Engineering and Science, Volume 10:9, December 1947

ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY DECEMBER 1947 PUBLISHED BY CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION THE MARCH OF SCIENCE HEATING A PIECE OF METAL BY OPEN FLAME, BLOW-TORCH OR FURNACE IS RELATIVELY SLOW-APT TO LEAVE SCALE... I'S HARD TO HEAT ONE SPECIFIC AREA WITHOUT HEATING THE WHOLE PIECE. MIRACLE HEAT- without fire or furnace! PRODUCTION MEN REALIZED HEAT-TREATING OPERATIONS SUCH AS FORGING, PRECISION BRAZING AND SURFACE HARDENING COULD BE STEPPED WAY UP IF A FASTER METHOD OF HEATING COULD BE FOUND... ONE WHICH WOULD CONCENTRATE THE HEAT AT PRE-SELECTED AREAS! HEAT BY INDUCTION SEEMED LIKE THE ANSWER. SCIENCE HAD ALREADY DISCOVERED THAT METALS HEAT RAPIDLY WHEN INTRODUCED INTO A HIGH FREQUENCY, HIGH DENSITY MAGNETIC FIELD! A NEW ELEGTRONIC HEATER DESIGNED BY ALLIS-CHALMERS SCIENTISTS AMAZING PRODUCTION TOOL RECTIFIES ORDINARY 60-CYCLE CURRENT THEN STEPS IT UP TO 450,000 CYCLES. A MAGNETIC FIELD OF HIGH DENSITY IS SET UP IN WORK COIL AND WHEN METAL IS INTRODUCED INTO THIS FIELD, PASSAGE OF CURRENT CAUSES POWER LOSSES WHICH PRO- SIMPLEAS DUCE HEAT WITHIN THE METAL WITH INCREDIBLE SWIFTNESS. PLACE METAL IN WORK COIL... BIG BENEFITS: COMPLETE, SELECTIVE CONTROL OF HEAT PENETRATION... EXACT UNIFORMITY... PUSH BUTTON GREATLY INCREASED PRODUCTION! METAL IS HOT IN SPLIT SECONDS ALLIS-CHALMERS MANUFACTURING CO. MILWAUKEE 1, WIS. ELECTRONIC HEATER IS ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF HOW ALLIS -CHALMERS RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCE GO TO WORK FINDING BETTER, FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT WAYS OF HANDLING PRODUCTION PROBLEMS -ANOTHER GOOD REASON WHY A-C EQUIPMENT IS IN DEMAND IN EVERY MAJOR INDUSTRY... ALLIS CHALMERS ONE OF THE BIG 3 IN ELECTRIC POWER EQUIPMENT BIGGEST OF ALL IN RANGE OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS BY-LINES HOWARD G. VESPER Howard G. Ves- per grduated from C.I.T. in 1922 in chemical engineering and went to work for Standard Oil Company. California. of He has been with this firm ever since. In 1931 Mr. Vesper was transferred from manager Segundo Calif. branch of of the Standard's Research and Development Depart- ment to San Francisco as a staff assistant to the general manager of that Department. From 1933 to 1937 was spent in New York and the East as a technical representative and marketing 1938 Vesper various products. In returned to the West and became assistant manager and then manager of Standard's sales of lubricating products; and later man- ager of gasoline, diesel fuel and fuel oil sales. In December 1945 he was elected president of the California Research Corporation, Standard's subsidiary responsible for all research, development, patents and licensing work for Standard and its affiliated companies. FRANK B. JEWETT JR. Frank B. Jewett Ji, vice-president and manager of the Vacuum Engineer. ing Division of the National Research Corporation, graduated from the California in Institute in 1938 with a B.S. mechanical engineering. As an undergraduate active he was in student exceptionally class affairs, serving as senior president, A.S.B. vice- president, Beaver president, and on the board of control. found time Jewett also for participation in foot- ball, track, baseball, and rugby. After graduation he took the M.B.A. degree at Harvard, and stayed on for a third year as research assistant at the Harvard School of Business. In 1941 he joined the National Research Cor-poration. COVER CAPTION See page 2. ENGINEERING AND MONTHLY SCIENCE published through July, by the month'y; October Alumni California Institute 1201 East of Association, California Technology, Inc., Street, Pasadena 4, California. Annual subscription $3.50, single copies 35 cents. matter at the Entered Post Office fornia, Pa sadona second class of March Reserved. 1879. 1939, Cali- under the act 'eproduction of Rights tained heretr authorization. forbidden material without written DECEMBER 1947 ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE monthly The Truth Shall Make You Free CONTENTS FOR DECEMBER 1947 Index to Advertisers With the Editor Letters to the Editor Research in Industry By Howard G. Vesper Industrial High Vacuum By Frank B. Jewett Jr. C.I.T. News Report from Camp Radford By Leonard F. Herzog Alumni News With the Board Alumni Personals 2 3 3 5 8 • 14 16 18 19 20 ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY Published at the California Institute of Technology Member of the American Alumni Council UBLICATIONS COMMITTEE: Harry K. Farrar '27, Chairman; Charles C AImquist Jr. '44; Richard H. Jahns '35; Robert G. Smith '31; Victor V. Vesey '36 EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Harry K. Farrar, Chairman; Professor George W. Beadle, biology; Professor Robert D. Gray, industrial relations; George H. Hall, administrative assistant to the President; Bruce A. Worcester, president, ASCIT; Professor Richard H. Jahns, geology and geophysics; Professor Willian H. Pickering '32, electrical engineering; Professor John A. Schutz, humanities; Professor Ernest C. Watson, physics and mathematics. EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: Professor of English George R. MacMinn. STAFF Editor-in-Chief_ Harry K. Farrar '27 Business Manager. Wesley P. Bunnelle Managing Editor. Wesley P. Bunnelle Circulation Manager.. W. D. Sellers '25 Associate and News Editor-Pearl A. Tolmsoff Page 1 The Main Line DECEMBER, 1947 Going home for Christmas? Wondering how you'll ever stretch your budget to cover all those items on your gift list-plus trip cost too? Then wonder no more. We have the solution: get a Rail Traveloan - pay for your trip on time, the way you'd pay for a car or refrigerator. This Rail Traveloan is a very neat, logical new gimmick being offered by us. You can arrange one to cover rail transportation-plus Pullman We're expecting-in a professional and hotel bills, incidentals en route way, that is. ...even clothes and equipment! We're to be blessed with more new equipment for our Los Angeles- Just fill out a brief application form Chicago Golden State Route-and at your S.P. Agent's and let him we're as jittery as any expectant handle the rest. No co-signers; no parent you ever knew. You see, upon exhaustive inquiries; no red tape. the