refraction along both sides of the junction confine laser light within the plane of the junction. The light is modulated by varying a reverse bias voltage to the junction. Bell is studying other light-modulating materials, including barium titanate and lithium niobate.
istry." Dr. Rose's citation reads, "for the discovery of the essential amino acid threonine and for subsequent brilliant studies elucidating the qualitative and quantitative amino acid requirements of man and of animals." Dr. Eyring is being honored, in the words of the President, "for contributions to our understanding of the structure and properties of matter, especially for his creation of absolute rate theory, one of the sharpest tools in the study of rates of chemical reaction."
LBJ names 11 science medalists Three chemists were among 11 U.S. scientists and engineers named by President Johnson over the Christmas weekend to receive the 1966 National Medal of Science. The chemists are Dr. Fritz A. Lipmann, professor of biochemistry, Rockefeller University; Dr. William C. Rose, professor emeritus of chemistry, University of Illinois; and Dr. Henry Eyring, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and former dean of the graduate school, University of Utah. (Dr. Eyring is also a Past-President of ACS.)
Dr. Henry Eyring Absolute rate theory
Dr. Fritz Lipmann Structure of modern biochemistry
More olefins for the Midwest? Dr. William C. Rose Amino acid requirements
The National Medal of Science—established by Congress in 1959—is the highest tribute the Federal Government can pay to distinguished scientific and engineering achievement. It is awarded each year on the basis of recommendations of the President's committee on the National Medal of Science, which is headed by Dr. H. E. Carter of the University of Illinois. Four of the 11 awards were for outstanding achievements in the biological sciences, the same number in the physical sciences, two in the engineering sciences, and one in mathematics. The four medalists in biological sciences are Dr. Edward F. Knipling, director of the Department of Agriculture's entomology research division; Dr. Lipmann, Dr. Rose, and Dr. Sewall Wright, professor emeritus of genetics, University of Wisconsin. Engineering sciences medalists are Dr. Claude E. Shannon, Donner Professor of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Dr. Vladimir K. Zworykin, honorary vice president, Radio Corporation of America. Dr. John W. Milnor, professor of mathematics at Princeton University, is the sole medalist in the mathematical sciences. Physical sciences medalists, in addition to Dr. Eyring, are Dr. Jacob A. Bonnevie Bjerknes, professor of meteorology, UCLA; Dr. Subrahmanyan Chandraeskhar, professor of theoretical astrophysics, University of Chicago; and Dr. John H. Van Vleck, Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, Harvard University. Dr. Lipmann was cited by the President for "original discoveries of molecular mechanisms for the transfer and transformation of energy in living cells, and for contributions to the conceptual structure of modern biochem-
A clue to a resurging interest in a new midwestern olefins complex may be Northern Natural Gas' proposed acquisition of Mineral Industries, Inc., a large formulator and marketer of ethylene glycol antifreeze (C&EN, Dec. 26, page 17). Herbert M. Sampson, Northern's vice president of corporate development, points out that acquisition of Mineral Industries, with its marketing abilities, will add a new direction to Northern's long-range plans for growth. That direction could be chemicals. In view of Mr. Sampson's background (he is a former sales vice president for Northern) and the Mineral Industries acquisition, the method Northern plans to use could be different—establish markets first, not build production plants first. A move into ethylene chemicals and, subsequently, into making ethylene—with or without a p a r t n e r could fit well into Northern's operations. The company is a large transporter of natural gas, up to 2.3 billion cu. ft. on a peak day. Northern also has available large quantities of ethane, the material of choice for making ethylene. With only minor additions to its Bushton, Kan., plant, which extracts propane and heavier gas liquids, Northern could recover well over 600,000 gallons per day of ethane from the 900 million cu. ft. of gas processed daily. This quantity of ethane alone is about half that needed to feed an ethylene unit with a capacity of about 500 million pounds per year. More ethane could come from greater recovery (at higher cost) at Bushton, Mr. Sampson says. Economics of ethane recovery and its value in making ethylene would determine the quantities of ethane actually recovered. Current technology of oil absorption and refrigeration could economically recover enough ethane to supply a billion pound-per-year ethylene plant, assuming Northern's raw natural gas has at least a gallon of ethane in 1000 cu. ft. JAN.
2, 1967 C&EN
13
