ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRV
EDITORIAL
November 1958, Vol. 30, No. 1 1 APPLIED JOURNALS, ACS Direcfor o f Publicofions, C. B. Larrabee Ediforiol Direcfor, Walter J. Murphy Executive Editor, James M. Crowe Production Manager, Joseph H. Kuney ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY Edifor, Lawrence T. Hallett Managing Edifor, Robert 0. Gibbr EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON 6, D. C. 11 55 Sixteenth St., N.W. Teletype WA 23 Phone Republic 7-3337 Associofe Editors: G. Gladys Gordon, Stella Anderson, Ruth Cornette, Katherine 1. Biggs, George B. Krantz Assisfont Editors: Arthur Poulos, Robert J. Riley, Robert J. Kelley, Ruth M. Howorth, Eugenia Keller, Sue M. Solliday Ediforiol Assisfonfs: Malvina B. Preiss, Ruth Reynard, Katherine H. Ginnane Layout and Producfion: Melvin D. Buckner (Art); Betty V. Kieffer, Roy F. Nash, Clarence 1. Rakow BRANCH EDITORIAL OFFICES CHICAGO 3, ILL. Room 926 36 South Wabash Ave. Teletype CG 725 Phone State 2-5148 Associate Editors: Howard J. Sanders, Chester Placek Assisfonf Edifor: Laurence J. White HOUSTON 2, TEX. 718 Melrose Bldg. Teletype HO 72 Phone Fairfax 3-7107 Associofe Edifor: Bruce F. Greek Assisfont Editor: Earl V. Anderson NEW YORK 16, N. Y. 2 Park Ave. Phone Oregon 9-1646 Teletype NY 1-4726 Associate Edifors: William Q. Hull, Harry Stenerson, David M. Kiefer, D. Gray Weaver, Walter S. Fedor, Morton Salkind Assisfont Edifor: Louis A. Agnello SAN FRANCISCO 4, CALIF. 703 Mechanics' Institute Bldg. 57 Post st. Phone Exbrook 2-2895 Teletype SF 549 Associafe Edifor: Richard G. Newhall Assisfont Edifor: David E. Gushee EASTON, PA. 20th and Northampton Sts. Teletype ESTN Pa 48 Phone Easton 91 1 1 Associate Editor: Charlotte C. Sayre Editorial Assisfonfs: Joyce A. Richards, Elizabeth R. Rufe, June A. Barron EUROPEAN OFFICE Bush House, Aldwych, London Phone Temple Bar 3605 Cable JIECHEM Associate Edifor: Albert S. Hester
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Confribufing Editor: R. H. Muller Advisory Board: R. M. Archibald, W. H. Beamer, H. 0. Cassidy, W. D. Cooke, R. M. Fowler, Louis Gordon, J. 1. Hoffman, M. T. Kelley, E. E. Leininger, W. M. MacNevin, V. W. Meloche, John Mitchell, Jr., E. J. Rorenbaum, R. 0. Russell, A I Steyermark
Automation in the Control Laboratory E HAD a good opportunity to see some of t h e newest instruinentawtion at t h e recent National Chemical Exposition in Chicago a n d the Instrument Society of America in Philadelphia. Seedless t o say, we were much impressed a t t h e substantial progress being made in instrumentation and the \vide variety of new applications. After seeing these items, n-e must confess t h a t ive do not envy t h e administrators of analytical control laboratories n-110 must decide honf a r t o go in automating their laboratories. Desirable as m a n y itenis of new instrumentation m a y be, there is t h e big factor of cost. T h e value of automation for use in process monitoring and control can be established more readily t h a n in the laboratory. TT-here process control is involved, fairly expensive equipment can be justified. Such justification for t h e control laboratory m a y not be so obvious or m a y not exist. It is t r u e t h a t t h e costs of training and supporting technicians are high. It is liken-ise t r u e t h a t some of the nen-er instrumentation which can do a whole operation automatically is very expensive. One conipletely automatic titration system, for example. costs betn-een $15.000 a n d $30.000, depending on t h e particular model. Once operating, such a n instrument can run a n e n d l e s series of titrations rapidly and accurately nitli little or no supervision by a technician. T h e cost of the instruiiient a n d the time t o set it up. however, would seem t o rule out its use for a variety of operations n-hich a r e nonrepetitive in nature. Instrumentation r h i c h is ver-atile enough t o be used in varied control activities, and which is not too expensive. is being adopted in more and more laboratories. In these cases. tlie instrument makes po-sible greater production and iiiore accurate results t h a n can be obtained b y t h e technicians. It also frees the technician for less routine analyses. T h e existence, however. of inore and more instruments requires tlie services of persons skilled in their use, maintenance. a n d repair. T h e question of automation is just one t h a t affects t h e efficiency of the operation of tlie control laboratories. There has to be n reasonable balance between speed a n d accuracy and cost. Some of these factors are discussed in tliis month's Report for Analytical Chemist;. IT-e do not pretend t o have tlie an-n-er t o these problems. 11-e feel. lion-ever, t h a t new instrumentation will be adopted n h e r e i t meets a need and its cost is commensurate n-ith the degree of its utilization. T h e future of t h e technician, we feel. is not in jeopardy. T h e nature of his duties niay change. but his skills and abilities will not be preempted by instruments.
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