TYGON
®
Flexible Plastic
TUBING ' Flexible * Glass-clear • Chemically inert * 7 3 Standard sizes
REPORT FOR ANALYTICAL CHEMISTS given time with regard to types, concentration ranges, and amounts required, suggest t h a t a lag between the development of a need a n d its fulfillment is inevitable, Mr. Cooper pointed out. F o r example, x-ray fluorescence methods t h a t became practical about ten years ago imposed special demands with r e gard to dimensions of standard specimens; a n d vacuum optical emission instruments introduced four years ago permitted for t h e first time the determination of certain light elements which now must be provided in spectro-chemical standards. Although t h e internal company standard should a n d does have an important place in our laboratories, p r i m a r y standards evolving from the seasoned judgment a n d object i v i t y of t h e N B S are considered indispensable, M r . Cooper concluded. COMMITTEES
OF
NAS-NRC, AND
There is only one Tygon Tubing, a product of The United States Stoneware Company. For your protection, every foot is b r a n d e d w i t h t h e T y g o n name and formulation number. Plastic & Synthetics
Division
U. S. STONEWARE Akron, Ohio 44309 Circle No. 182 on Readers' Service Card 26 A
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ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
IUPAC,
MCA
T h e needs for standard substances are n o t peculiar to the United States, b u t are international in character, D r . Daniel R. Stull of the D o w Chemical Company pointed out. One of t h e international scientific bodies recognizing the need for s t a n d a r d substances is t h e International Union of P u r e and Applied Chemistry ( I U P A C ) , which has a Commission on P h y s ico-chemical S t a n d a r d s a n d D a t a . The members of an I U P A C commission represent their country in the affairs of t h e commission. Itis usual practice in t h e U. S. to have a domestic committee whose function parallels t h a t of t h e I U P A C commission. T h u s , the Committee on Physical Chemistry of t h e N a tional Academy of Sciences—National Research Council ( N A S N R C ) h a s established a Subcommittee on Physico-chemical Standards. T h e Subcommittee on Physicochemical Standards has been active at various times in t h e past, a n d is again becoming active because of the growing need in this area. Efforts are being made to consolidate the national needs for physicochemical standards, and since inter-
national t r a d e requires it, to mesh these national needs with similar international needs. T h e cooperation of academic, industrial, a n d governmental scientists will ensure the formulation of a sound program to meet t h e needs for s t a n d a r d substances, D r . Stull concluded. D r . Stull pointed out t h e need of the chemical industry for a fund of physical properties on t h e chemicals of importance. I n 1955 t h e Manufacturing Chemists' Association ( M C A ) funded a Physical Properties Research Project whose goal w a s t h e preparation of reliable numerical d a t a on chemical materials of importance. This project has recently been made a p a r t of the N a t i o n a l Standard Reference D a t a Program, and experimental measurement of physical properties of chemical materials h a s begun. For these measurements, materials of superior purity are needed, and t h e M C A Physical Properties Proj ect Advisory Subcommittee visualizes t h e need for the establishment of a bank of materials of superior purity. This M C A Subcommittee recently prepared a list of about 100 organic compounds of primary importance. This M C A Priority List of Organic Compounds defines the areas where experimental measurements will first be made, a n d also t h e specific compounds requiring a sample of superior purity. Although the details remain to be worked out, t h e establishment of a sample bank of priority compounds is an important objective of t h e M C A program. ROLE OF A S T M
In a paper presented to t h e Symposium on National a n d I n ternational Standards, J . W. Caum of t h e American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Harold M. Smith of t h e U. S. Bureau of Mines discussed t h e organization and functions of A S T M . T h e purpose of A S T M is " t h e promotion of knowledge of the materials of engineering a n d the standardization of specifications and t h e methods of testing." T h a t p a r t of A S T M work which has to do with " t h e promotion of knowledge of t h e materials of en-
