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lem for a time. Suddenly the solution comes to him. He thinks it over and it seems eminently reasonable from every point of view. He tries it and it works! Out of an almost infinite number of possible modes of attack, the right one has dawned upon him without effort-seemingly from Heaven! The statement that a hunch comes “without effort” needs qualification. The hunch often arrives a t a time when no conscious effort is being exerted, but it comes only as a result of a long and intense study of the problem and much previous hard work. Hunches are not a substitutc: for study and hard work, but are a supplement t o such work and a proper reward for it. Hunches are supposed t o be the results of the working of our subconscious minds upon problems in which we have been deeply absorbed. Here again we see the importance of the research worker becoming absorbed in his problem and being free from interruptions. Little in the way of hunches (or anything else) can be expected from research carried out in odds and ends of tinie or as a minor function among many diverse activities. Many of those present believed that it was possible definitely to encourage the appearance of the hunch by purposely creating favorable conditions. I n general, a nian incessantly busy with one activity or another during all his waking moments is not one t o whom such ideas often come. We can drown out messages from the subconscious mind by keeping our conscious mind constantly occupied or too greatly fatigued. Great differences w r e reported as to the most favorable conditions for the appearance of a hunch. Doctor Cone advised work in the laboratory. The hunch would come while the work was in progress. Another chemist said that the most valuable time that he had ever put in for his employer was spent sitting with his feet on the window sill, looking out of the wjndom. Nost reported that hunches came during periods of apparent idleness-following, how-
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ever, long periods of intensive work. One reported the system of going over the problem just before retiring for the night; the solution would often become apparent in the morning. It was interesting and unusual to see a large group of chemists devote so much earnest discussion to a question of psychology. I n spite of the unreliability of much that passes for the modern science of psychology, this is a question which is worthy of future study both from the psychological and the chemical points of view. Summary
The present miter ventures to sum up the three most important considerations for the success of research work as follom, given in the order of importance: (I) good mennothing can act as a substitute for good men; (2) proper choice of problems: (3) protection of research workers from constant interruptions, interference, and unnecessary delays and discouragements. Given these, the research work itself is sure to be successful. Following this, however, must be (4) proper utilization of research results after they are ready to leave the laboratory. Only by proper backing by the executives of the company can research be translated into action, and thence into profits. Types of Laboratories Described
Many examples of the organization of large research laboratories were discussed a t the symposium. The organization of the smaller research laboratory was also considered, although t o a lesser extent. The two following papers presented a t the symposium describe the organization of both types of laboratories. Literature Cited (1) Miner, IUD. Esc CHEM, 20, 1069 ( 2 ) Teeple, I b r d , 19, 318 (1927).
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Structure of an Industrial Research Organization Charles M . A. Stine E. I.
DU
PONTDE SBMOURS & COMPANY, TVILNINGTOX, DEL.
ESERALIZATIOSS on the subject of the organization of industrial research are likely to be dry and tiresome. The type of technical organization which I have been attempting to develop for the last four or five years has, however, proved interesting to a number of visitors to our laboratories, and I shall therefore attempt to outline as briefly as possible the nature of this organization. The purposes I have always kept clearly before me are: first, to attempt t o insure a proper contact by the members of the organization with the very vital, and therefore continually growing and expanding, sciences of chemistry and physics; second, to insure proper contacts with the various parts of a large industrial Organization, since these contacts are essential to the effective and satisfactory conduct of what is, in its nature, a service department; third, to guard against dwarfing the natural growth of the man through constriction of his point of view which follows very naturally upon the quite common and human tendency to get into a rut. Types of Activities
To begin with, it must be pointed out that our chemical research must be so organized as to serve a somewhat diver-
sified line of chemical manufacture, though the various processes and products have much in common so far as the fundamental chemistry involved in them is concerned. Four phases of applied chemistry are illustrated by the activities of our laboratories: (1) chemical control; (2) the improvement of existing processes or products; (3) the devising of new processes for the manufacture of existing products, or of new ones; (4) fundamental or pure research. The first phase of our chemical activities-viz., those comprised in what me know as chemical control-requires little or no comment or definition. By chemical control we all understand the activities of the works laboratory charged with maintaining yield and quality of a chemical manufacturing operation where the operation is carried on according to well-defined and completely described operating procedure. I n some technical laboratories the second phase of applied chemistry-viz., the improvement of existing processes and of the quality of current products-is combined with the responsibility for chemical control work. It is true that these two phases are closely related, and the extent to which the two nil1 overlap depends, t o a considerable degree, upon
