LABORATORY OF THE M O N T H • New international Minerals and Chemical Corp. analytical control lab to bring saving of over $40,000 annually x \ . s THE operations of International Minerals and Chemical Corp. expanded in the Florida phosphate fields, greater demands were put on the analytical control labs. So many determinations (328,000 in 1953) had to be made for ' process control, for customers, and for referees in cases of dispute that the several individual small laboratories attached to each plant became swamped and inefficient. After a thorough study of location and methods the company decided to establish a central control laboratory at the Noralyn, Fla., plant. As set up by the chemists and the engineering department, the specifications stated, "all work and materials used shall be of prime quality. No used, reconditioned, or inferior materials or products shall be employed in any of the items produced or installed as a part of this contract." The wisdom of this policy and the effectiveness of the layout and specially designed units are evident now after the lab has been tested in actual operation. The spick and span, air-conditioned atmosphere along with the high quality facilities, has had a marked beneficial effect on the staff and its work. According to the engineering study it was estimated that the new lab should save the company $40,000 to $50,000 a year as a result of improved efficiency.
Built to International's specification is this assembly of automatic dispensing burets, hot plates, and hoods used for digestion of samples. All controls are on panel below shelf. Acid carboys to supply burets are kept outside of building. They are embedded in several inches of plaster of Paris to prevent hazard of explosions. Teflon and polyethylene tubing connects carboys to dispensing burets and provides compressed air to top of carboys. When acid is wanted, a push button on panel is used to actuate solenoid valve thereby introducing compressed air into carboy and forcing acid into the automatic dispensing burets. Safety showers are provided in front of each unit Sample receiving room. In spite of bulk and number of samples handled, good housekeeping prevails
A portion of the balance room where hundreds of thousands of weighings must be made each year. Conveniently located between sample p r e p a ration room and process room, the balance room is equipped with sitstand furniture to provide for comfortable working position. High school graduates are specially trained as balance technicians and work under supervision of professionally trained chemists. They change stations throughout the lab during their shifts to minimize monotony
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1954
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LABORATORY OF THE MONTH
Additional process tables are provided for other standard tests—determination of iron and aluminum phosphates by dichromate meltiod, and acid insolubles. Occasionally samples are also run for complete analysis. This involves methods for uranium, fluorine, lime, and trace metals such as vanadium, titanium, sulfur, sodium, potassium, etc.
A process table especially designed for method of determining tricalcium phosphate. Conveniently located next to digestion bench, the table was built entirely of stainless steel. The stirring machine which handles twenty samples at a time was designed by International's chemists and engineers and built by the Florida Division of Food M a chinery and Chemical Corp. A vacuum tank under bench is provided to speed up filtering and washing operation. From the process table the samples go to conveniently located titration tables
Special lab of Chief Chemist H. H. Edwards is used for nonroutine work and research on improved methods of analysis. One of the hoods is designed especially for work with perchloric acid
Acid and standard solution Underneath the acid carboys When transferring acid, a slide next to the bottle is opened are exhausted to the outside
storage room. is an air duct. door in the hood and the fumes
A clerical office is maintained for accurate record keeping. Visualizing equipment is mounted on easy-moving standard typewriter tables for ready access
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1954
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