delivery, here's what happens: We'll have a streamlined, truly start until after your trip-go di- smooth-riding, de luxe speed train. rect to a bank. You can have a year hustling cross-country on a schedule or longer to repay, and the interest that will provide the finest and fast- rates are low. Ask your near-by S.P. est service we've ever had between Agent to show you just how low. No Los Angeles and Chicago. obligation, of course. When we say "smooth-riding," ** we really mean smooooth-a train glide, not a train ride in the con- Mardi Gras, February 10, 1948! ventional sense of the word. Credit Interested? We don't doubt it. Lo- for this "Golden State Glide" goes renzo-our demon statistician-main- in king-size measure to a very happy tains that 99.444% of America's sane combination of route, roadbed and adult population plans someday to the new equipment. hie to New Orleans for this most The Golden State Route is the low-glamorous, most exciting, most... altitude route East-graded, banked Well, for this super-fete. and routed to give you on-the-level Why not make this your year for comfort all the way. A student en- the Mardi Gras-and give yourself gineer with two left feet and a mu- a special sight-seeing bonus by going seum-piece train could give you a via S.P.'s Los Angeles-New Orleans "good" ride over the line-so when Route? Go via the Sunset an expert S.P. "hogger" mounts to Limited, and you can easily work in the cabin of the new train, you're due a side trip to fabulous Carlsbad Cav- for a ride that is out of this world. erns - see the Alamo-drop over the We can't invite you to the chris-border to Mexico. Talk over an itin- tening of our expected-yet. Storks erary with your S.P. Agent. He'll -even train-delivering storks-still gladly advise you. set their own schedules. However, the event should be very soon, and From the bottom of the column - the minute the date is set we'll sound and from the bottom of our hearts out loud and clear. As the fella says -Merry Christmas and a Happy on the radio, "See your local news- New Year from all 90,000 of us at paper for further information." Southern Pacific to you and yours. S•Pine triondly Southern Pacitic Page 2 Index to Advertisers Allen Machine & Tool Co. Allis-Chalmers Army and Navy Academy Atkinson Laboratory Berkley Engineering & Equipment Co. Braun Corporation Cheney, Lyle H. Essick Manufacturing Co. Grondahl, Harold O. Iron-Wood Company, The McDonald Co., B. F Mock Printing Scott & Company Smith-Emery Company Smoot-Holman Company Special Tools and Machinery Co. Southern California Edison Co.. Southern Pacific Co. Square D Company Sto-Cant Engineering Co. Union Oil Company U.S. Electrical Motors 3rd Cover Ind Cover 3rd Cover 3rd Cover 3rd Cover 17 3 3rd Cover 3rd Cover 20 17 17 3rd Cover 3rd Cover 17 19 17 3rd Cover Back Cover COVER CAPTION Informal discussion at the 1947 Freshman Camp at Camp Radford in the San Bernardino Mountains. A plentiful amount of time was alloted for incoming students to talk over their plans and problems with upperclassmen and faculty members between orientation periods morning, afternoon, and evening. Pic- tured here are Dr. D. S. Clark, associate professor of mechanical engineering, director of placements, and secretary of the Alumni Association, in the fore- ground, and Dean of Students Franklin Thomas, who has been professor of civil engineering since 1915. At least one faculty member and an undergraduate leader slept in each cabin, making them available to freshmen for questions and comment over 18 hours per day. ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY With the Editor-. GREMLINS haven't bothered ye editor very much but recently they slipped one over. He had plannec to include in the October issue short accounts of two very pleasant experiences of the summer; but the office gremlins put the copy in the wrong file, and so the articles were not published. According to schedule, the October E &S was issued several days after the copy for the November E &S was complete; so the December issue is our first chance to tell you about the parties held by Vice-President and Mrs. Howard Lewis in July and by President and Mrs. Morton Jacobs in In both cases the Board of Directors and their guests assembled in the afternoon to play badminton, tennis, croquet, and other games and later enjoyed excellent lowed by what was to be a short business interlude bit re games te resumed. To the dinouncent of particularly Mort, who had announced every attempt must be made to make business meetings short, the business meeting lasted until nearly midnight when it was recessed to be resumed at a special meeting a few days later. In spite of the disappointment, how-ever, this and Howard Lewis' party will remain in the memories of the guests as two of the most pleasant events of the summer. In the October issue we told of a discussion between the managing editor and ye editor regarding the rarity of letters commending our eftorts or telling of disagree- which led to the ESSICK MANDFASTURNG LOS ANGELES More than a Quarter Century of Leadership Builders of PLASTER MIXERS ALL STEEL CONCRETE MIXERS TWO-MAN SUCTION DREDGES STEEL-FRAME CONTRACTORS HOISTS EVAPORATIVE AIR COOLERS AIR-POWER WEED SPRAYING EQUIPMENT PORTABLE PAINT SPRAYING EQUIPMENT SELF-PRIMING PUMPS ESSICK MANUFACTURING CO. TUcker 5144 1950 Santa Fe Ave. Los Angeles 21 that up to now, time has proved that the M.E. was right - three months have passed and no comment has been received on the article. However, several alumni were spurred to action by ye editor's column. Excerpts from some of the letters are included herewith. That's a good start; keep it up. Letters to the Editor JUST a note to commend you for your excellent magazine. Why not carry the Humanities to the Alumni? You might reviews and essays (non-technical) supplied by he Humanities Department. You could even carry articles on Atomic Energy and the United Nations. -J. Kohl '40 Recent articles on these subjects will be found in E&S for Jan., Feb., April, May, June, October 1946; April and Nov 1947. We shall continue to be on the lookout for such ma- terial. -Ed. .. THE LACK of reaction on the part of the Alumni can b nterpreted in the way you describe, ... or it can be interprete in another way which places the blame squarely on the shoulder of