EDUCATION
MCA Adopts Permanent Education Program An emergency program, designed to help schools adjust to modern science, officially ended last month The Manufacturing Chemists' Associa tion has just closed a five-year emer gency aid-to-education program, only to start a new one on a permanent basis. In the future, education aid will be part of MCA's regular activi ties. Its board of directors feels that abandonment of MCA's efforts in edu cation at this time would be akin to the folly of an entrepreneur who, having developed a product, constructed a plant, and built up a market, deserts the project. The new program will function un der an Education Activities Commit tee, with Frank L. Linton of Allied Chemical Corp. serving as chairman. Working plans for 1961-62 call for closer liaison between industry and education to develop the best possible training programs for students who choose careers in the chemical indus try. As part of this job, the committee is considering a survey to determine just what sort of training the industry will be seeking among candidates for employment in the years ahead. Re sults of the survey would then be used to encourage colleges and universities to offer the necessary programs. Since new educational publications are not included in the new program, the committee expects to become more active in working with MCA member companies in their plant communities. It will also expand its cooperative edu cational programs with scientific, pro fessional, and educational groups. Emergency Program. MCA's fiveyear emergency program in education started in January 1956. Its goals in cluded programs that would inspire students to follow science as a career; that would assist educators with new science teaching aids and services; and that would improve recruiting and inservice training of science teachers. This program, headed by Bromwell Ault of Interchemical Corp. from 1955 to 1957; by Glen Perry of Du Pont from 1957 to 1959; and by Dr. David H. Morgan of Dow, 1959-61, officially came to a close at the end of 60
C& ΕΝ JUNE
19,
1961
CHEMISTRY TEACHERS HONORED. MCA presented medals, citations, and $1000 checks to six distinguished college professors during its 89th annual meeting. Among the recipients were Dr. R. Nelson Smith (left) of Pomona College, Claremont, Calif., and Dr. Richard M. Badger, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
May this year. At that time, the Edu cation Advisory Committee had com pleted a substantial publications pro gram—some 25 volumes of manuals, guides, charts, catalogs, and films, geared to all levels of education. It had also arranged with publishers and film companies for printing and sale of the materials. Costs of the pregram totaled $802,289, according to the committee's re port, "An Adventure in IndustryEducation." MCA member com panies contributed $856,494 to the effort during its five-year duration, and another $20,923 was realized from the sale of publications.
Student-Teacher "Matter,
Energy,
Aids. and
MCA's
Change—Ex
plorations in Chemistry for Elementary School Children" provides, for the first time, a manual of basic chemistry ex periments for use by elementary school teachers and supervisors. Fifty thousand of these booklets were dis tributed free to superintendents and science supervisors in state, parochial, and independent school areas when it was released in February 1960. An other 22,000 copies were sold before September 1960, MCA says, when Henry Holt & Co. took over its publi cation and sale. At the junior high school level, "Superstition to Supersonics"—both teacher and student editions—suggests experiments that primarily show chemical principles for students in
grades 7 to 9. Teachers' charts, "Science Helps Build a Strong America," "What Science Means to You,'* and "Big Questions of Science," were added to the manuals. Then, a booklet, "Frontiersman of the Future," was published to stir the imagination of young people to find out about career opportunities in the chemical industry. MCA's basic effort for high school students resulted in 31 open-end experiments in chemistry designed to modernize their lab study. When this work was finished, MCA had a series of experiments that could be integrated into a high school curriculum or augmented to provide a full year's chemistry course. Work is now under way on an expanded second edition of die lab manual with publication expected early in 1962. The demand for MCA's junior career guide, "Frontiersman of the Future," indicated to the committee the need for a guide with the same purpose but aimed at more advanced groups at the senior high and early college levelsone that would be helpful to counselors, teachers, and parents, as well as students. "Careers Ahead in the Chemical Industry," which answers this need, was published in the fall of I960. An edition of 25,000 copies lasted just about as long as it took to print a second edition of 75,000, MCA says. And supplies of this edition are now nearly exhausted. Film Program. Secondary school science also benefits from MCA's educational film program. Work on the first two films, "Combustion" and "Chlorine—a Representative Halogen" began in 1957 at Sutherland Educational Films. On release, their popularity left no doubt in the minds of the MCA education committee about continuing the film program. (By April 1961, more than 200 prints of each of the films had been sold.) And, "Oxidation-Reduction" and "The Chemistry of Water," released last year, became the third and fourth films in the series. Since then, the MCA education committee has joined with CHEM Study to produce two films—"Catalysis" and "Nitric Acid"—for this new high school chemistry course. And it expects these films may be on the way to setting new sights in science instruction. It is also helping MCA's General Safety Committee develop a much-wanted motion picture, "Safety in the Chemical Laboratory."
