Langmuir 1987,3, 445-446
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WILLIAM ALBERT ZISMAN, 1905-1986
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With the m i n e of William Albert Zisman.the scientific communi@-moumed the loss of a pioneer in surface science. The Naval Research Laboratory honored its former official for his many contributions in the fields of surface chemistry and lubrication. His friends recalled a vibrant personality-enthusiastic, candid, and caring. Bill was an insiihtfd scientist who combined stimulating administrative leadership with the rigorous pursuit of research. He had a rare talent for unifyingfundamental with applied research. He extended surface-chemicalconcepts to practical applications and, conversely, isolated the Scientificcore of practical Drohlems to determine future research directions. He d&sed ingenious experimental approaches, developed illuminating concepts, and promoted innovative applications. His expertise extended to many areas: monomolecular f h s adsorbed on liquids and solids, wetting and spreading, the critical surface tension of wetting (73 and its constitutive relationship, adhesion, protective coatings, corrosion inhibition, friction and wear, synthetic lubricants, and barrier films. Bill was born in Albany, NY, but spent most of his life in the Washington, DC, area. He received his B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1927 and his M.S. in 1928 as a Malcolm Cotton Brown Fellow in physics For his thesis he developed a method of measuring Volts potentials which has become standard. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1932 with a thesis on electrolyte conductivity at extremely high pressures. He remained for 2 years as a postdoctoral research associate. His work dealt with the nature of the earth’s core. His career in the physical sciences, however, was interrupted by the Depression. He held several positions with Federal New Deal agencies. His most personally satisfying assignment was his involvement with the design . of the first planned community-Greenbelt, MD. He resumed his scientific career as a visitine resident scientist at the Geophysical Laboratory of thecarnegie Institution of Washington. There he began his seminal series of papers on the spreading of oils on water. His early recognition of the overriding influence of adsorbable species at park-per-million concentrations led to one hallmark of his subsequent surface-chemical research the scrupulous purification of chemicals and the rigorous precleaning of all potential contacting surfaces. Bill’s
observation of persistent nonwetting behavior in a repeatedly cleaned system led to his development of the retraction method for isolating oleophobic monolayers adsorbed on solid surfaces. During this period Bill discussed his research with Dr. Irving Langmuir at the General Electric Research Laboratory and was strongly encouraged to pursue his career in surface chemistry. In 1939 Bill joined the Naval Regearch Laboratory. He served as Head of the Lubrication Branch (subsequently renamed Surface Chemistd until 1956.na Suuerintendent of the Chemistry Division &til 1968,&d as Chef Scientist of the Laboratory for Chemical Physics until he retired in 1975. A Chair of Science was created for him in 1969 to honor his scientific achievements. Administratively, Bill placed a high value on the team BDDrOach to research. encouraeine cromdiscbline venturea long before interdisciplinary pakcipation was recognized as a productive management ml. Believing that the exchange of information was vital for scientific progress, he urged his colleagues to contribute to the open literature whenever oermissihle. In addition to his manv Naw reporta, Bilf published over 150 papers appearkg intwo dozen refereed journals, contributed chapters to several books, and held 36 patenta of benefit to prviate industry as well as the Department of Defense. Despite his increasing administrative responsibilities, Bill persisted in his research in surface chemistry and lubrication. Working with a small team, he conducted research in seemingly unrelated areas but managed to achieve an impressive coherence. For example, techniques were developed for isolating oleophobic, hydrophobic, -and autoohobic monolaven of amohiDathic molecules adsorbed direitly on high-skrface-energy solids, thus converting them to a state of lower surface energy. The use of the solid substrate enabled the measurement of wetting, friction, and durability. Parallel wetting studies on retracted monolayers and on organic polymer solids of inherently low surface energy led to the yo concept and demonstrated the latter’s relationship to localized additive contributions from the outermost surface moieties. Jointly, these studies showed that the adsorption of oleophobic monolayers and the concomitant liquid retraction are naturally occurring phenomena. This discovery provided a rationale for the behavior of the technologically important nonspreading oils of natural origin. It also enabled the formulation of synthetic nonspreading oils with reproducible behavior, lower cost, and