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Events of Interest to Chemists, Chemical Engineers, and ExecutivesJANUARY 17. Carnegie Institute of Technology receives $6,000,000 grant from the W. L. and X a y T. Mellon Foundation t o set up country's first graduate school of industria,l administration. "Chcniical Engineering Laboratories, Columbia University, under project sponsored by Quartermaster Corps of the Army and Office of Kava1 Research and directed by J. M. Church, associate professor of chemical engineering, will soon start a five-year project in flameproofhg of fabrics which it hopes will virtually eliminate possibilities of disaster like Coconut, Grove fire in 1942.
7 JAXGARY 18. Kenneth S. Pitzer, new director research division, Atomic Energy Commission, says atomic research imposes a security curb on free academic discussion and hopes such projects will be kept out of universities. 7 JANUARY 20. Russian Research Center, Harvard University, reveals that Soviet scientists have discovered uranium within U.S.S R. in past 10 years in quantities possibly sufficient to provide basis for development of at,omic powcr therc. "Leland J. Hayworth, director Brookhaven National Laboratories, says accidents a t nuclear research center operated by Associated Universities, Inc., decreased 50% in 1.948 as compared with I947 despite an increase of 200 employees.--DonChemical announces completion of n c v phenol facilities which will increase company's capacity by 30,000,000 lb. a year'.
7 JAKUARY 31. AEC tells Congress it is engaged in peak production of most destructive types of atomic bombs and of the radioactive products that are good for mankind and that business will be given more information.--Maj. Gen. R. W. Bliss, Army Surgeon General, says a good well-meshed systcin of civilian defcnse organization against an atomic blast and its radiological aftereffects can and will be achieved."N. R. Drawford, president Don; Chemical of Canada, says company will begin a $5,000,000 plant expansion program in Toronto during 1949.
7 FEBRUARY 6. Mathieson Chemical Corp. contracts t0 purchase business of Southern Acid and Sulphur Co., which is principally production and sale of sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate, phosphoric acid, superphosphates, mixed tertilizers, and E. Lilienthal, chairman USAEC, tells Lchigh sulfurJ.--Dr*vid University midvear graduating class dissemination of facts and public information about atomic energy must increase if science is to protect freedom and democracy.
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Ti JANUARY 23. Chemical explosion in experimental building a t Hanford atomic engineering works injures three men. Y . city's lfayor O'Dtyyer announces United Nations officials and leaders in government, education, and science will discuss atomic energy before S,T.'s public school teachers in new training course expected to set a pat'tern for the rest of the world.
7 FEBRUARY 10. President Truman refuses to comply with Russia's demand to disclose number of bombs stored in U. S., declaring this is not a matter for public discussion."E. 1%. Smith, chief physical chemistry section National I3ureau of Standards, wins 1949 Hillebrand prize of Washington Scction, 4 . C S., for "original work in physical chemistry, more especially contributions to electrocheniistry and ebulliometry." --Office of International Trade drops export controls on all oils and fats except to European countries.
f[ JANUARY 25. Donald F. Carpenter, chairman Kational NIilitarg Establishments XIunition Board, announces defense stockpile will receive priority over civilian needs. f[ JAKUARY 27. Clarke Williams, Brookhaven physicist, says a $20,000,000 atomic pile will be available at Brookhaven National Laborat,ories by early fall for nuclear reactor experiments in all fields of science and engineering.--Secretary of Commerce GanTyer affirms principle laid down by President Truman that U. S.Government should enter any field of private manufacture t o guarantee adequate supplies of critical materials, even though i t must build new plants. 7 JANUARY 28. Chemists a t Notre Dame isolate group of four compounds, previously unknown, that give promise of being effective against destructive RB factor in the human blood. wwDepartment of Justice files antitrust proceedings against Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co., Burr Mining Corp., Carborunduin Cn., and Armour & Co., for controlling substantially all patents covering the manufacture of coated abrasives, a $36,000,000 annual business. 1
J' JANUARY 29. USAEC issues report to allay public concern over danger of irradiation poisoning from wastes discharged by atomic energy plants and laboratories and says public is shielded from such wastes.
f FEBRUARY 2. She11 Oil announces it will spend 824,000,000 for petroleum research in 1949, a substantial part to bt>used by Shell Development Co. in its Emeryville, Calif., Isboratories2. --House Ways and Means Committee approves Administration's bill to extend Reciprocal Trade Agreement; Act through MchIahon asks AEC to give "immeJune 12, 196l.--Senator diate consideration" to possibility of revealing number of alom bombs U. S. has.--Secretary of Interior Krug recommcnds government loans to industry for construction of commercial plants to produce oil and gasoline from coal and oil s h a h
7 JANGARY 22. Columbia University bestovvs Charles Frederick Chandler medals, axarded periodically for outstanding scientific achievement, t o H. C. Sherman, Mitchell professor emeritus o€ chemistry, and to Marston T. Hogert, professor emeritus of organic ohemistry, the former internationally known for his work in food and nutrition and the latter for his contributions in synthetic organic chemistry.
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--Reviewed b y the Editors
Ti FEBRUARY 12. California Research Corp., a subsidiary of Standard Oil Co. of Calif., and the Isotopes Division of Ihe AEC announco corporation's research staff is succcssi'uily using radioactive piston rings to test effects of fuels and lubricants on engine wear.
7 FEBRUARY 13. U. 9. oil industry is seeking to end its dependence upon rlrgentina for the critical drilling material quebracho and the Department of the Interior discloses that the bark of the California redwood or the ligno-sulfates, waste products from the pulp paper industry, offer the best substitute to date F FEBRUARY 15. M.I.T. offers 50 summer fellowships in adscience to secondary school teachers in Ncw England and N. Y . vanced State. 817)id 348 (Feb. 7 1919). 8 I b i d : : 422 (I.'&, 14, 1949).
Chem. Eng. News, 27, 349 (Feb. 7, 1949).
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