EDUCATION five years h e conducted extensive research on a process for the separation of waxes from lubricating oil distillates. This work resulted in the selection of certain ketones as dewaxing solvents. A commercial plant using these solvents has been in operation ever since. In 1934, Strarford began the development of the suspensoid catalytic cracking process. A modification of his process produced the butylènes needed for the production of synthetic rubber at Polymer Corp. plant. Among the many other Imperial research programs supervised by Stratford have been experiments on the structure of greases, research into the nature and properties of asphalts, product quality control and specification for petroleum products, and the establishment of accurate chemical control methods in petroleum refining. In 1949, he received a doctor of science degree (honoris causa) from the University of Western Ontario. Queen's
University, Kingston, conferred on him a Doctor of Laws degree (honoris causa) in 1953. Stratford was made a member of the permanent council of the World Petroleum Congress in December 1950 and in the following September he became president of the Research Council of Ontario. In 1952, Stratford was appointed chairman of the Canadian section of the Society of Chemical Industry. It is Stratford's opinion that chemical societies owe more to the world than just contributions to science. He holds to the view that chemists in their cooperative capacity should make contributions in all fields in which they are competent to establish facts and express opinions. It is said of Stratford in problems where conflicts of interests as well as of opinion exist, h e exhibits complete integrity and sincerity of purpose. In short, he's a true scientist.
Alan F. Haught, top winner of the 13th annual national Science Talent Search. His project: spectrographic analysis of catalytic reactions
Edward P. Scanlon, winner of a $400 scholarship in the Science Talent Search. Scanlon demonstrated use of centrifugal force in chromatographic analysis
Finalists Display Science Talents Potential scientists Westinghouse scholarships A PREVIEW of the country's potential ·*** top scientists of tomorrow could be seen at the Statler, Washington, D. C , last week. Forty high school finalists in the 13th annual national Science Talent Search displayed their research projects. A grar ' total of $11,000 in Westinghouse scholarships was awarded. A sum of $2800 was awarded to the top winner, $2000 scholarship. 1036
of
tomorrow
compete
for
went to the runner-up, and $400 scholarships went to each of eight other prize contestants. The remaining 30 contestants received prizes of $100 each. Lucky top winner was Alan F. Haught of Bethesda, Md. His project was on the spectrographic determination of intermediate products in catalytic reactions. The young scientist
constructed the entire spectrograph himself, including all parts, with the ' exception of the grating. To hold solutions for spectroscopic analysis, he made several absorption cells with quartz and plates for transmission of ultraviolet light. Haught chose the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide for his experiment. Tests were m a d e with several salts as catalysts, ferric chloride and cupric chloride giving the most pronounced results. During reaction of ferric chloride solution with hydrogen peroxide a lavender color appeared. When reaction was complete, solution returned to its original yellow color. Haught also found that during the reaction of the solution with peroxide, there was considerably less transmission than with a solution of ferric chloride both prior to and after reaction was completed. Therefore, this suggested to Haught that an unstable intermediate was formed during the catalytic reaction. Runner-up to Haught was Everett C. Dade of Dover, N. H. Maurice D. Egger, Bakersfield, Calif, was named alternate to the second place winner. The eight contestants, including Egger, who received $400 awards were: Mary J. Kreek, Washington; Carolyn Merchant, Rochester, N . Y.; Armand Brumer, Brooklyn, Ν . Y.; E d w a r d P. Scanlon, Minneapolis; Charles F. Stroebel, Rochester, Minn.; Harold M. Ward, Evanston; and Marcian E. HoflF, Jr., Churchville, Ν. Υ. Other chemical exhibits included were HofFs project on the quantitative vapor phase of hydrogen and Scanlon's project in chromatographic analysis. Scanlon demonstrated a novel tech nique for chromatographic analysis. Dissatisfied with the slowness of the usual technique for paper partition chromatography, he conceived the idea of speeding it u p with centrifugal force. Scanlon's apparatus consists of a small induction motor which spins a glass plate. Moistened filter paper is p u t on the plate and the motor turned on to spin off excess moisture. Then h e applies the unknown solution to the paper. If there is a large amount of solution, Scanlon applies it at the cen ter while the plate is rotating. If only a small amount of solution is available, he applies it in small spots at some distance from the center while t h e disc is at rest, using a micro-pipet or a capillary tube. A developer is added at the center of the paper as it ( is spinning. Scanlon has prepared suc cessful chromatograms of copper ferrocyanide and cobalt ferrocyanide. H e was also able to show the presence of copper in a solution containing 20 times as much nickel as C0pper.