the editorial staff; namely that if a magazine is not reac The first article is good from the standpoint of the engineers working in California or who expect to work there. I have not worked in California for over 10 years nor do I expect to while drawing The next four pages have news items whick, e same applies some interest, so the perse, appeare nexechree pases it all sums appe (Continued on page 17) DECEMBER 1947 Petroleun TESTING EQUIPMENT A new catalog covering the latest developments for testing petroleum will soon be available. If you are interested in this type of laboratory equipment, we want you to have a copy. Ask for it! "Over 50 years of service to the laboratories on the Pacific Coast." INDUSTRIAL - EDUCATIONAL - PETROLEUM TRinity 6031 BRAUN CORPORATION 2260 EAST 15TH ST., LOS ANGELES, CALIF., U.S.A. San Francisco, California Seattle, Washington BRAUN-KNECHT-HEIMANN-CO < BRAUN> SCIENTIFIC SUPPLIES CO. Page 3 Are profits too high? 1. In the first six months of 1947, Union Oil Company made a total net profit of $8,543,594. On paper, this is just about double what we made during the first six months of '41,'42,'43,'44,'45 and '46. Con-sequently, when the newspapers headlined the fact, some people began to won-der. Frankly, we're beginning to be bothered about a few things ourselves. 2. For in spite of the fact that there's more money coming in, it doesn't seem to mean very much. To begin with, only $2,801,885 went to the stockholder-own-ers in dividends. That represented a return to them of 3% on our gross sales. Of the remaining 5¾ million, $5,200,000 had to be spent on day-to-day replacement of equipment. For the money we had set aside for that purpose (some 10½ million) wasn't adequate to meet today's inflated costs. 3. In other words, a corporation's cost of living these days has gone up just as much as an individual's. In 1941, for ex-ample, it cost us $12,000 to lay a mile of pipe line. Today it costs $30,000. In 1941 it cost $400 per barrel of capacity to build a piece of refining equipment. Today it costs $1,000. In 1941 we could build a service station for half what it costs us today. And the cost of replacing every barrel of crude oil we sell has tripled. ANNUAL INCOME プ DEPRECIATION COST IN 1939. 10 DOLLARS AMOUNT SET ASIDE IN 10 YRS. AT $1 PER YR. 10 DOLLARS COST TO REPLACE IN 1949. 18 DOLLARS Of course, a certain sum is set aside each year to replace these "tools" and raw materials before profits are figured. But here's the rub: According to accepted accounting practice, and the rules of the Federal tax collector, you must depreciate these things on the "historical" basis-on the basis of what they cost you when you acquired them. 5. That means if an item costs you $10-and you expect to wear it out or use it up in 10 years — you're allowed to set aside only $1 each year toward replacing it. The fact that it may cost you $18 to replace it today-or when the time comes — doesn't make any difference to the tax collector. If you were going to liquidate a business, this method of accounting would present an accurate picture of your profits- in dollars. UNION OIL COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA INCORPORATED IN CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 17, 1890 Page 4 6. But if you plan to stay in business as we do— and replace your "tools" and raw materials as they run out-today's accounting "profits" aren't always what they seem. In fact, the American people might well take a new look at their accounting methods and their Federal tax schedules. For unless our businesses, large and small, can set aside enough to keep improving their 'tools," American production can't continue to increase. This series, sponsored by the people of Union Oil Company, is dedicated to a discussion of how and why American business functions. We hope you'll feel free to send in any suggestions or criticisms you have to offer. Write: The President, Union Oil Company, Union Oil Building, Los Angeles 14, California. AMERICA'S FIFTH FREEDOM IS FREE ENTERPRISE ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE monthly Vol. X. No. 9 December 1947 Research in Industry By HOWARD G. VESPER OME years ago the British magazine Punch pub- Slished an extended analysis of restates in business, concluding as follows: "To sum up, the following are the main advantages and disadvantages of a research department: "Advantages: 1. It does no harm. 2. Visitors and shareholders are impressed by the sight of so much science and the smell of so much hydrogen sulfide. 3. It provides congenial employment for a number of people who otherwise would invariably be reduced to teaching small boys that 2HCH Zn = ZnCl+H2. 4. One of these days someone may find out something that will make all the difference to your business; the thing is at least statistically pos-sible. 5. Scientists are usually quite nice lads without VICE. "Disadvantages: 1. Cash. "We cannot visualize any business man, comparing the advay gos with this single shout do dimey bet to come ev come do an ayo open the ys see some buildininent EVOLUTION OF MODERN INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH In contrast to this humorous approach, modern industrial research has a long and interesting background of evolution. While there were a few earlier high spots, science really began about the 16th century gradually to take definite form and supplant the speculations of ne alchemists and philosophers on the imaginary prop rties attributed to matter. This progress tool great strides during the 19th century through the activity of scientists in Europe and the United States, substantially increasing man's fundamental knowledge. Notable landmarks included Count Rumford's establishment in This article is based on a talk presented at the annual Tau Beta Pi dinner at the California Institute, March 14, 1947. DECEMBER 1947 Royal Institution of London, 1825 of the first chemical laboratory for systematic study in that field. There was a considerable lag between 19th century fundamental developments and their commercial ap- plication. This was mainly because industry had abundant resources and was serving a rapidly increasing population and market, with the result that there was small incentive to look for new or better things. The first industrial research laboratory in