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sis. Information on the label is transcribed in one typing operation to printed analytical report slips, v i t h interleaved carbon paper, and to printed punch cards. The report slips are used for recording, reporting, and filing the analytical data obtained. The punch card is used first t o indicate the progress of the analysis and subsequently to find the original data in a permanent file by a simple hand-sorting procedure. Four categories of information are punched by hand into the card from code lists. This flexible system is applicable t o a large or small volume of a wide variety of samples and provides positive control of the progress of the work.
It gives much inforniation which leads t o improvement of the analytical organization and is helpful in the compilation of operational reports. LITERATURE CITED
(1) P a t t e r s o n , A. >I., Capel, L. T., and Magill, 11. A , , C‘hem. Aha., 39,5875-972 (1945).
RECEIVED May 11, 1931. Presented M o r e t h e Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Pittrburgh, Pa., March 6 , 1951. Joint contribution from the Polycheinicals Department and the Chemical Department. Contribution 298.
Industrial Analytical Research ROBERT T. HALL AND W A Y S E A. KIKKLIN Hercules Powder Co., Wilmington, Del. The basic elements necessarj for analytical research to fulfill its role in industry is discussed herein. The operation of an industrial analytical research group at the Experiment Station of Hercules Powder Co. is cited as an example. The authors also discuss the types of problems handled, specific talents needed in a well-balanced group, and outlets into other fields. Finally, a few suggestions are offered on the training of personnel for this type of work.
T
HE basic elements necessary for analytical research to fulfill its ro!e in industry can best be discussed by first describing the operation of an industrial analytical research group. The integration of Its activities with other unite of the research organization can thus be shown. ANALYTICAL LABORATORY
The analytical research group a t the Experiment Station of Hercules Powder Co. is a unit of a general analj tical division similar to those existing in a number of large industrial organizations. I n all, there are about 75 people in the division. Of the total, 55 are college-trained chemists or chemical engineers; 11 have doctorate degrees, and a number of others have master’s degrees or other graduate training. The principal functions of the Analytical Division are: 1. To determine the composition and physical properties of samples of research materials and generally to handle analytical
problems arising in manufacturing and sales. 2. To develop new method? and techniques that are required
I A N A L Y T I C A L DIVISION^
ANA LYSES
KINETICS
for the aforementioned and provide consulting service to all departments of the company relating to chemical analyses. 3. To develop, standardize, and keep u p to date the methods used in the company’s plant control laboratories, The manner in which the An;tlytical Division is organizctl to carry out these functions is illustrated in Figure 1. The Standardized Analyses Section, which includes about two thirds of t’hetotal personnel, may be lcoked upon as the division’s production unit. This section, hoivever, is in no sense to be compared to a routine control laboratory. It receives 2000 to 3000 samples per month, nearly all of them of a research character, whose handling requires judgment and ingenuity of a high caliber. The Laboratory Standardization unit standardizes and checks upon the work of the plant control laboratories, edits specifications for materials, and through cooperation with trade associations and societies keeps the company’s analytical methods “in tune’’ with those of the industry. The other tn-o sect8icns-Methods Development and Physical Chemical Measurements-are organized primarily for research. T h e former is concerned mainly v i t h the composition and the latter mostly n.ith the properties of matt,er, although there is no hard and fast. dividing line. The personnel with doctorak degrees is concentrated in these sections. I n this discussion the work of these units n-ill be given the major consideration. FUNCTIONS O F ANALYTICAL RESEARCH GROUP
The development of new methods and techniques, and the handling of special analytical problems is the part,icular concern of the Analytical Research Sections. Keiv products and processes mean new analytical met,hods. Practically all research is dependent upon analytical dat,a for guidance, and it becomes increasingly evident t h a t the .progress of most research p r o j e c t s f r o m c o n c e p t i o n through pilot plant operation is contingent upon the aggressive :tpplicat,ion of new or improved analytical techniyues. The analyt,ioal research group must, keep abreast of the latest techniques and tiring them into use wherever they will aid in the solution of a research problem or make prissihle simpler plant control. TYPES OF PROBLEMS
Figure 1. Organization of Industrial Analytical Division at Experiment Station of Hercules Powder Co.
