Rooms, where testing requires use of open flames feature ceilings with thousands of small holes through which fresh, cool, draftfree air is brought in. Ceilings in the rest of the building consist of soundproofing materials
Gulf Oil's new testing laboratory features a light brick exterior and projecting concrete slabs to reduce the sun's glare. The building, started in March 1954, was completed 18 months later
LABORATORY OF THE MONTH
• Gulf Oil Completes New Testing Laboratory HEN GULF OIL Corp.'s testing program grew to the stage Wwhere 1000 samples of finished and semifinished products were
As many as 75,000 samples are stored in the sample retaining room. To handle these efficiently, a unique type of lifting machine hoists trays of bottles to the shelves
V O L U M E 28, NO. 1, J A N U A R Y
1956
being received each day, a decision was made to build a new testing laboratory at the 3700-acre Port Arthur, Tex., refinery. The L-shaped structure is 162 feet long and has a 192-foot extension to the rear. The front portion of the light brick structure is two stories high. It has offices and a machinery room on the first floor, while the second floor is devoted to a large conference room equipped to project films or slides, a well-furnished lunch room, locker and rest rooms, and a fan room. The rear extension, one story high, houses the testing areas. The new laboratory replaces an older one and has also absorbed the paraffin and catalyst testing laboratories which had been located in three laboratories \vithin the refinery. With the exception of the testing area, which has special plastic tile, the floors are covered with asphalt tile. Air conditioning is used throughout the building except for the fan, sample-retain, and bottlewashing rooms. Fluorescent lighting is used everywhere except in the hallways where the lights are recessed behind frosted glass panels. Piping, which runs through the floor, and electrical conduits, which (Continued on next page) 41 A
L A B O R A T O R Y OF THE M O N T H
i Floor to ceiling picture windows are used extensively in the new building. Hallways are finished in light red roman brick with matching mortar. Other interior surfaces are of glazed structural tile
New Testing Laboratory
(continued)
run in the ceiling, are accessible through special removable covers. E a c h testing bench has all utilities: water, distilled water, gas, steam, air, oxygen, electricity, a n d v a c u u m . Higher speed, closer tolerances, and greater power of modern engines plus increasing use of additives place exacting dem a n d s on the manufacturer of gasoline, oil, and related products. This, in turn, calls for extensive and rigidly controlled testing. T h e 1000 samples of products received each d a y m a y be subjected to as m a n y as 70 tests. M a n y tests are simple and require a minimum of time, while others m a y t a k e 4 days to complete. Old sample bottles, ranging in size from vials to 5 gallons, are washed, dried, a n d sterilized a t t h e r a t e of 50 a m i n u t e in the bottle washing room.
W a x samples are prepared prior to determination of tensile strength, one of 7 0 varied tests performed on finished and semifinished products
Still samples of lubricating oil are tested for in this operation. Other tests on oil include flash, pour, and color. Gasoline is tested for gravity, color, distillation, and vapor
viscosity gravity, similarly pressure
Stainless steel is used extensively in laboratory benches as it resists action of petroleum products and petroleum solvents, because it does not crack or chip readily, and because it can be repaired or fabricated in Gulf's own shops into large seamless pieces 42 A
ANALYTICAL
CHEMISTRY