the. United States is claimed to have been established by the Merrimac Manufacturing Company in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1834. The second such laboratory of any significance was founded about 1860 at Wyandotte, Michigan, for investigating the difficulties of the Bessemer steel pro-cess. Competition did not become sufficiently severe until roughly the last quarter of the 19th century to cause industrialists to turn with increasing frequency to science for assistance. However, when they did, the results were so outstanding that the gap between pure and applied science diminished quite rapidly and trained chemists, physicists, and other technicians found increasingl ready employment in industry. During this period in dependent investigators also made discoveries leading to the establishment of new industries, thus further demonstrating the practical value of science. Examples are many, including Bell, Edison, Goodyear, Hall, and Baekeland. Until the 20th century industrial research remained largely a matter of the unorganized effort of individuals. Early in the 1900's a few companies organized separate research departments and began a systematic search for the solution to their immediate problems and for new knowledge. Thus, organized industrial research is less than 50 years old! Public attention was focused by the first World War on the accomplishments of applied science. This resulted in a greatly stimulated growth of industrial re search. Our supply from Germany of chemicals, dyes, medicines, and glass was cut off, thus inspiring American scientists to new and intense efforts, out of which grew a number of important new American industries. Page 5 Many companies started organized research activities in the early 20's, either directly or indirectly because of this war impetus, and set up laboratories which have become increasingly important since that time. For ex-ample, Standard Oil Company of California initiated an organized research and development program in 1920 as a research division within its Manufacturing Depart-ment. Initial efforts were directed toward improvement cracking, acid treating, and acid recovery. of refinery proteses, artil aid recolayion, the smal cessful results led to the formation of a separate Research and Development Department in 1926, which has since grown into the California Research Corporation with a total personnel today of over 800. The impetus on research from World War II was similar to that of the earlier war, but much more important because of its greater magnitude. A few examples will be sufficient to illustrate; namely, atomic energy, synthetic rubber, high octane aviation fuel, ra-dar, rockets, penicillin. This is emphasized by a statement made recently by Mr. Robert P. Patterson when he was Secretary of War: "There is a great new voice in the world today, the voice of science and technology. It is a voice heard since ancient times, but never until today has it spoken with such authority, have its words been so filled with promise, has it been listened to with such hope. And in no country in the world does the voice speak as eloquently as in our own." The following table indicates graphically the amazing growth of industrial research in the United States during the past few years (based on National Research Council data): No. of Industrial Total Personnel in Year Research Laboratories Personnel Petroleum Research 1920 300 9,300 145 1940 2,200 70,000 6,000 1946 2,500 139,000 10,000 Best available data indicate that the present annual rate of industrial research expenditure is in excess of $700 million. It is interesting to note that out of 139,000 people now engaged in industrial research work, approximately 41 per cent are technical graduates doing technical work, the remainder being administrative, clerical, mainten- ance, and similar supporting personnel. Of the scientific group, percentage wise, 39 are chemists, 38 engineers, 5 physicists, 4 metallurgists, with the remainder includ ing a wide variety of special professions. The distribution in research personnel within individual industrial research laboratories will vary considerably from these average figures. For example, in the California Research Corporation the percentage of sci-entic to total personnel is considerably higher, approximately 48 per cent. However, the ratio of engineers to total technical personnel checks the national closely, being about 40 per cent. average CHARACTER AND MOTIVES OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH The kind of research conducted by industry is pri-narily applied science using and extending the basi facts and principles uncovered through broad funda mental research. Thus, the fundamental findings of nuclear physicists and chemists in the atomic energy field are now being applied to atomic energy power development. The dividing line between fundamental and applied research is not distinct. Its complexion depends on the character of the problem and the nature of the agency conducting the investigations. The study Page 6 of properties of a hydrocarbon by a manufacturer of electrical equipment might be fundamental research, but if conducted by a petroleum research laboratory, it might be considered largely applied research. Broadly, industrial research is the endeavor to learn how to apply scientific facts to the service of mankind In general, the objective of industrial research is the material objective of civilization itself-to prolong life, to improve health and comfort, to enhance happi-ness, and to enlarge productive ability and usetulness; in other words, to contribute to the common store of technical knowledge and thus improve our standards of living. By helping to translate fundamental scientific facts into new or better products for a greater number of people, industrial research has become a vital part of our competitive economic system. Obviously, the profit motive is a basic consideration in selecting and carrying out industrial research projects. Nevertheless, the success of industrial research in improving living standards and making life easier and happier for more people is both a justification and an indication of greater things ahead. Industrial research is essential to the survival of business. All businesses face changed post-war conditions