RESEARCH
Research Continues Up Research in industrial laboratories will increase 6 to 7 % this y e a r , amount to about $2.75 billion M o r e industry, less government support desirable for basic research; suggested goal for industry: $ 2 0 million BERKELEY, C A L I F . - T h e U. S. today puts a goodly share of its attention on research and development, with some 450,000 people accounting for nearly $4 billion a year in all phases. And there is little doubt that this effort will continue to grow. Specifically, industry's share will grow by 6 to 7% this year and amount to $1.9 billion, according to California Research Corp.'s president, A. L. Ly man. Add to this an $850 million con tribution by the Federal Government for work in industrial laboratories, and the total comes to $2.75 billion, Lyman told the 121st meeting of the Associa tion for the Advancement of Science. This amounts to a fourfold increase in dollar effort since 1941 when work in industrial laboratories, regardless of fund sources, amounted to about $660 million (approximately a doubling of effort when changes in dollar value are considered). Lyman bases his predictions on a survey of about 120 large and small manufacturers Cal Research undertook late last year. Asked to estimate their research and development efforts in terms of 1952 actual expenditures, the surveyed companies indicated a steady increase of 1953 over 1952 and of 1954 over 1953. Lyman projects this steady increase into this year. Significant is the fact that some in dustries are increasing research effort faster than others. While those tradi tionally high in research—aircraft, chemicals, electrical machinery, petro leum—will continue to be so, others, such as stone and clay products, tex tiles, paper, food, and metal fabrica tion, are turning more and more to research. Activities of some of these are up 50 to 100%, 1955 over 1952, whereas over-all industry average is about 30%. Government Research—Steady. No one who has looked at a research bud get in recent years can fail to realize what an impact federal government activities have had. In fiscal 1953, for instance, total national effort in re search and development totaled $3.78 billion, according to Raymond H. Ewell, National Science Foundation. Of this total, the Government contrib uted 50%, industry 4 3 % , and state governments 5%, with the balance—2% 218
—coming from foundations, universities, professional societies, and similar or ganizations. Following an increase in government spending during fiscal 1948 through 1952, activity for fiscal 1953 through 1955 has been constant at about $1.85 billion. Ewell points this out as pres ent administration policy of putting the brake on expenditures, and he predicts for the foreseeable future that govern ment research and development ex penditures will remain at about this level, pending, of course, any marked change in the international cold war situation. • Basic Research Goal The scientific community today, significantly enough, is not spending much time telling itself how important basic research is and warning itself to start filling its depleted storehouse; it is now examining ways and means for improvement. The AAAS's industrial science section was no exception dur ing a day-long look at basic research from the viewpoints of Government, university, and industry. The con sensus: less dependence on the Fed
eral Government for money, more re liance on industry and private citizens. Take universities, the place where basic research is and should be done. According to Kenneth S. Pitzer, Uni versity of California, universities have historically been beset by budget prob lems, face even greater ones when de luged by the population bulge a few years hence. Not only will it be neces sary to increase university funds; it will also be necessary t o get money for basic research in such a way as to leave men free to do their types of research. Best way to accomplish this, Pitzer says, is for money to come through the normal university budget. But as most university budgets are inadequate to finance* /researchV properly, they must be supplemented·by^otJier»seources, one of wKich is the Gov^frrrrYe^t. ζ* ".^ ^ Government support is especially'necessary tor large-scale projects, ^such as UC's radiation laboratory. Pitzer wonders, however, whether it would not be better for the relatively large number of more normal research proj ects—involving one or two staff mem bers and several graduate students— to be supported via the university rather than through grants to the indi vidual scientists. Pitzer sees these difficulties inherent in an individual grant program: in vestigators more likely to submit proj ects they feel will b e supported; re luctance to call off or change a project's direction once started; attempts to d e fine projects in too rigid terms. These all tend to limit someone engaged in basic research, thus limiting the free-
N e w Buildings N e a r Completion a t Battelle Large scale studies in chemical engineering, metallurgy, and''mineral^^ocessu^^^ill' be carried out in the first units;nëaririg completion for an expanded prbSraSSn C4H^ CaHs-
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STANNOUS
OCTOATE
ST A N N O U S
O L E ATE
Examples of these new tin soaps are Stannous Octoate and Stannous Oleate, which have the following properties: CHEMICAL NAME
FORMULA
DESCRIPTION
Stannous Octoate
Sn(C 8 H i e Q 2 ) 2
A clear, light yellow, some what viscous fluid. Con tains approximately 28% tin.
Used as a polymeri zation catalyst for curing silicone oil emulsions.