The problems encountered by this group may originate in any of the broad fields of the company’s interest, such a8 cellulose and cellulose products, explosives, synthetic resins, insecticides, ter-
150 penes, or rosin and its derivatives. Examples selected from the work of the group over the past few years include the development of new methods for analyzing mixed styrenes (4); for the determination of conjugated dienes in pyrolysis products from the cracking of terpenes (9); determination of total volatiles in sniokeless powder (10); determination of carboxymethylcellulose in paper ( 5 ) ; and for the direct determination of oxygen in organic compounds (1). Examples of published papers from this group also include: “Potentiometric Titration of Weak Acids in Ethylenediamine” (8), “An Adiabatic Calorimeter” ( I I ) , and “Present Status of Intrinsic Viscosities” (3). These examples illustrate the wide variety of the work with respect to its technical content. The problems may be long range or short range and vary from the development of a new method needed in an exploratory research program to the identification of a residue . , . from reaction kinetics measurements to determinations of explosive limits of various gaseous mixtures. Again, the problem may be to select and develop suitable analytical methods needed for the evaluation of a proposed process in the pilot plant, where the requirements may be considerably different from those existing during the laboratory development, and similarly to develop from this stage the most suitable control methods for subsequent plant product ion. PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS OF OLTLETS INTO OTHER FIELDS
These illustrations which show the wide scope of the work make it easy to see the need for a good balance of talents in such a group. Khile the men are mainly analytical and physical chemistry majors, there have nearly always been one o r two organic chemistry majors included in the group. In other words, in addition to requiring the “know-how” on ways and means of measuring and determining, help is needed in selecting reactions that might be made the basis of quantitative methods. Here, especially, the organic training is helpful. The need for flexibility in the personnel is emphasized. The job may be a 2-day or a 6 m o n t h one; it may require the individual attention of the analytical research man or it may be one of Revera1 jobs which he will carry concurrently. I n some cases men will be temporarily assigned from the Standardized Analyses Section to assist him on the problem. This practice fosters close cooperation between these two sections of the division and is mutually beneficial in developing the talents of promising men in each group. This flexibility must also be combined with good judgment and “horse sense.” One must discriminate between those caEes where the highest precision and accuracy that can be achieved are necessary and those where an approximate result will provide an entirely suitable answer. Individuals who look upon variety and change as a challenge and not as an annoyance are preferred. If, broadly speaking, all “researchers” were divided into two general types, then those favoring the philosophy of learning a “little about a lot,” rather than a “lot about a little” would be the type most suited for this work What about the development of the individuals engaged in this type of work? I t is apparent that these men in the course of their work must make a rather wide circle of contacts within the company. They necessarily gain a considerable familiarity with many of the research programs, process developments, and technical service activities of all the company’s operating departments. This group is perhaps one of the best places in the research organization for acquiring in a relatively short time, a reasonably good over-all picture of the company’s technical activities. This situation leads naturally to a number of possible outlets for the personnel-for example, a former member of the group has recently progressed into the position of chief chemist at one of the company’s largest plants; others have been transferred to development groups a t the plants, or in some instances, directly into production. Some have moved into supervisory positions in
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY the research divisions of the various operating departments. A few have gone into sales and into liaison groups such as salesresearch. CORNERSTONES OF ANALYTICAL RESEARCH
The basic elements necessary forthe successful operation ofsuch a group are as follows: First, there must exist in management an attitude which puts analytical research on the same basis as any other type. To put it another way, the emphasis is on research and not on whether it is physical, organic, or analytical. Secondly, and this is really a consequence of the first point, analytical research chemists must have an equal status with research chemists in any other line. They should be considered as full members of the research team. K i t h respect to selection of personnel for this work-classification, salaries, and opportunities-all are considered on the same basis as for research chemists assigned to any other research division. Other helpful features follow once these attitudes prevail. There is a clear-cut separation between