in marketing, competition, customer demand, and other operations, and must be flexible to meet such changing requirements. This applies to large and small business alike. There are many examples of industries that have languished because they have had little or no research protection and support. Industrial research is also important in maintaining employment. Organized labor by 1940 had officially indicated its approval of the encouragement of applied science. Mr. C. F. Kettering of General Motors has said, "An industrial research project should do one or more of the following: 1. Reduce cost of production 2. Reduce operating cost to the user 3. Increase the utility of the product 4. Increase its sales appeal 5.. Produce new business 6. Determine technical information contributory to to some other project." Industrial research operates in a variety of fields. Projects are often concerned with the finding, growing, creating, and use of raw materials. In the petroleum industry this refers to research in oil exploration, drill-ing, and producing. Another broad field is research work on "normal" processes and products. Within th petroleum industry this would include, for example, refining work on such indigenous products as gasolines, lubricating oils, and greases. An increasing field is research on synthetic processes and products. Examples in the petroleum field would be the increasing emphasis on synthetic fuels made from various non-petroleum sources such as coal and shale. Also included would be chemical syntheses from hydrocarbon raw materials. Another important phase of industrial research is the engineering related to the foregoing, including particularly the preliminary and final process designs for new plants. An important field closely related to industrial research and frequently carried out by the same organization is that of technical service to operating groups on processes and products. This is in effect technical consultation by the research group for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of existing plants or bringing about better use of existing products. ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY Another closely related subject is that of patents and licensing. Generally the results of modern industrial research work are protected by patents, the degree of ictivity in this held being dependent on how aggressive the company concerned decides to be in exploiting its developments. In the modern approach to industrial research, the coordination of motive, men, and money has replaced the scattered efforts of individuals and the poorly di-rected, planned and supported research of earlier days. The time has passed when a Daniel Boone with rife and packhorse could add greatly to our store of geographical knowledge. To make significant industrial research addition today requires a wealth of scientific equipment and observers. Careful organization planning is necessary to achieve maximum effectiveness of technical manpower. otten in the past the time of highly trained technical men has been so restricted and hampered by other demands that technical efficiency was seriously reduced. Much of this was the result of the very rapid growth of industrial research organizations, thought that technical activities do not lend themselves well to the same kind of organization planning as do dicet phases of modern business. Experience has in however, that this is not true and that there is just as much — or more — need for the application of sound organizational principles in industrial research work as in other phases of business activities. Research ideas may originate from any one or more of a number of sources, including individuals, groups: other departments, consumers. However, the modern industrial research laboratory handles the development of these ideas as projects assigned to teams or groups. There was wide adoption of this practice on war projects where its effectiveness was proved beyond doubt. These projects must be caretully planned, directed, and budgeted to accomplish specific objectives, yet with enough provision for flexibility to permit necessary changes as the work progresses. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH From the foregoing discussion, there is an obvious close relationship between academic and industrial re-search. Any former lack of understanding and mutual confidence between industrialists and scientists has practically disappeared. Full cooperation between groups is essential in the future if we are to continue our modern industrial progress. Industrial research is dependent to a very large degree on universities and colleges for fundamental research work. While industrial laboratories can and do carry out a moderate amount of such fundamental work, this type of activity is inherently a minor part of the job such laboratories are set up to do. In fact, a grave danger today lies in the possibility that industrial research and development may go forward so rapidly that they will outstrip the fundamental research on which future industrial projects must be based. Not only is industrial research dependent on universities for fundamental work, but it also looks to these institutions for its technical personnel. This further increases the close bond between universities and industry. In this connection, many farseeing industrial firms are today maintaining fellowships at a variety of institutions of higher learning, partly to support their program of basic research and partly to assist students to better trained for their ultimate work as either research or industrial scientists. Such support is increasingly DECEMBER 1947 important in view of the decreasing endowments available to many institutions. The following table illustrates the growth of this type of industrial aid for universities: No. of Scholarships Year 1929 1941 " No. of Companies 56 210 and Fellowships 95 721 The number today is doubtless much larger. The importance of academic and commercial institutions working hand in hand in the research field is well expressed in DI. J. B. Conant's words, "In the last analysis the fuire of science in this country will be determined by our basic educational policy." How-ever, the question of whether such institutions can do the necessary basic research job raises the possibility