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the originality and ingenuity of the chemists whose primary responsibility is chemical control. However, we have thought it wise to charge certain men with the specific responsibility for improving existing processes and products and thus make this work a special phase of our chemical activities. The third phase-viz., the devising of new processes and of new products-we are in the habit of designating as “pioneering applied research.” This work involves not only chemical research, but it is indispensable that a t some stage of the work a thorough study be undertaken of the business phases of the advisability of embarking upon the manufacture of the new product or the adoption of the new process. A special department known as the Development Department cooperates with the Chemical Department in studies of this type. The fourth phase of our chemical activities--viz., fundamental or pure research-will arouse doubts in some minds, and some may even take exception to the statement that it is possible for a technical laboratory to carry on so-called “pure” research. This represents a phase of our chemical activities in which I am especially interested. The advisability of embarking on this kind of chemical work has received very thorough consideration by various industrial research organizations. Coincident with my assumption of the duties of chemical director, I proposed that a suitable portion of our chemical work be undertaken along lines which may be properly termed “fundamental” or “pure” research. The reasons for our interest in this class of chemical work will be mentioned again. Industrial Organization of d u Pont Company
I n order that the logical relationship between the chemical organization and the sales and production organizations may be recognized, it is necessary t o refer briefly t o the type of industrial organization which we attempt t o serve. The various chemical manufacturing operations of the du Pont Company are under the control of so-called industrial departments of the parent company in certain cases, and in others are handled by allied and subsidiary companies, and the line of division is along that of industries. Each one of these industrial departments and subsidiaries is responsible for the production and sale of certain classes of products and for the development of new processes and products logically within the field of its existing activities. It takes care of its own chemical control work by means of works laboratories of varying size, located in the plant areas and closely connected with the manufacturing sections. Works Laboratories
I have already stated that these works laboratories, in some instances, attempt to do some work on the improvement of existing processes and products even where radical changes may be involved, but as a whole their activities are rather closely confined to the maintenance of quality of performance from the standpoint of goal yields and the quality of the finished products. Central Technical Laboratories
The industrial departments and the subsidiary companies maintain, a t locations suitable from geographical considerations, central technical laboratories. I n these laboratories a considerable amount of research work is conducted looking to the improvement of existing processes and products and the evaluation of new processes and products from the standpoint of their usefulness and adaptability to the requirements of the specific manufacturing sections. Some “pioneering applied research” is also done in these laboratories, the amount varying with the nature of the industry and the
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adequacy of the individual laboratory for conducting research of this character. Each industrial department and subsidiary has its chemical section in charge of a director, and the organization is designed with a view to insuring proper contact between the responsible heads of the industrial departments, such as the general manager, and the directors of the sections for production, sales, and chemical work. Central Chemical Department
Because of the close fundamental relationships existing between products in the various fields of chemical investigation involved, much of our chemical work is of interest t o more than one of our central technical laboratories. Then, too, there is a certain amount of information of general interest which must be exchanged between the laboratories which are more or less unfamiliar with one another’s specific problems. I n addition to the works laboratories and central technical laboratories of the chemical sections of the industrial departments and subsidiary companies, there is therefore maintained a so-called central Chemical Department, which attempts to carry on both “pioneering applied research” and fundamental investigations. It is organized with a view to the investigation of certain processes and products for the various industries, as well as of those of general interest to the company as a whole. It aims to secure proper contact with the sales and production points of view of the various industries involved, since this contact is indispensable to proper cooperation between the central Chemical Department and the various chemical sections of the company. Some of the more abstruse phases of the investigations carried out in the manufacturing sections also engage the attention of the central Chemical Department. There is a constant interchange of visits between various chemical sections and the central Chemical Department for the purpose of discussing problems of mutual interest. I have already mentioned that it has been considered essential to assign to the central chemical organization numerous problems of immediate interest to the various industrial sections. I n order to guard against contraction in the point of view of the chemists engaged in problems of this nature, with a consequent diminution of their usefulness and retardation of their growth, a large amount of attention must be given both to pioneering applied research and to fundamental research. The more far-reaching changes and improvements in chemical processes and products go back to the fundamental facts in chemical science and have usually come about through the application of fundamental research to the problems of chemical industry. The proper conduct of fundamental research furnishes added assurance of consistent progress, making available to our applied research information of prime importance not otherwise obtainable. Our fundamental research includes such work as the investigation of the mechanism of catalysis, including the preparation and examination of various types of catalysts; the study of polymerization; various phases of colloid chemistry, such as the application of the ultra-centrifuge to the study of molecular aggregates and particle size; the determination of essential data which may be lacking in the field of thermodynamics-for example, the determination of the friction coefficients of the flow of gases and liquids a t high pressures over a considerable range of elevated temperatures. It is not only because we feel that the conduct of fundamental research in the central technical organization may be a safeguard against a too limited and immediate point of view that we have committed ourselves to the policy of conducting work of this type. In addition to selfish reasons we feel that we have an obligation to our chosen field of science, since it yields us our livelihood, and we desire, therefore, a s
