Pittsburgh Symposium o n Analytical Chemistry A STAFF REPORT A HE analytical chemists of industrial Pittsburgh turned out in large attendance for the first of a series of symposia on analytical chemistry sponsored .by the local section of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL
SOCIETY. The meeting, which was held in the auditorium of the Mellon Institute on Feb. 23, was planned a n d conducted b y the Analytical Division of the AMERI CAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY'S Pittsburgh Sec
tion. This division, until a year ago when it became part of the local section, was known as the Society for Analytical Chem ists of Pittsburgh and includes many out standing analytical chemists of companies and universities of tha^ area. The meeting, at which ten technical papers on various developments i n ana lytical chemisty were presented, w a s pre sided over b y H. V. Churchill, chief chem ist of the Aluminum Co. of America. James Cooperman, president of the S o ciety for Analytical Chemists of Pitts burgh, and R. N . Wenzel, chairman of t h e Pittsburgh Section of the AMERICAN
T. C. Dry son, Westing house Electric Co.; A. W. Danko, Westinghouse tric Co.; R. G. Russell, Gulf Research and Development Co.; and Ruprecht, Harbison Walker Co., were four of those who presented
Elec B. C. papers
CHEMICAL SOCIETY, delivered the opening
addresses of the meeting a n d welcomed the gathering to this initial symposium. The keynote of the symposium w a s given in the address by L. T . Hallett of General Aniline and Film Corp. and asso ciate editor of the Analytical Edition of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, when he called upon analytical chemists t o think of themselves a s such and not t o allow their specialized fields to separate them into other groups and thereby lose the basic purpose of analysis. H e main tained that the well-integrated analytical laboratory is one in which t h e spectroscopist, the microscopist, the instrumental technician, and the wet-method analyst work in close harmony, each supplement ing the abilities of the other. Dr. Hallett further declared that instrumental analy sis should not be considered a s something completely supplanting other methods of H. F. Beeghly,
VOLUME
τ. y--* yv«,-y;."-.;, rrvyvi James
Cooperman, Laboratories
analysis but rather as something aug menting them After luncheon C . F. Winans, Koppers Co., gave his paper, "Analytical Chem istry in an Organic Chemical Plant". Dr. "Winans used h i s company's butadiene and styrene plant a t Monaca, Pa., as a typical example of an organic chemical plant where accurate a n d rapid analysis of t h e product at t h e various steps of pro duction is imperative for all efficiency of operations. B y u s e of projected aerial photographs of t h e plant he showed the strategic location of several control labo ratories near the consecutively located
Jones and Laughlin
Co., and H. V. Churchill
24, N O .
» MARCH
6 » *
R. N. Wenzel, Electric
Pentagon
25,
1946
G. W. Kelch,
Fisher
Westinghouse Co·
plant units. Statistical study showed that this placement of laboratories made possible a rate of several control deter minations a minute. In addition t o t h e regular analytical laboratories, it was •necessary to have a gas analysis labora tory and a methods and procedures labora tory where research could be done on t h e improvement of existing determination methods and the development of new ones. T h e personnel safety problem in t h e organic chemical field is no small one, Dr. Winans pointed out, and a physiologi cal laboratory for periodic examinations is a necessity i n an organic chemical plant Scientific
Co., and C. F.
Winans
781