of Government support. Government interest in research as increased greatly as a result of World War II, anc arious tederal agencies are now contracting or otherwise supporting extensive research projects. There is an obvious requirement for better coordination of such activities. What is needed is a national science foundation that will coordinate Government support for fundamental research through existing university and other laboratories - not compete on the basis of a sedatate Government research foundation. It is to be hoped sincerely that the present Congress will enact suitable legislation on this subject. Another facet of the increasing cooperation between academic and industrial institutions is the growth of research in specific fields or on specific projects carried out in such institutions for an industrial concern. This is accomplished in part through institutions designed specifically for this purpose, such as the Mellon Insti. tute, the Armour Research Foundation, and the new Stanford Research Institute. However, in addition, many universities will undertake specific projects on the basis of grants by the industry. Of 800 colleges and universities canvassed by the National Research Council in late 1945 and early 1946, 292 indicated that they were offering such research service to industry. Another important phase of academic-industry contact and correlation lies in the increasing number of faculty members who are retained as consultants by industrial firms. PERSONNEL IN INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH In his report to the President, of July 1945, Dr. Vannevar Bush stated, "The most important single factor in scientic and technical work is the quality of the personnel employed." We are in the midst of a serious war-induced deficit of science and technology students and graduates. The Bush report estimated this deficit in Bachelor degree graduates at 150,000, and in advanced degree men at about 17,000 by 1955. In spite of the remarkable registration being handled by universities today, it may be many years before the demand for qualified technical graduates can be fully satisfied. Requirements for employees in a modern industrial research laboratory are high. They must, of course, have adequate educational training and background and this may or may not include an advanced degree. There are as many opportunities for B.S. graduates as there are for those holding Master's and Doctor's de-grees. Of comparable importance are such other factors as research attitude, positive approach to technical problems, a personality which will promote good relationships with fellow workers, ability to cooperate, physical fitness, training in oral and written self-expression, (Continued on page 17) Page 7 INDUSTRIAL HIGH VACUUM By FRANK B. JEWETT JR. TE developinent of any tool or technique is al- ways of interest to technically trained men for its potential impact on their individual felds. Recent developments in high vacuum equipment and practice have indicated an ever-increasing sphere of commercial usage. Consequently, it is felt that a brief resume of the field may prove to be of considerable interest even to those not now involved in low-pressure work. Industrial high vacuum may be defined as the use on a large scale of total pressures less than a few millimeters of mercury. Rarely do industrial applications require pressures less than 10-5 millimeters. "In general, high vacuum represents to each industry the utilization of pressures lower by a large factor than that previously believed possible or practical. Prior to 1940 industrial use of high vacuum was con- fined to a limited number of specialized applications despite the fact that very low pressures had been common in the laboratory for more than a generation. Up to that time, no commonly accepted standards or equip ment and, probably more important, no large-scal demonstration that low pressure could effectively be used were available to the engineer seeking to use it in his process. The inevitable result was that where applications were made the design was usually done by men primarily interested in other phases of the work; consequently, the vacuum equipment represented in each case pioneering work in high-vacuum engineering and technique. As might be expected, the results were of varied quality; but. it is fair to say that all suffered from the lack of contributions by organizations whose primary business was the production of the best in engineering design, equipment and technique. Despite these handicaps, however, high vacuum was early usec in the production of electronic tubes and electrical capacitors, later in the distillation of marine and vegetable oils for vitamin content, and in the small-scale dehydration of blood plasma. Much of its later success hinges on these early applications. Industrial high vacuum as a field may be dated from about 1940, when the military needs of the impending war first began to make themselves felt. Its rapid development during the war years was, in a large measure, dependable, large-scale equipment and demonstrated conclusively that low pressures, when properly applied, could be used economically on a commercial scale, but also brought into existence a large body of technical and business personnel familiar with the possibilities and limitations of high vacuum. Also extremely important was the growth during the war of several organizations specializing in the design, construction, and application of vacuum equipment. Whereas previously it was necessary to develop and construct all pumps and equipment for a particular job, now it is possible to secure catalogs of standard equipment and expert advice from any of several competent organizations. Now it is unnecessary for the process engineer to dilute his efforts by considerations of vacuum equipment design and construction. Page 8 Fig. 1 Typical three-stage oil diffusion pump, 10-inch diameter inlet. ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY g. 2 Schematic diagram of Rot. indenser unit for pumpi water vapor at low pressures. -Rotary Condenser Drivo Motor Scraper Blodes - ROTARY CONDENSER Refrigerant In Rofrigerant Out. Snow Receiver- Ice- ICE EJECTOR Refrigerant in Air and Water Vapor -Rofrigerant Out VACUUM DIFFUSION PUMP MECHANICAL FORE PUMP Hydroule Piaton man discard a high-vacuum involves low pressures on a large ss merely because it Diffusion pumps, similar to the 10-inch model illustrated in Fig. 1, up to 32 inches in diameter with speeds up to 30,000 cubic feet per minute at 0.1 micron* are standard items with several manufacturers. Electrically heated metal pumps have almost completely supplanted other types. Diffusion pumps fall into two broad classifications, and each has its proper place: (1) The high-vacuum type usually consists of three umbrella stages in a cylindrical, water-cooled casing. It is designed to have its maximum speed at about 0.1 micron and blank off at 0.001 micron or less and to operate against a forepressure of 100 to 500 microns. This is the most common diffusion pump. (2) The booster type is designed to have its maximum speed between 10 and 500 microns and to blank off between 0.1 and 1.0 micron. It will operate against forepressures of 1000 microns It is interesting to note that diffusion pumps can be used either to produce low pressures or to reduce the number or size of mechanical pumps required to achieve a given speed at pressures in the micron range. No diffusion pump will exhaust to atmosphere directly, and so some sort of backing pump, either mechanical or steam ejector, must be provided With the exception of some conditions where very stance dioctyl phthalate is useful where low back-stream-ing and high ultimate vacuum are required. It has good speed characteristics, but is quite heat-sensitive. Sili- *ual 000019 poetry esquare in i absolute une microt DECEMBER: 1947 coat sale, but hase relatively present speere heat-stable, but have relatively Chlorinated hydrocarbons, while not useful for very low pressures, have excellent speed characteristics at about 0.1 micron and are reasonably stable. The pumping of condensible gases like water vapor interesting problems to the vacuum engineer. When one considers that to move 10 pounds of water per hour at 100 microns requires a pumping speed of 25,000 cubic feet per minute, it is obvious that diffusion unsatisfactory. Mechanically refrigerated cold traps have been developed into efficient water- vapor pumps for the lower micron range. The rotary condenser (Fig. 2) is an interesting example. In this case refrigerant at —70° F. to -85° F. is circulated through the jacket. Water vapor condenses in the form of ice on the inner surface of the condenser and is con-tnuously removed from that surface by a rotating cutter blade. The resulting snow is customarily removed from an ice-receiver pot at the end of the run, but may be continuously ejected to the atmosphere. By its cold surtace temperature, this type of unit can be used to produce ultimate water-vapor pressures down to 1 micron,* and it has the advantage of always presenting an ice-free surface for maximum condensing efficiency not possessed by the static trap. Within limits, the pumping capacity of any given rotary condenser is dependent upon the tonnage of refrigeration applied to it, and obviously the pressure varies with the condensing temperature. More recent developments indicate that • liquid absorber units using a fluid like lithium chloride may replace the rotary condenser on large installations because of lower operating cost. For pressures of 1000 microns or higher, multi-stage steam ejectors are more *Equilibrium temperature of ice at 1 michon approximately —100° F. Page 9 economical to use. Comparative operating costs for pumping water at 250 microns show 2.5 cents per pound for the rotary condenser, 1.5 cents per pound for liquid absorbers, and 25 cents per pound for steam ejectors. Accurate vacuum measurement is difficult and is influenced by mixture and composition of gas, presence of condensible vapors, contamination, temperature, and location of gauge. Probably one of the greatest diffi culties encountered by persons utilizing high vacuum is the discrepancy between gauge readings and the actual pressure in the system. This error can be many hundred per cent and often leads to dangerous misinterpretation of result. Many types of vacuum gauges are now on the market. Each has its field and its own peculiar limitations. Vacuum measurement has often held an entirely different meaning for the engineer in industrial applications from what it has for the scientist in his laboratory. Where a repetitive process is involved, cycles are frequently worked out by trial and error using some form of gauge which gives consistent, but not necessarily ac-curate, results. Consequently, the comparison of operating conditions between two installations must always be preceded by a resolution of the methods of vacuum measurement. The proper use of new vacuum gauges will do much to eliminate these errors. Representative of these developments is the Alpha-tron Gauge. It is actually an ionization gauge in which alpha particles emanating from a small radium source, rather than electrons from a hot flament, act as the ionizing agent. Not susceptible to flament failure, the gauge may be operated at atmospheric pressure and covers the range between 1 micron and 10 millimeters in three linear scales. For all practical purposes, it has an instantaneous response. Where water vapor is present, the instrument is of special value because of the small variations in calibration between water vapor and air. A complete new chapter in valve requirements has been written by the demands of high vacuum where impedance at low pressures and inleakage are so im-portant. All good vacuum valves must have exceptionally wide openings to reduce impedance. Generally they should be as short as possible. Sealing of the operating mechanism is accomplished either by a metal bellows (Fig. 3) or by some variation of a rubber gasket-vacuum grease seal. Page 10 Fig. 3 Modern high-vacuum valve showing metallic bellows. Anyone familiar with vacuum equipment undoubt edly has visions of hours, days, or weeks spent immersec in castor oil, acetone, and various waxes and greases, while one searches for hard-to-find leaks. Of necessity, those whose business is the production of vacuum equipment have solved this problem partly by improved design and production methods and partly by vastly superior testing methods. The old technique of spark-test-ing glass tubing still lingers on, pressure-testing