CHEMICALAND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
like the slide rule · · •
Goucher Holds Science Conference On April 2 and 3 , Goucher College will dedicate their new Hoffberger science building b y holding a conference on Perspectives in Science on their Towson campus, Baltimore. Featured speakers will b e Allen V. Astin, director, Bureau of Standards, and Helen B. Taussig, associate professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins medical school. Symposia are scheduled in the biological sciences, physical sciences, and mathematics.
Sodium Borohydride has become a proven tool for the Steroid Chemist
U of Michigan Gives Courses In A u t o m a t i c Control University of Michigan, college of engineering, is offering t w o intensive courses in automatic control. T h e first is scheduled for June 14 to 19, inclusive, and the second for June 21 t o 23, inclusive. T h e courses are built around t h e principles a n d application of measurement, communication, and control. Course 1 will consist of the fundamentals in each of these fields and will include some fundamental work in nonlinear systems. Course 2 will take u p applications of t h e fundamentals t o more advanced problems. Extensive use will b e made of computing a n d instrumentation to serve laboratories on the campus. The role of analog computing methods will b e emphasized. April 15 is the closing date for registration. Further information m a y b e obtained b y writing to M. H. Nichols, Room 1523, East Engineering Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
swiftly, safely and easily.
Ford Foundation G r a n t s $25 Million f o r Education
makes possible desired molecular configurations
Sodium Borohydride has proven to be utterly unique in carrying out specific, simple, one-sfef> reductions of keto groups to hydroxy groups
Metal Hydrides' Sodium Borohydride often
Ford Foundation recently awarded $25 million to its subsidiary, the F u n d for t h e Advancement of Education. The grant is said to be the largest single one in t h e foundation's history. T h e grant will be used for clarification of t h e functions of education, improvement of curriculum, improvement in teaching, and improvement of educational management and reduction of inequalities in educational opportunities. Ford educational funds are used primarily for experimental purposes. T h e foundation does not engage in the traditional type of activities such as contributing to endowments, buildings, programs, or operating expenses of institutions. One of t h e programs that the Ford educational fund has been used for is a scholarship program in New Mexico. The purpose of the program was t o d e termine whether persons from lower V O L U M E
3 2, N O . 1 1
»
» M A R C H
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EDUCATION. economic groups w h o would not nor mally go to college w o u l d m a k e good if sent to college. Another program concerned a state wide experiment in Arkansas t h a t would revise the m e t h o d of public school teacher training by making five years of higher education available to potential teachers.
NO MORE ARGUING ABOUT LUBRICANTS
MOLYKOTE TOPS T H E M ALL • • •
I N CHEMICAL AND THERMAL STABILITY ANTI-SEIZING PROPERTIES TEMPERATURE RANGE F R O M - 1 0 0 ° TO I I O O 0 F.
THE ALPHA CORPORATION 179 Hamilton Ave. ·
Greenwich, Conn.
Nicholson Steam Traps
CUT HEAT CYCLE 40% Primarily to solve the freeze-up problem on their jacketed kettles, an Eastern processor replaced mechanical traps with Nicholson thermostatic units. But, in addi tion, they found heating time was shortened 4 0 % . Credit is given the higher, more even temperatures which Nicholson traps effect. 5 types: size VA" to 2 " ; pressures
to 250 lbs.
BULLETIN I 853
luHmCHOLSONHS TRAPS VALVES FLOATS 1 8 6 O r e g o n St., WiIkes-Bane, P a .