MOLYBDENUM CHEMICAL NEWS MOLYBDENUM
CATALYSTS
P o s s i b l e n e w u s e s f o r 9 9 . 9 % p u r e metallic m o l y b d e n u m . Recent studies by the Climax Research Laboratories indicate that 99.9% pure metallic molybdenum has a high level of catalytic activity despite its low surface area. The scope of molybdenum metal's capabilities is still unknown. A screening study is available. Drop us a line if you want a copy. • A n e w c o m m e r c i a l p r o c e s s which holds promise is the oxidation of ammonia & propylene with bismuth phospho molybdate catalyst in the production of acrylonitrile used primarily for acrylic fibers, electro-luminescent lighting, and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers.
• Most widely u s e d catalyst i n h y d r o g e n treating is cobalt molybdate. Reason: good activity, selectivity, long life, insensitivity to poisons, and low cost. Over* the past 5 years, a number of possible catalyst and carrier combinations have been tried, but cobalt molybdate on alumina has remained at the forefront. This catalyst for hydrogen treating of gasoline has now become widely used as a principal means of removing nitrogen, oxygen, and unstable compounds in refinery operations. It's particularly effective for desulfurization.
• A n e w trend is using Co Mo catalyst for treating distillates such as No. 2 heating oil, kerosene, diesel and process gas oil. For No. 2 heating oil this is especially important in competing with other fuels for the home heating market. Hydrogen treating, for example, reduces heating oil odor; provides cleaner and more uniform burning; increases the life of oil tanks by removing corrosive components; produces a clear & attractive product.
• A c o n d e n s a t i o n reaction using sodium molybdate catalyst to produce phthalocyanine pigments is widely accepted in the color industry. The raw materials in this reaction are phthalic anhydride, urea & copper salts.
• Most chlorination reactions take place readily in the presence of ultra-violet light or low-cost catalyst such as FeCi3. But in hard-to-chlorinate compounds such as phthalic anhydride, M0CI5 can be singularly effective. Tetrachlorophthalic anhydride, the reaction product, is being used as a chemical intermediary.
• O n e p e t r o l e u m h y d r o c r a c k i n g process uses nickel-cobalt-molybdena. Through the catalyzed cracking reaction of oil with hydrogen, middle distillates ranging from kerosenes to heavy gas oils are converted into a flexible yield of gasoline or distillate fuels. Additional benefits include distillates of extremely high purity (even from sour crudes) . . . predominance of branched isomers in light hydrocarbons . . . greatly reduced quantities of light gases . . . olefin-free products . . . and long catalyst life.
• Catalytic r e f o r m i n g using molybdena alumina to achieve higher octane in petroleum naphtha has passed its height of commercial interest. However, the potentiality of this catalyst in dehydrogenation, polymerization and cyclization reactions is still receiving continued attention in other applications. • M o l y b d e n u m c o m p o u n d s have m a n y u s e s other than the purely catalytic. Molybdenum disulfide lubricants are widely used in passenger cars, trucks, missiles. nuclear reactors, and a multitude of industrial applications. Molybdenum trace elements have increasing importance in agriculture. Sodium molybdate is useful for corrosion inhibitors, pigments and dyes. Molybdic oxides are in demand for metal powder, ceramic glazes and porcelain enamel frit. The chemistry of molybdenum is complex. For further information, write to our Chemical Division.
CLIMAX MOLYBDENUM COMPANY a division of American Metal Climax, Inc.
1 2 7 0 A v e n u e of the A m e r i c a s , N e w Y o r k 2 0 , N.Y. JUNE
19, 1961 C&EN 61
N e e d L a b o r a t o r y S u p p l i e s or E q u i p m e n t ?
We invite your consideration of the following items:
INTERNATIONAL CS CENTRIFUGE The new Model CS is essentially a high quality, general purpose centri fuge at a modest price. It swings all but some of the heavier, more complex heads used in larger centrifuges. Complete details are covered in a free 12-page bulletin. H -8810 International Model CS Centrifuge. Contains nearly all the features of larger models. Complete but without heads and related accessories. For 115 or 230 volts A.C.