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may lie within the scope of our ability, to contribute to the sum of useful knowledge. And knowledge, to be useful, must be generally available and must therefore involve publication of the results. As a further safeguard against a too limited and immediate point of view on the part of the chemists engaged in applied research, we follow the policy of retaining in a consulting capacity certain members of university faculties. These men visit our laboratories from time to time and various phases of the work of the central laboratories are freely discussed with them. At the same time we endeavor conscientiously to refrain from interfering with the primary allegiarice of the teacher to his school, and to this end studiously avoid suggesting that any phase of applied research be undertaken in the university laboratory by a consultant. An additional means for securing broad consideration of chemistry by the man engaged upon the technical applications of his science is the provision of adequate library facilities. We have not only applied the policy of providing reasonably complete library facilities in various of the laboratories, but we maintain a rather elaborate division for the dissemination of technical information. These divisions are called Intelligence Divisions and their work consists in the dissemination of information and articles of interest in the technical and patent literature. This information is brought to the attention, not only of the members of the laboratory, but of interested parties in the organization of the various industrial departments and subsidiary companies. A wellknown method of accomplishing this is applied by us-viz., preparation of lists of articles of interest in the form of journal bulletins and patent bulletins. The libraries are in charge of librarians adequately trained for the work, the filing and cross indexing of current reports and abstracts have been the subject of much study by specialists, and every effort is made to be sure that the chemists properly utilize the 16,000 volumes available in the technical libraries of the central Chemical Department. It will be evident from the previous portion of this paper
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that the organization of the central Chemical Department has been considered with a view to insuring necessary contacts between the governing committees of the parent company and the governing boards of the affiliated companies, as well as with the general managers of the industrial departments and the directors of their chemical sections and with the personnel of the various sectional laboratories. It is perhaps scarcely worth while to add that the laboratories of the central Chemical Department, since they are a selfcontained unit, are provided with their own shops where machinists, carpenters, tinsmiths, coppersmiths, millwrights, lead burners, and the like are available in connection not only with the fabrication of apparatus for the various laboratory investigation, but with the design and assemblage of small manufacturing units in order that semi-works investigations of applied research developments may be carried out. I shall do no more than mention the fact that a very complete and carefully worked out system of monthly and progress reports insures proper dissemination and recording of information. However, I should like to emphasize that printed matter merely supplements the essential personal contacts between the members of the varioas technical staffs. Interdepartment Visits
We encourage visits on the part of those responsible for the production and sales policies of the various industrial departments. These visits result in much mutual benefit. The contacts which we bring about between the technical research worker and the university and business worlds are supplemented, of course, by weekly discussions of research work, both fundamental and applied, because the technical research laboratory must guard by every means a t its disposal against the very human tendency toward a narrow and constricted point of view. Hardening of the cerebrum very frequently overtakes the research worker decades before hardening of the arteries makes him a suitable subject for pension consideration.
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Two Examples of the Smaller Industrial Research Organizations Washington Platt MERRELL SOCLE COMPANY, SYRACUSE, N. Y.
I T H the growth of larger and larger corpor' t'ions we may expect to see a somewhat similar growth in the size of their research laboratories. The increasing appreciation on the part of the executives for the businesj value of research mill also tend in the same direction. It will always be true, however, that the great majority of research departments will not be the splendid and complex organizations that hare been so brilliantly successful with the Eastman Kodak Company, the General Electric Company, and the du Ponts. They will still be modest affairs, often starting with one man, or even with part of the time of one man, and developing from this only if the small beginning can prove its value. I think it worth while, therefore, to bring before this symposium the actual workings of two of the small research organizations with which I have been connected. 4 t the same time I will comment upon what experience has shown were the good and bad features of these organizations, as they actually worked out. Baking Company Laboratory
In 1912 a large baking company was having its analytical work done-and very well done-by an outside laboratory.
The company felt, however, that it had reached a state of maturity in which it should be doing some chemical research work of its own. In this it demonstrated a progressive spirit which was quite unusual for a manufacturer of baked products sixteen years ago. This appears the more remarkable when we consider the situation in such industries a t that time. In the so-called chemical industries the chemist has always been king-or if not king, as least a noble peer. The processes of such industries were developed by chemists and have always been subject to chemical control. On the other hand, in many of the more ancient industries the reverse was the case. Baking, for example, goes back for two thousand years or more. The manufacture of baked goods was an art, not a science. Sixteen years ago there was practically no scientific background for the manufacture of baked sweet goods. It was then literally true that an experienced flour buyer could tell you more of practical value about a sample of flour in five minutes than a cereal chemist could in as many days. Under these circumstances the company wisely decided that any research chemist who was to improve its methods of