1038
A v e r a g e S t a r t i n g Salaries of NT Engineering Grads Reach Peak Average starting salaries of January engineering graduates at Illinois Insti tute of Technology reached an all-time high of $ 3 7 3 per m o n t h this year—an increase of $ 3 2 over a year ago a n d $ 1 1 more t h a n last June. T h e average is based on a survey of midyear engineering graduates. T h e figures are for students receiving a bachelor's degree and planning to work a 40-hour week. Chemical engineering graduates re ceived t h e most lucrative starting sala ries, with an average of $394, compared to the J a n u a r y 1953 figure of $327. Atlas Powder Gives College Scholarships f o r Science Students Atlas P o w d e r h a s set u p eight $1000 college scholarships for science stu d e n t s . T h e awards will go to students w h o will b e seniors d u r i n g t h e 1954 to 1955 college year, majoring in chem istry, physics, or any branch of engi neering. T h e program, initially b e i n g proposed to 40 colleges and universi ties, will be administered by t h e Atlas committee o n scholarships. Successful candidates also will h a v e a chance to gain practical experience by summer work, between their junior and senior years, in o n e of Atlas' twelve plants or with an Atlas technical field representative. Pay for summer work will be in addition to t h e $1000 scholarship. U N E S C O Recruits f o r V a c a n t University Posts United Nations Educational, Scien tific, a n d Cultural Organization has been asked b y universities a n d research institutions for assistance in recruiting suitable candidates for the following vacant posts. Teaching language is in dicated in parenthesis. BURMA. Professors of agronomic chemistry a n d soil chemistry. Agro nomic Research and T e a c h i n g Institute, Rangoon (Knglish). Professors of pharmacology. Medical school, Rangoon ( E n g l i s h ) . ISRAEL. Professors of physical chem istry; metallurgy. Technion-lsrael In stitute of Technology, Haifa ( G e r m a n or English ) . Candidates with knowl e d g e of Hebrew given preference. CHEMICAL
Professor of pharmacology. Medical School, University of Jersusalern (Ger m a n or E n g l i s h ) . Preference to candi dates with knowledge of H e b r e w ; Mosaic religion not required. LIBERIA. Professor of chemistry. University of Monrovia ( E n g l i s h ) . PAKISTAN. Professor of chemistry. University of Peshawar ( E n g l i s h ) . Those interested are invited to write to the Exchange of Persons Programme of U N E S C O , 19 Avenue Kleber, Paris 16E, France. N a v y Engineers Learn Editorial Techniques A course in writing a n d editing tech nical reports is u n d e r w a y at t h e U . S. Naval Engineering Station, Annapolis, M d . Students aren't b e i n g taught merely h o w to write, b u t rather h o w to edit and h o w to judge good writing. The course is being given to t o p en gineers a n d supervisors. John L . Kent, Washington science a n d industry cor respondent for several technical periodi cals, will give t h e course. Course is to r u n 15 sessions. About 8 0 engineers a n d supervisors, split into two classes, will get instruction once a week. U of N o r t h C a r o l i n a Holds Science Symposium On March 29 at 3:00 P . M . , University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, will hold a symposium in honor of C . A. Coulson, Rouse-Ball professor of m a t h e matics at t h e University of Oxford. RICHARD H. K N I P E .
Duke
Univer
sity. Semiempirical Calculation of the τΓ-Moment of Some Halogen-Substi tuted Benzenes. VIRGINIA
GRIFFING.
Catholic
Uni
versity. Molecular Orbital Theory and Chemical Reactivity. HANS JAFFE.
University
of
North
Carolina. A topic in Molecular Orbital Theory a n d Chemical Reactivity. On t h e same evening at 8:00 P . M . , Coulson will lecture on hyperconjugation. O n Friday evening, April 2, h e will discuss the nature of ττ-binding. O n the evenings of March 30, 3 1 , a n d April 1, he will discuss t h e relationship b e tween religion a n d science.
• The 1954 summer session at Lowell Technological Institute, Lowell, Mass., will feature a professional a d v a n c e m e n t program. T h e program ν ill consist of eigM specialized courses to b e p r e sented for one-, two-, a n d three-week periods depending upon t h e course during the period of June 15 to July 16, 1954. Courses of interest a r e t h e tex tile workshop, textile testing, a n d fabrics. AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
