Industrial Research Laboratories of the United States, Including

JOURNAL OF CHEM [ICAL EDUCATION. A m , 1931 added certa'i unit processes to their text such as crystallization, mixing, conveying, and weighing...
2 downloads 0 Views 1MB Size
776

JOURNAL OF CHEM[ICAL EDUCATION

added certa'i unit processes to their text such as crystallization, mixing, conveying, and weighing. These subjects were not in the older text and are a welcome addition. Under the heading "Transportation of Fluids" is considerable practical knowledge involving pipe fittings, valves, and pumps. This information, of course, was available before, but not in as concise and interesting a form. The authors have given considerable description of various types of equipment, for example, under "Flow of Heat" they speak of several dzerent kinds of heaters; under "Evaporation" they describe not only the various evaporator designs but also evaporator accessories. Under ''Extraction." Dorr agitators, Dorr thickeners, and diffusion batteries are treated; under "Filtration" considerable space is spent in describing the various types of filters, and the same thing is true in the chapters on "Mixing," "Crushing and Grinding," "Size Separation," in fact in practically all of the chapters of the book. In brief, Professors Badger and McCabe should be congratulated on accomplishing exactly what they hoped to accomplish; that is, an elementary text on chemical engineering. I t is interesting to note that the physical unit operations of chemical engineering are growing more and more numerous. T h e chemical unit operations such as combustion, neutralization, snlfonation. nitration, etc., are also attracting the attention of the chemical engineer. The time may come when certain biological unit processes will be of importance to the chemical engineer. At the present time many of our famous and successful chemical engineers are those who are familiar not only with the methods of applications of chemistry, physics, and mathematics, but also the methods of applications of other sciences. Badger and McCabe's book indicates very nicely that chemical engineering, after all is not confined to the applica-

A m , 1931

tion of a science or a particular portion of a science but has to do largely with the application of many sciences to industrial problems. D. B. KEYES UNIVBBSITY 0. ILLrNOIS URBAN*, I L L ~ O I S

Industrial Research Laboratories of the United States, Including Consulting Research Laboratories. Bulletin of the National Research Council, Number 81, January. 1931. Compiled by CLARENCE J. WEST and CALLIEHULLfor the Research Information Service of the Council. Fourth edition, Publication Office, National Research Council, Wasbington, D. C., 1931. 267 pp. 17 X 25 cm. 52.00. The pr-nt, the fourth, revision of this useful list is illustrative of the growth of industrial research in this country since 1927. It shows a 60 per cent increase in the laboratories listed over those in the third edition (more than 1600 laboratories are included in this fourth edition as compared with about 1000 in the pre. ceding edition). The material in the comprehensive alphahetical list relates to 1620 different companies and h s ; it occupies 194 pages of the bulletin, and embraces the name and address of each organization,the principal products manufactured, the location of the laboratory, the size of the research staff, and usually a concise description of the nature of the investigational work conducted. This iuformation was gleaned by a questionnaire that was sent to every known American industrial research laboratory, exclusive of laboratories connected with federal, state, or municipal or with . governments, . educational institutions. Accordingly the Bureau of Standards is not listed. Most concerns which are not actually snpporting laboratories in their own plants have not been included, nor have most of the assmiations sustaining scholarships or fellowships in universities. The list of laboratories is followed by three other sections: (1) addresses of directors of research (pp. 20142); (2) geographical distribution of laboratories

VOL.8, NO. 4

RECENT BOOKS

777

I t is to he hoped that such inaccuracies (pp. 242-51); and (3) subject classification of laboratory activities (pp. 251and lack of balance will be finally elimi67). The first of these supplemental nated in the fifth edition. The eomsections was not compiled with expected piled obligations in the next revision care; the other two sections are more would be greatly facilitated if their work could be supwised by an advisory board satisfactory. viewing i t in its entirety, this bulletill of specialists thoroughly acquainted with and almostindispensable the province of industrial research. The holds an unique place among reference directories. ~ t s importance of the subject would surely principal defect is the evidence of the justify this arrangement. This bulletin is of much interest to lack of critical editorial treatment that chemical educationists for the following is seen throughout the list of laboratories. =he answers to qllestians furnished by reasons: (1) Its subject classification of the directors of these establishments were laboratory activities enables the easy findproperly assumed to be correct in point ing of the names and addresses of sppecidists in the various branches of of fact; but the compilers should have exercised more license in editing these technology, from whom information. statements, so as to maintain uniform literature, and exhibits may be requested. style, accurate terminology, and desirable (2) Its section on the geog-raphical disillustrate: i t is not proper tribution of laboratories is of value in fairness. consultant has a planning industrial inspection trips for to say that a "wd-organized" staff, even though he students. (3) It is, in general, a helpful thinks so; it is also improper for the guide in aiding students to plan for their professional careers in the industries. I n compilers to give such prominent men. a product as occurs in the case of particular, i t provides the basic information tion that is needed in quests for industrial a well-known flour (on p. 82); the mis. positions for students and alumni. (4) spelling of a consultant's name is p a r titularly regrettable (8. g., see 644 on p. I t is a source-book of inspiring factual information and statistics regarding oppor88); one laboratory (a commercial es. tablishment) is said to have twelve ',ex. tunities for young chemists in the inpats" on its staff (spedalists are of dustries. W. A. HAMOR course referred to); and, in several M~LLON Iwsrrrms orr INovsrxr*r. ReseAnce instances, a control laboratory has been Prrrssuxon, PBNNA. clearly confused with a research laboratory. MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS Some of the Laboratory staffs of small Predicting the Scholastic Success of Colsize must be kept very busy indeed in lege Students. CHARLESW. ODELL, coping with the comparatively vast quanAssistant Director, Bureau of Educatity of investigational work that is retional Research, University of Illinois. ferred to. Most of the companies listed, Bulletin No. 52. Sept. 30, 1930. Pubhowever, have been modest in this relished by the University of Illinois, spect, and apparently only a very few of Urbana, Ill. 43 pp. I0 tables. 15 X them have made actual mis-statements 23 cm. $0.30. of fact in their answers. There is an error on p 75 (in item 564) and a similar This bulletin is the final report on a one on p. 113 (in item 868): Mellon study of a group of several thousand highInstitute has not been working in these school seniors in Illinois who have been fields for a number of years. Several followed through college or until they discontinued their collegiate training. prominent research laboratories are not included, but, in general, the list seems The collection of the data extended over a to be quite complete. period of five years.