LETTERS Chemical Rate Control Sir: The thought-provoking editorial by Joseph Haggin on “Chemical Rate Control” in your April issue raises a philosophical point of considerable significance to the future of our profession. In my experience this reaction equipment design or as he calls it “Chemical Rate ControlJ’ is the most important and most difficult problem ever presented to the chemical engineer working for the process industries. What makes it even more difficult for the recent graduate seems to be that most chemical engineering professors apparently know so little about the subject and, even worse, show so little interest in it. Only industry knows much about it and usually it is a well guarded secret, even after it is no longer of value to the particular organization. Many years ago I tried, for my students, to pry some reactor design data from a friend of mine with one of the major chemical companies. His reply was, “Don, why don’t you bring in some truckers and ask for the company safe?” Perhaps times have changed since those days, but I doubt it. The solving of these major chemical engineering problems requires a long time, much energy, and lots of money-so why should such data be given to professors to scatter among students and one’s competitors? My answer is simple-it has to be, if you want the academic world to become interested in industry. Perhaps the best way to do this is to follow the suggestion of Dr. R. L. Kenyon (editorial, CHEN, April 4, 1966), to give the best of industrial designers full-time leave to teach in our universities. They should remember that their chief duty is to stimulate interest in these major problems among the academic staff, rather than to show the students how
superior their knowledge is comparec to the staff’s. Never forget thc regular staff are, and probably alway will be, better teachers than thc cleverest of industrial designers. I am told this exchange of de signers and professors between thc petroleum industry and the univer sities in the Bay Region of Californil has been tried and has proved profit able for both parties. I suggest tha much more of it should be done. D. B. KEYE? New York, N. Y
ADVANCES IN CHEMISTRY SERIES 47
FUEL CELL SYSTEMS Theory and technology of fuel cell systems are developed in 25 papers from symposia sponsored by the American Chemical Society’s Division of Fuel Chemistry, including such topics as:
Dimensionless GroupsO v e r r u n s Available The tabulation of dimensionless groups which appeared in our March issue (page 46) is n o w available to anyone requesting it from the Editor. The 210 roups represent the most complete colfection of published roups ever assembled and i s the first for those appearing in the Soviet literature. This article will serve as a valuable teaching tool as w e l l as a ready reference for teachers and students and for placement in personal files.
Fuel cells for submarines and satellites Molten carbonate fuel cells Theory of polarization of porous electrodes Olefins and paraffin fuels Solid-state fuel cells A coal-burning fuel cell power plant Thin fuel cell electrodes Current density and electrode structure Nitric acid-oxygen redox electrode Fuel cells with ion-exchange membranes
1966 M a t e r i a l s of C o n s t r u c t i o n
R evi ews-47
Pages
The Annual Reviews on Materials of Construction appearing in the August issue are available for $1.00 as a combined reprint. Elastomer Technology By Glen Alliger and f . C. Weissert Protective Coatings By V. J. Buttignol, R. E. Cutforth, 13.P. Eskra, N.H. Frick, a n d H. L. Gerhart Ferrous Alloys By W. A. Luce a n d J .
and many others.
A. Peacock
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Plastics By R. 5.Seymour Aluminum By E. T. Wanderer
Set of L.C. cards supplied free on library orders.
This i s a convenient way to use and file the important compilation of facts they contain. O r d e r n o w from:
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