ANALVTICAL CHEMISTRY
EDITORIAL
May 1957, Vol. 29, No. 5 APPLIED JOURNALS, ACS Direcfor of Publications, C. B. Larrabee Editorial Direcfor, Wolter J. Murphy Executive Editor, James M. Crowe Production Manager, Joseph H. Kuney ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY Edifor, Lawrence T. Hallett Managing Editor, Robert 0. Gibbs EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON 6, D. C. 1 1 55 Sixteenth St., N.W. Phone Republic 7-5300 Associate Editors: G. Gladys Gordon, Stella Anderson, Ruth Cornette, Katherine I. Biggs, George B. Krantz Assisfanf Editors: Betty V. Kieffer, Sue Jones, Arthur Poulos Editorial Assistants: Ruth M. Howorth, A n n W. Knox, Eugenia Keller, Hanns 1. Sperr, Sue M. Sollidoy, Malvina B. Preiss, Marjorie A. Hindert, Ruth Reynard Staff Arfist, Melvin D. Buckner BRANCH EDITORIAL OFFICES CHICAGO 1, ILL. 86 East Randolph St. Phone State 2-7686 Associafe Editors: Kenneth M. Reese, Chester Placek Assistant Editor: Laurence J. White HOUSTON 2, TEX. 718 Melrose Bldg. Phone Fairfax 3-7107 Associafe Edifor: Bruce F. Greek NEW YORK 16, N. Y. Phone Oregon 9-1646 Associate Editors: William Q. Hull, Harry Sfenerson, Howard J. Sanders, D. Gray Weaver, Walter S. Fedor Assistant Editor: Morton Solkind
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Low-Cost Instrumentation IK.STRUMESTS used for analysis have always been expensive, often cost-
ing many thousands of dollars. Laboratories fortunate enough to have adequate funds have been able to justify such purchases because of the added information obtainable in no other way or the speed with which the determination can be carried out. Small laboratories and many small liberal arts colleges do not have such funds available. I n some instances colleges and universities have managed to obtain such equipment as gifts or a t bargain prices through private or government-sponsored projects started in MTorld War 11. The market for instruments selling for $10,000 to $100,000 is limited. Fortunately for the instrument maker, developments in simplified circuitry using miniature tubes, printed circuits, and transistors have permitted drastic reductions in the cost and size of instruments. This year we are seeing the fruition of many years and months of development to extend the market of instruments to those who cannot afford to spend more than $5000. Recent instrumental developments in the field of gas chromatography, infrared, and mass spectrography will be particularly useful to organic analysis. While these instruments do not have the resolution of their larger counterparts, they are adequate for 75y0of the samples run. These instruments, particularly infrared, were developed not only with the small laboratory and college and university in mind, but on the basis that these instruments will become a part of every organic research man's equipment, much as we mould formerly think of a pH meter as part of his equipment. The burdens of routine work in instrumental laboratories are certainly a problem. h i 1 too frequently the length of time required to get an analysis is frustrating. Often the results are received too late to be of value. There is much work where an elaborate curve is of little value in identification or where a reaction is follon-ed step by step by following the increase or decrease of a particular constituent through decrease or increase of a certain peak. Development of simplified, lorn-cost instruments will permit the main analytical laboratory to devote more time to special problems and research. However, we do not feel that such development should divorce and isolate the organic chemist from the main spectroscopy or other analytical group. He still needs their advice and counsel in interpretation of curves and preparation of samples. He still needs guidance to know when his problem requires the experience of the spectroscopist and the versatility of more expensive equipment. Now that relatively low-cost instruments of various types are within reach of many, we see a future for the application of instrumental methods of analysis to many specific determinations in which the instrument can be further simplified because the system to which it is applied contains few or controllable components. Such applications will be made by collaborative efforts of the instrument maker and the large laboratories equipped and staffed to envision such future applications. Certainly future growth in instrumental analysis seems destined to be phenomenal within the next few years. VOL. 29,
NO. 5, MAY 1957
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