LABORATORY OF THE MONTH
Interchem's Central Research Laboratories Move to N e w Quarters in N e w Jersey N THE FALL of 1963, Interchemical I Corporation's Central Research Lab-
oratories were moved to new quarters in Clifton, New Jersey· The new facilities doubled the research space that had been available at the Laboratories' old quarters in New York City where they had been located since 1934. The building is divided into three wings, separated by enclosed, landscaped courtyards. Space for supporting utilities and services, including a large cafeteria, library, and Interchem's Color Research Center, is provided in the center wing. A total of 135,000 square feet is provided with the Central Research Laboratories occupying 90,000 square feet. The remaining 45,000 square feet are occupied by the headquarters staff and development laboratories of Interchem's Finishes Division. Of the 300 persons employed in Clifton, 200 scientists and other personnel staff the Central Research Laboratories. Dr. Joseph M. Wilkinson, Jr., is Director of the Laboratories. The new laboratories will provide the facilities for intensified effort in basic chemical coatings research and the systems employed in the equipment needed to apply Interchem's products. The analytical group at the Central Research Laboratories is part of the special services department within the Research Center's organizational struc-
ture. Mark W. Weiss is department manager. Other activities included in special services are the library and other specialized information services. The analytical group has a staff of fifteen including two technicians. The analytical group includes, in addition to standard analytical activities, physical testing and microscopy with separate laboratories provided for these functions: separations and wet chemistry, microanalysis, spectroscopy, extractability, gas-liquid chromatography, light microscopy, electron microscopy, photo-microscopy and physical testing. More than half of the time of the analytical group is devoted to providing analytical or other laboratory services in support of the many and varied research projects which are in progress at the Central Research Laboratories. These include fundamental, long-range projects in organic, polymer, and physical chemistry, as well as research and development in new products and processes. The remainder of the group's activity is connected with analytical problems submitted by the various operating divisions of the Company. A wide variety of products are examined, including printing inks ; polymeric coatings for paper, wood, and metal ; copying papers and other products; textile colorants including dyestuffs and pigments; adhesives; structural poly-
esters; sealants; and caulking compounds. In addition, raw materials and intermediate products are submitted for analysis. The Group also investigates customer problems. An important function of the analytical group is to contribute to the development of new analytical methods. For example, collaboration with the analytical department of a large can company, several years ago, resulted in a method for determining the extractability of interior can linings that became the accepted procedure specified in the Food Additive Regulations of the Food and Drug Administration. New methods of analysis are explored for application to special problems in the Company's divisional laboratories. Special equipment in the separation and wet laboratories of the analytical group includes full-size and bench-top centrifuges. Laboratory instruments include a recording potentiometric titrator; a rapid-dropping mercury polarograph; p H meters; an electrometric titration assembly for moisture determination by the Karl Fischer method; a Nesslerimeter; and a FisherJones melting point apparatus. A special titration bench occupies a portion of one wall of the laboratory. The microanalytical laboratory is equipped with two automatic combustion furnaces for carbon-hydrogen and (Continued on page 117 A)
New Central Research Laboratories of Interchemical Corporation in Clifton, New Jersey, have twice the space of old quarters in New York City
VOL. 36, NO. 10, SEPTEMBER 1964
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115 A
Infrared spectrophotometer aids in elucidating structure of organic compounds, resins, polymers, and surfactants. Interchem documents all of its IR data and maintains special files on materials according to classifications such as colorants, resins, solvents, and surfactants
Microscope for determining particle size range is used to scan powdered organic and inorganic materials before analysis with the Coulter Counter. Knowledge of particle size is important for pigments used in dispersions and printing inks
Distillate is removed from a DeanStark trap after coating formulation has been azeotroped with toluene. Karl Fischer titration is then performed to determine water content
Gas flow counter is used for measurement of the migration of printing ink components through paper and plastic packaging materials. Tracers used include carbon-14 labeled ethylene glycol and oleic acid. Radiotracer techniques were developed for studies of penetration into items such as ice cream containers and bread wrappers
116 A
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ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
DOUBLE DUTY INSTRUMENT
AGITHERM
Vapor pressure osmometer is used to determine molecular weights of new polymers, coating resins, and newly synthesized organic compounds such as norbornene derivatives
LABORATORY OF THE M O N T H
D u m a s nitrogen determinations. Also available a r e micro-Carius t u b e com bustion furnaces a n d a n assembly for combustion in oxygen b y t h e Schoniger flask method. Other i n s t r u m e n t s in clude osmometric, ebullioscopic, a n d cryoscopic molecular weight a p p a r a t u s . I n s t r u m e n t s in t h e spectroscopy lab oratory include t w o double-beam in frared spectrophotometers, one of which is equipped with cesium bro mide optics a n d ordinate scale expan sion; a recording spectrophotometer covering t h e range from 140 millimi crons to 3 microns, as well as a manual U V spectrophotometer; a 1.5 meter grating spectrograph; a spectrograph plate reader; a n d an X - r a y diffractometer. Accessory infrared equipment includes a pellet press a n d a p u n c h card sorter and punch. T h e gas-liquid c h r o m a t o g r a p h y lab o r a t o r y is equipped with a low-temper a t u r e isothermal gas chromatograph, a high-tern pe rature linear-programmed instrument, a n d a dual column flameionization chromatograph. One laboratory is specially equipped for studies of extractability of company products which are used in t h e packag ing of foods a n d beverages, t o insure compliance with t h e regulations of t h e Food and D r u g Administration.
T h e laboratories for microscopy total 760 square feet a n d are equipped with a complete range of optical microscopes for visual or photographic examination of specimens under t r a n s m i t t e d or r e flected light, polarized light, phase con trast, a n d vertical or oblique illumina tion. A n e w electron microscope was installed soon after t h e building was oc cupied. T h e electron microscope lab oratory also h a s auxiliary equipment for preparing cross-sections, making replicas of surface structure, a n d shad owing with metal evaporated in a high vacuum, etc. Additional equipment in cludes a Coulter Counter for particle size measurements, a n d a Kofler h o t stage for microscopical studies a t tem peratures u p t o 200° C. T h e Physical Testing L a b o r a t o r y is fully equipped for conducting a wide range of physical a n d electrical tests on a variety of materials. T h e equipment includes a Universal Tester, with an ac cessory h o t / c o l d cabinet permitting testing over a t e m p e r a t u r e range of - 6 5 ° to 320° C. Also included are in s t r u m e n t s for testing i m p a c t resistance, hardness, h e a t distortion t e m p e r a t u r e , plasticity, a n d electrical properties. Two Fadeometers, in a separate room, are used to test t h e resistance of m a t e rials t o fading or discoloration b y light.
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