Stannous Oleate
SniCeH^O^
A clear yellow viscous liquid. Contains approxi mately 17% tin. Can be emulsified readily without adding protective colloids.
Experimentally used as a catalyst for cur i n g s i l i c o n e oil emulsions.
SUGGESTED USES
Other similar tin soaps which have been produced o n a labora tory scale are: STANNOUS STANNOUS STANNOUS STANNOUS
CAPRATE CAPRlOATÊi CAPRYÉÀTE LAURATE
STANNOUS MYRISTATE
s^Argrsittus NÀPHTHENATE STANNOUS PALMITATE STANNOUS STEARATE
If chemicals of this type have a place in your processing, o u r Technical Service people will be glad to discuss their applica tion with you. Meanwhile, write for more detailed data o h M&T Stannous Soaps. Ajâ. va*
M E T M ^ . T H I R M L T .CORPORATION
IJmmtâ&C
l^Î4MdAj&7L
100 EAST 42nd ST., NEW YORK 17, Ν. Υ.
220
trois. T h e work is n o t i n t e n d e d t o d e velop s p e c i a l crops for h u m a n c o n sumption. T h e foods w e r e c h o s e n b e cause t h e y t a k e u p fluorine readily, a c cording to January issue of / . Agr. Food Chern. ί S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a A i r Pollution Foundation is c h a n g i n g its n a m e t o Air Pollution F o u n d a t i o n . C h a n g e is indic ative o f r e c o g n i t i o n b y t h e f o u n d a tion that air pollution is of national concern. N a t i o n a l s u p p o r t for t h e foundation's activities is g r o w i n g . D i rector L a u r e n B . H i t c h c o c k is confer ring w i t h g o v e r n m e n t a g e n c i e s c o n cerning t h e t y p e s of research projects various g o v e r n m e n t a g e n c i e s m a y b e able to u n d e r t a k e . In H i t c h c o c k ' s o p i n ion „ it is natural for t h e F e d e r a l G o v ernment t o support t h e foundation's work s i n c e air pollution i s c o m m o n t o many of t h e nation's u r b a n areas. t G e o c h e m i s t r y off t h o r i u m w i l l b e studied b y R i c e Institute's g e o l o g y d e partment. J o h n A. S. A d a m s a n d John J. W . R o g e r s will c o n d u c t t h e threeyear p r o g r a m s u p p o r t e d b y a $ 2 6 , 0 0 0 annual grant from t h e R o b e r t A . W e l c h Foundation. • D a m o n R u n y o n M e m o r i a l Fund for Cancer R e s e a r c h a l l o c a t e d $ 6 0 , 2 0 0 i n December for research projects. Among t h e grants is o n e f o r $ 1 5 , 0 0 0 t o N e w York A c a d e m y of S c i e n c e s t o s u p port t w o c o n f e r e n c e s o n C y t o l o g y a n d Cytochemistry a n d o n O n c o l o g y stud ies on c a n c e r p r o b l e m s . M e e t i n g s w i l l be held i n M a y 1 9 5 5 . • T e x a s A & M R e s e a r c h F o u n d a t i o n re ceives $ 5 0 0 0 from H o b l i t z e l l e F o u n d a tion of D a l l a s . Gift is i n r e c o g n i t i o n of the foundation's 1 0 t h anniversary. D e cision as t o u s e of t h e m o n e y w i l l b e made later. • N o m i n a t i o n s for Sloan Fellowships to participate in MIT's e x e c u t i v e d e v e l o p m e n t program w i l l b e a c c e p t e d until M a r c h 4 , 1 9 5 5 . E a c h of t h e 3 0 to 3 5 f e l l o w s h i p s a w a r d e d h e l p s d e fray a part of t h e p r o g r a m costs. E a c h candidate must be nominated b y his e m p l o y e r a n d "have from h i m t h e promise of financial support for t h e year. Information m a y b e o b t a i n e d from t h e Director of E x e c u t i v e D e v e l o p m e n t Program, M I T School of I n dustrial M a n a g e m e n t , 5 0 M e m o r i a l Dr., C a m b r i d g e 3 9 , M a s s . • Elmer Peter Kohler Fellowship n o m i n a t i o n s w i l l b e a c c e p t e d until F e b . 8E n d o w e d b y contributions from students a n d other friends of Kohler, fellowship w a s established t o permit a student to carry o n g r a d u a t e work i n chemistry. Nominations should b e sent to C h a i r m a n of C h e m i s t r y D e p a r t ment, Harvard University, Cambridge 38, Mass.
CHEMICAL
AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
