. As these descriptions are signed one compound. He is asked to report briefly never given until operation has been successfully the manufacturer or manufact~ets,probable method carried on for some years, even the technical articles of synthesis used, chemical and physical properties, do not keep the reader abreast of technical develop- uses of this material, and advantages that the manufacments. It is necessary that the advertisements for turer claims for this product over other materials for technical products be perused so that new arrivals are the same purpose. Such a list of chemicals is given. noted. Since i t is axiomatic that chemicals are de9. Maleic acid veloped to he sold, the advertisements will announce 1. Monoamylamine 10. Amyl mircaptan 2. Ethyl lactate the availability of new products. A n e v process may 3. Ethyl oxyhetyrate 11. Trichlorethylene he developed that will produce a well-known chemical 4. Dionan 12. Diethylene glycol 13. Diethyl oxalate a t a sufficientlylow price so that i t can be purchased in 5. Triethanolamine 14. Crotonaldehyde commercial lots, or invade new fields of utilization. 6. Methyl cycloheaanone Dimethyl ether 15. p-Dichlorobenzene Such occurrences are especially frequent in the field 7. 8. n-Propand 16. Dibutyl phthalate of organic chemicals, where new processes make available in commercial lots chemicals that have been known As this exercise was developed for industrial organic to the organic chemist for a long time. chemistry, the list is made up of organic compounds. In order to impress upon the student the fact that However i t need not he confined to these, as some inthe advertisements carry the first announcements of organic chemicals have recently been announced to chemical products, an exercise has been used which will he available in commercial quantities; e. g., zinc force the student to search the advertisements and use hydrosulfite, calcium hypochlorite, calcium peroxide, manufacturers' bulletins as the sources of material and others. for his report. INFORMATION SOURCES
THE ASSIGNMENT
The instructor can take from the advertising pages of Chemical Markets, Chemical b Metallureical Enpi"Rossaam, "The law of patents for chemists," Inventors
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Publishing Co., Washington, D. C., 1932.
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By paging over the advertisements the student will find the manufacturers. The advertisement may give suggested uses for the chemical and advantages of this product over others in use. The student may find it necessary to write to the manufacturer for his descrip-
tive bulletin giving the properties, uses, and advantages of this chemical. It was found that all companies very willingly sent such descriptive material to the students. The student may have difficulty in determining the probable method of synthesis. His first attempt is to turn to his organic text, where he finds a laboratory method of synthesis for a general class of compounds. If i t is pointed out to him that such a method is not practical on a commercial scale, he will turn to other sources. A description of the plant of the manufacturing company, or of some related product made by the same company. gives a clue as to the raw materials used. Possibly a search of Chemical Abstracts for
patents covering processes for producing the compound will give the method of synthesis. Usually the student's imagination will be stimulated enough that, lacking other information, he will propose several possible methods. CONCLUSIONS
The assignment must be made from four to six weeks from the date on which the report is due, so that the student will have time to correspond with the manufacturer. The inclusion of such bulletins or letters is made a part of the report. The students are very much interested in the method of synthesis and will make a diligent search to find the method used.
