teristics of columns, liquid-liquid extraction, absorption and adsorption, crystallization, filtration. Process Engineering: heat transfer, fluid dynamics, kinetics (batch and continuous), catalysis (homogeneous and heterogeneous), reactor design, pilot plant, function and operation, scaleup methods, process instrumentation and control. Business Practices: chemical process cost factors, economic evaluation, market development, technical support to the sales funetion. chemical natents. o n e important value that derives from this course is a clarification of the role of the chemist in a development effort and how i t relates to that of others. Our approach is designed to present a feeling and an understanding for the concepts and methods used in engineering. In this way, the student is hetter prepared to communicate with the engineer, and has a hetter understanding of what data and information the engineer needs to apply his talents to the development effort. Similarly the treatment of process economics introduces the student to such concepts as direct and indirect capital, fixed and variable costs, return on investment and cash flow; hut, what is more important, it gives him a hetter understanding of the function and philosophies of management. Part I1 of the course is an extensive review of the case study materials. We have developed and used seven case studies. T h e approach and format used in these case studies varies with the subject. In some, the style is narratiee with such devices as a memo from the plant manager defining the project to emphasize the role played by the chemist in the overall develo~ment:in others the style tends to emphasize the chemistry of the process. I n each of them, however, we have attempted to describe how chemists have utilized certain chemical principles or knowledge of chemical properties to develop a viable industrial process or product. The following is a listing of the case studies we have used in this course: "The Development of a Material far Use in the Partial Replacement of Zinc Dust in Zinc-rich Coatings" "The Manufacture and Use of Polyurethanes" "The Manufacture of Urea" "The Evaluation of a Crude Oil" "The Development of a Process for Manufacturing Chloromyeetin"" "The Development of a Process for Producing Styrene" "The Production of Phenol by the Cumene Process" The student response to these case studies has been very favorable. We helieve that they are effective in providing a transition from academic to industrial chemistry. The values of the case study approach are: 1) the student sees how commercial development efforts are based solidly upon the same chemistry he has learned in his course work, 2) he hetter understands the types of activities in which industrial chemists are engaged and, 3) he has a greater appreciation for economic factors.
Is Silver Chloride Still a Green Gas?: The Effect of Industrial Experience on a Chemist's Educational Philosophy P a u l D. Neumann a n d John R. Hallman Nashuille State Technical Institute Nashuille, Tennessee 37209 The co-authors of this paper have had a total of nearly 40 years experience in the chemical, nuclear, and aerospace
industry before embarking on their careers in education. This long experience with the working world has greatly influenced our attitude toward education. Through our contacts with several "generations" of chemists and chemical technicians, we have been able to formulate some ideas of what a chemist needs to know to survive in the industrial world and how effectively the different programs in chemical education have provided the desired background. Our conclusions are based not only on our own experience but are supported by our Advisory Committee on Chemical Technology, articles, editorials and letters in the professional literature and the tone of many recent joint symposia between representatives of industry and education. It is found too often that current programs in chemistry and chemical engineerina are too strongly oriented toward the theoretica~aspectsof the chemical sc-iences and woefully deficient in applied chemistry, laboratory . experi. ence and industrial pro&es. Descriptive chemistry, one of the major requirements for industrial chemistry, has become an educational orphan-hence the title of this paper, with apologies to Dr. Bernard S. Friedman, former President of ACS, and to Professor Derek Davenport of Purdue. Attempts to deal with the criticisms of the current curricula can be found in the numerous new programs now under development. Some are modifications of current programs, while others are completely new curricula aimed a t industrial and applied chemistry. The University of Texas a t San Antonio has restructured its undergraduate program in chemistry so that nearly all of the courses in mathematics, physics and chemistry are given in the first six semesters providing students the option to leave in two or three years. These semesters contain most of the technical and scientific background generally scattered throughout the regular 4-year program. St. Leo College, St. Leo, Florida also has an experimental program to educate industrial chemists which places some emphasis on industrial processes and career counseling. However, neither of these experimental programs appears to include any imaginative or innovative changes in content. On the other hand, the proposed 2 2 Industrial Chemistry program recently announced a t the University of Wyoming seems to he a radical departure from the current offerings in chemistry. They have revived the emphasis on laboratory skills and applied chemistry for the purpose of training chemists for industry. At Nashville State Technical Institute we also stress lahoratory training, descriptive chemistry and industrial processes. Chemical theory is used as a tool to explain chemical behavior, not as a major educational goal. The student is required to show more and more initiative and engage in more independent study as he progresses through the program. Twice as much time is devoted to lahoratory work here than is found in most chemistry programs today. Electives in Chemical Engineering Technology are recommended whenever possible. The obviously limited objectives of our two-year program in Chemical Technology certainly cannot fulfil the requirements of every chemistry student. Those whose goal is a graduate degree in chemistry must continue to examine the more abstract and theoretical aspects of chemistry. No less important to the continued strength of the chemical industry is a corps of chemists trained in industrial processes, laboratory skills and applied analysis Our educational system must offer hoth options in order to support hoth chemical research and the chemical industry.
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Volume 53. Number 3. March 1976 / 147