wider availability. Structural guides for “tailoring” lubricants had been derived from fundamental studies relating molecular structure to lubricating and temperature/viscosity properties. The application of these guidelines permitted extending the useful temperature range of the oils. Nonspreading instrument oils were developed for service at 435 OF to overcome the uroblem of loses due to aircraft cannon freezing at the high altitudes newly reachable by iet olanes at the time of the Korean War. These svnthetic formulationsalso solved a host of other problems, however, including delicate-mechanismlubrication for commercial aviation and satellite equipment. Meanwhile an alternate approach was sought for combating operational failures in systems for which nonspreading oils were inappropriate. The failure of miniature high-speed bearings proved directly attributable to lubricant loss by creep. A solution to the problem emerged
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0743-7463/87/2403-0445$01.50/0 0 1987 American Chemical Society
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Langmuir, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1987
from the physical chemical exploration of the then-unknown area between surface chemistry and organic fluorine chemistry. A thin layer of a poorly wettable fluoropolyner was deposited as an annular ring surrounding the bearing area to serve as a permanent barrier to lubricant migration. The barrier films are now in wide use in computers both on earth and in outer space. Bill's achievements in pure and applied science are widely known; his attitudes' and philosophy were more quietly held but no less appreciated by his colleagues and friends. He consistently referred to "long-term research", maintaining that only time would prove whether it is also basic. He maintained a standing interest in projects well past the developmental stage, providing technical support if problems arose in production or application. In his publications Bill demonstrated his respect for the contribution of each team member by insisting on a strictly alphabetical listing of the authors-a telling gesture from a senior leader whose surname began with "Z". His attitude toward research was epitomized by his response to being gently chided for including in a manuscript some duly labeled but highly speculative material: "There's not much reason to climb a mountain if you aren't going to look around when you reach the top". This is his inspiring legacy to all who climb the scientific mountain. Bill was unfailingly generous with his time and expertise both to colleagues and to the endless procession of visitors from academic, industrial, military, and medical areas. He was an inspiring mentor to generations of surface scientists within the Federal establishment as well as the more conventional educational institutions. He lectured and directed doctoral research in colloid and surface chemistry at the Georgetown University and American University Graduate Schools; he lectured for the Western Reserve series of Frontiers in Chemistry and at numerous industrial laboratories and professional society meetings. Among his other professional contributions, Bill served
on the Westheimer Commission which prepared the 1965 Survey of Basic Chemistry in the USA. From 1961 to 1967 he was Secretary of the IUPAC Commission on Colloid and Surface Chemistry. He was active in the American Chemical Society, holding various offices including Chairman of the Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry in 1958 and President of the Washington Chemical Society in 1965. Additionally he was a member or Fellow of the American Physical Society, American Society of Lubrication Engineers, Washington Academy of Sciences, New York Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi, and the Scientific Research Society of America. Among the many honors paid to Bill was the Honorary Doctor of Science degree bestowed by the Clarkson College of Technology in 1965 "in recognition of his achievements as an administrator and scientist". The American Chemical Society honored him with the Carbide and Carbon Award in 1955, the Kendall Award in 1963, and the Borden Award in 1976. Other awards included the 1961 National Award of the American Society of Lubrication Engineers, the 1969 Mayo D. Hersey Award of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the 1971 Joseph J. Mattiello Award of the Federation of Societies for Paint Technology. His Government recognition included the Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Secretary of the Navy in 1954, the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Secretary of Defense in 1964, and the Captain Robert Conrad Dexter Award of the Office of Naval Research in 1968. On July 21,1986, Bill succumbed to pneumonia following a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Ester Baitz Zisman, daughter, Sandra Ruth Zisman, and sister, Leona N. Zisman. He is sorely missed by his family, friends, and colleagues. He leaves behind a rich legacy to science and to those who still have mountains to climb.
