Chemical Education Today
From Past Issues
Color by…Chemists! Kathryn R. Williams
If you think that color is a recent addition to the interior of JCE, then take a look at “Growth in the Dyestuffs Industry: The Application of Science to Art” by R. E. Rose, in the September 1926 issue (1). There you will see pages embellished with postage-stamp rectangles of brightly colored cloth—each tinted with the synthetic dye being described. Protected in the 21/2-inch thickness of volume three, these little patches are still as bright as they were in 1926. Immediately preceding the article is the monthly Editor’s Outlook (2), which focuses on the “crisis” in education. According to Editor Neil Gordon, “While there is still talk of liberal education and general culture, by far the greater number of students register in specialized courses made up in turn of sub-specialized subjects.” One possible remedy is “to present new subject matter with the aid of some historical background.” Gordon cites the dye industry as a means of illustration. Gordon’s editorial serves as a preamble to Rose’s article, which colorfully traces the development of synthetic dyes from the first “accidental find” of picric acid in 1771. The account emphasizes the interplay of the increasing knowledge of organic chemistry with commercial investments and applications. The October and November 1926 issues contain additional articles on the dyestuff industry, both by R. Norris Shreve. “The Dye Industry in America” (3) emphasizes the rapid growth in the U.S. industry, which prior to “the great war” produced only 10% of the country’s needs, the rest having been imported from Germany. Coal tar distillates—benzene, toluene, naphthalene and phenol—were important intermediates in the production of munitions as well as dyes. Citing in particular the allies’ pressing need for toluene to make TNT, Shreve states, “All this would be remedied in case of a well-developed dye industry, for it would mean in times of peace that there would be installed the coke ovens and distilling plants which produce this essential toluene.” A second paper by Shreve, “An Outline of the Dye Industry” (4), gives a more technical overview of dye classification, synthesis, and use. Shreve again makes note of the rapid growth in U.S. production “made possible by persistent and systematic research work ably supported by far-seeing business men and applied by skilled chemical engineers.”
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Dyes and dyeing have been recurrent themes in JCE, dating back to two articles on biological stains in 1925 (5, 6 ). Readers interested in learning more about early history, natural pigments, and dyeing techniques may seek out several papers published in the 1940s and ’50s (7–12). More recent articles include a variety of undergraduate experiments on the synthesis, chromatographic separation, and spectra of dyes. An online search under the keyword “dye” yields a total of 57 articles since the Journal’s inception. Still, in my opinion, the most fascinating of these publications is the 1926 work by Rose (1). Admittedly, this is partly owing to the brightly colored patches mentioned above. But although these will capture your eye, it is the text itself that will hold your attention through more than 35 pages. Throughout the historical descriptions, you will be continually reminded of the “more things change…” adage. Especially timely and eloquent are the final two paragraphs, which are quoted in their entirety in the box below. Literature Cited 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Rose, R. E. J. Chem. Educ. 1926, 3, 973–1007. Gordon, N. E. Ibid., 969–972. Shreve, R. N. Ibid., 1128–1132. Shreve, R. Norris Ibid., 1259–1270. Conn, H. J. J. Chem. Educ. 1925, 2, 184. Conn, H. J. Ibid., 753. Webb, H. A. J. Chem. Educ. 1942, 19, 460–470. Caley, E. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1946, 23, 314–316. Bender, M. J. Chem. Educ. 1947, 24, 2–10. Decelles, C. J. Chem. Educ. 1949, 26, 583–587. Farnsworth, M. J. Chem. Educ. 1951, 28, 72–76. Levey, M. J. Chem. Educ. 1955, 32, 625–629.
If something from a JCE from decades past strikes your fancy, consider letting other readers know. Write it up for the From Past Issues page. Send your ideas or submissions to Kathryn R. Williams, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P. O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL 32611-7200, email:
[email protected].
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 76 No. 2 February 1999 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
Chemical Education Today
Growth of the Dyestuffs Industry: The Application of Science to Art (1 )
This short account does not do justice to the great story of the development of the chemistry of dyestuffs and its application to human needs. It does not do justice to the perseverance, the endurance, the brilliance of those who advanced this realm of industry. One fact should stand out and that is that the growth of this industry, resting on profound chemical knowledge, has been more stimulated by the rare genius of those who create, either in theory or in practice, than by any other factor. It is true that success, as in every industry, has come of good management, good fortune, wise financial development, and business foresight, but, nevertheless, it is equally true that the great advances which have measured the financial success of dyestuff corporations have actually been based on the efforts of those who created new knowledge. Perhaps it will be clear, from what has been said, that the secret of the creator is to spare no effort in gaining a profound, an intimate knowledge of his subject, though frequently this may mean a waste of money and time utterly at variance with good business practice. Actually it is true that an investment in fundamental knowledge is intangible but at the same time it is the most important investment of all in the field of dyestuffs and in every other.
The days of the pioneers are never over in scientific development and there is the same call for genius now that there was when the dyestuff business was in its infancy. The world always needs those who create. —R. E. Rose J. Chem. Educ. 1926, 3, 1006
J. Chem. Educ. 1926, 3, 985
J. Chem. Educ. 1926, 3, 999
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 76 No. 2 February 1999 • Journal of Chemical Education
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