Each
$695.00
DYNAZOOM® MICROSCOPES Zoom up, zoom down at the twist of a dial with the new Bausch & Lomb DynaZoom® Laboratory Microscopes. The revolutionary MicroZoom® optical system makes "step magnification" obsolete. You can study and photograph specimens at any power from 17.5X to 1940X! Price range: same as before. Flexible: choice of six microscope bodies which are interchangeable on basic stand. Ask us for Bulletin D-185 and price list. Prices start at $ 2 2 9 . 0 0
Each
While MCA continues to make its own film contributions, it has also called to the attention of educators, pictures produced by its member companies and allied groups. "Film Guide on Chemicals, Chemistry, and the Chemical Industry," first issued in April 1958, currently describes 223 pictures and their sources. It has by now become a standard reference cata log, according to MCA. Teacher Awards. Most of MCA's efforts in the emergency program were directed to high school science, but the education committee believed an equally useful service would be to focus public attention on the impor tance of science teaching. Its College Chemistry Teacher Awards Program, started in June 1957, does this by recognizing outstanding college chem istry teachers. Each year, six teach ers, chosen by an independent com mittee, are honored at MCA's annual meeting in June. Receiving the 1961 awards earlier this month were Dr. Richard M. Badger, California Institute of Tech nology; Dr. Ellis L. Krause, Marietta (Ohio) College; Dr. Samuel P. Massie, Jr., Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn.; Dr. Louis A. Pappenhagen, Mount Union College, Alliance, Ohio; Dr. John R. Sampey, Jr., Furman Univer sity, Greenville, S.C.; and Dr. R. Nel son Smith, Pomona College, Clarcmont, Calif.
OHAUS DEC-O-GRAM This new, low-priced triple beam balance weighs up to 2610 grams. Beams, bow and 6,f pan are stainless steel; pillar has red finish and rest of balance has an attractive gray finish. Balance comes complete with attachment weights. H-2863 Triple Beam Balance, Ohaus Dec-O-Gram. Center beam: to 500 grams in 100-gram divisions. Rear beam: to 100 grams in 10-gram divisions. Front beam: to 10 grams in 0.1-gram divisions. With specific gravity platform, spirit level and adjustable feet.
Each
$42.00
LABORATORY CARTS Save time, cut down on breakage and move things the sensible way—on lab carts (all stainless steel).
BRIEFS The National Science Foundation is continuing its program to develop new laboratory apparatus and equipment for science and math teaching. Grants totaling $716,000 for 1961 will help finance 56 projects ranging from the design of devices that will measure responses of the eye and ear to a boron trifluoride pile oscillator for use in nuclear training reactors.
H-7915 Heavy Duty Cart (illustrated). Carrying capacity is 400 pounds. Overall: 1 7 % " χ 3 0 " χ 32 1 Λ // high. With guard rails. Each
Case Institute of Technology, Cleve land, has started an Archive of Con temporary Science and Technology to house research manuscripts and rec ords and other scientific materials from individuals and laboratories.
$67.00
H-7916 Utility Cart. Carrying capacity is 200 pounds. Overall: }5Vi// χ 2 7 " χ 31'Λ" high. Without guard rails. Each $35.75 (Note: on West Coast $71.00 and $37.95 respectively)
HARSHAW SCIENTIFIC Division of The Harshaw Chemical Co. · Cleveland 6, Ohio SUPPLYING THE NATION'S LABORATORIES FROM COAST TO COAST SALES BRANCHES AND WAREHOUSES CLEVELAND 6, OHIO 1945 East 97th Street
CINCINNATI 13, OHIO 6265 Wiehe Road DETROIT 28, MICH. 9240 Hubbell Ave.
HOUSTON 1 1 , TEXAS 6622 Supply Row LOS ANGELES 32, CAL. 3237 So. Garfield A v e .
OAKLAND 1, CAL. 5321 East 8th Street PHILADELPHIA 48, PA. Jackson & Swanson Sts.
SALES OFFICES · Baton Rouge 6, La. · Buffalo 2, H. Y. · Hastings-On-Hudson 6, N.Y. · Pittsburgh 22, Pa.
62
C&EN
JUNE
19,
1961
The Squibb Institute for Medical Re search will award an annual fellow ship of $15,000 to one of its research scientists for Ph.D. study at the uni versity of his choice.