the analytical research and the standardized analytical work. This does not mean that the research unit operates in a cloistered atmosphere, oblivious to the work of the standardized analysis group. On the contrary, there is very close liaison and many of the research investigations arise from difficulties f i s t encountered by the latter group. Another element for sustaining and encouraging analytical research is the provision of adequate funds-in addition to those provided for specific projects and requests-for general research in the field of analytical chemistry. Such funds constitute about 25%of the budget of the group, so that it is enabled to use its own initiative in investigating or developing new, broadly useful, analytical methods and techniques. When someone has an idea for a new method or sees some new technique suggested in the literature that appears applicable to some of the problems, he has the means, and the responsibility, of following through on it. The importance of this provision in its effect on the morale of the group cannot be overemphasized. I t makes possible exploratory or scouting types of investigations which might often be difficult to justify on the basis of solving some specific problem, but which are so important in building a background of information which can be drawn upon for new methods and new applications. I t is not necessary that theseatudies of new methods be limited to those pertaining directly to a current problem; frequently, it may be considered that its chief usefulness will be in connection nith some future research program. Moreover, publication of such investigations is very much encouraged; during the past 5 years over 30 technical articles have been published by various members of the group, and about half of these were first presented beor of other xifore meetings of the AMERICANCHEMICAL SOCIETY entific groups. These then are what are called cornerstones for industrial analytical research. Once they are established, the specific organizational setup may not be too important. The functioning of analytical research in one general analytical laboratory has been described as a typical example. The authors believe it represents a trend in the right direction. There are, of course, many excellent setups; superficially some of them may appear quite different, but on closer examination they are found to be very similar in the ways that reallv count. TRAINING O F ANALYTICAL RESEARCH PERSONNEL
Relative to training, the authors’ idea is simply that it should be designed to produce not high-grade technicians, but analytical chemists in the broadest sense of the word. A well-rounded training in the various fields of chemistry plus some background in related sciences is essential. But the emphasis should be on broadening the outlook and knowledge of the individual, rather than making him too much of a specialist. One might even say that the colleges and universities should educate; industry should
V O L U M E 2 4 , NO. 1, J A N U A R Y 1 9 5 2 do the training. I n addition to technical training, however, there are other points that seem almost as important, Education and t,raining in reading, writing, and speaking cannot be overemphasized. The individual must be able to assimilate what others have written and be able to organize his knowledge so that it can be clearly expressed both on paper and on foot. This is an “old chestnut,” but inability along these lines is still far too common. The authors feel that a closer relat,ionship should be developed between the English departments and the chemistry departments of the colleges and universities. The main contributions of the technical man are “the products of his mind”; his value is proportional to his ability to transmit these “products” to others. Nore education-or at least some orientation-on t,he chemical industry as a whole is advantageous. Perhaps the universities could draw upon industry for speakers to present selected case histories-e.g., illustrating the part played by various members of the teitni in the course of a new development. At the same time such talks would help define the respomibilities of the research chemist, the production supervisor, and the t#echnicaI salesman, as xell as those of the analytical chemist upon whom the others are dependent for much of their working knowledge. Seminars, at which current articles appearing in Chemical and Engineering S e w s could be discussed among the graduate students arid t,heir professors, would be helpful. For example, such articles as the recent series on “Careers in Chemistry” (2) would be interesting material-as would some of the articles appearing in Fortune magazine (6: 7 ) that deal viit,h the chemical industry. I n short, a little “walking around knowledge” of the chemical industry, and a better picture of what is involved in earning a living in this field xvould indeed be lyorth-xhile assets to the new graduates. I n the ewe of arialytical research, in particular, one can’t help but feel that its requirements and opportunities in industry are not fully appreciated by many in the teaching profession. Many new graduates have stated that their professors have advised them to keep away from industrial analytical work because it leads only to routine, xith no opportunity for professional advancement. It has even been questioned whet