with soap bubbles has its place, and acetone or ether-spray. testing has changed only in that it is more frequently done with a radium-type ionization gauge. But by far the best method, the most accurate and quickest way of locating even minute leaks, involves the use of a mass spectrometer. A tracer gas such as helium diffuses through a leak and into a pre-set mass spectrometer tube. The ion current registers not only the leak but, with special care, the magnitude of the leak as well. Suf. fice it to say that in this manner leaks which would allow a volume of one cubic foot to show a pressure change of 0.1 micron per hour can be located within a small fraction of an inch. From the brief summary presented above it is possible to visualize the tremendous progress made in the art of producing very low pressures. The refinements in acuum equipment, the tools for producing vacuur vould, however, be meaningless by themselves. The enc result of these developments must lie in commercially profitable operations if they are to be of interest and importance. Although new applications are constantly coming to the fore, some indication of the direction of motion of the whole field may be gained from areas already well explored. LOW-PRESSURE DEHYDRATION Among the larger vistas in which vacuum is used, dehydration deserves a major rating. Low-pressure dehydration is usually required for the drying of heat-sen-sitive materials. Such materials may be dried either to save shipping weight and make distribution more economical or to prevent decomposition and spoilage in the liquid form. The actual mechanism of low-pressure drying will apply to any particular product for one or more of the following reasons: (a) to reduce or eliminate thermal decomposition of the product during the ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY drying operation because of low equilibrium tempera-ture, (b) to obtain a low final-moisture content, (c) to produce a lyophilic (easily rehydrated) structure in the dry product, or (d) to improve the appearance of the dry product. Perhaps the most interesting dehydration operation from the engineering point of view is that of the orange juice plant at the Vacuum Foods Corporation at Ply-mouth, Florida. Briefly the plant (Fig: 4) operates as tollows. Oranges are squeezed in a juicing plant at an average rate of 500 boxes per hour. The juice is then passed to either of two banks of falling-film concen-trators, where approximately 86 per cent of the water (75 per cent of total mass) is removed by steam ejectors at a pressure of 12 millimeters. In this stage more than 2000 gallons of product per hour are handled. Subsequently a portion of the output is canned and marketed as a frozen orange juice concentrate, while the remainder is dried to a powder in the vertical dryers at a pressure of about 100 microns. The water is pumped by large rotary condensers. This stage is interesting in that the product is introduced as a liquid and removed as a powder without breaking the vacuum. Tests have shown that the mean retention of ascorbic acid in both concentrate and powder is more than 96 per cent of the fresh juice content. The size of this plant, probably one of the largest commercial vacuum installations in the world, may be judged by comparing the size of the man and the equipment. EVAPORATION OF METALS AND SALTS One of the best-known applications of high vacuum developed rapidly during the war. Starting with the deposition of one-quarter-wave-length films of mag- nesium fluoride and other substances on glass to reduce surface light reflection, this field has now expanded to include the deposition of metallic films on a wide variety of materials. A typical wartime optics coating install-tion depicted in Fig. 5, and a modern, high-speed Fig. 4 Vacuum Foods Corporation drying plant for orange juice. Falling-film concentrators at left; two rows of powder dryers in foreground with rotary condensers between. DECEMBER 1947 evaporating tank in Fig. 6. Machines have been developed for applying metal films to continuous rolls of plastics, paper, and other materials. These machines open up the whole electrical capacitor field where small, self-healing units can be constructed from zinc-coated By far the most interesting development, however, s the automatic metallizing unit (Fig. 7) was designed to produce -ront-surtace aluminum re fectors for the optical systems of television sets, but it is equally important for its revelation of what can be done with modern high-vacuum equipment. Clean pieces to be metallized approach the machine in jigs on a conveyor line from the left. They are automatically staged into the machine and moved from chamber to chamber until they reach the coating cell which remains constantly at a pressure of about 0.1 micron. Here aluminum, continuously evaporating from a controllec source, is deposited on the surface. The material is thei staged out of the machine and back to the line. Complete controls and safety devices make the entire oper- ation automatic, and labor is reduced to a minimum. Al. though this particular machine was designed for television applications, the general philosophy of the design will have a much wider application. VACUUM METALLURGY Vacuum metallurgy represents a field yet in its infancy but with unlimited possibilities. Four basic pheno- mena make high vacuum metallurgical processes pos- sible. (1) High vacuum provides the only true inert at-mosphere, and by its use metals may be protected during processing or heat treating. • (2) At low pressures the boiling or subliming temperature of metals is reduced sometimes by as much as 1000° C. This phenomenon allows the purification of some metals by selective evapor-tion, the evaporation of metals for mirror work, similar processes. (3) Operation in a vacuum tends to lower the reaction temperature by favoring any reaction Page 11 in which gas or volatile metal is produced from nonvolatile constituents. (4) In many cases dissolved gases can be removed by melting the base metal in vacuum. During the war these properties were put to use in the now-abandoned thermal-reduction process for producing magnesium. Although the economics of the process would not justify its use except for emergency operations it represents a typical application. Calcined dolomite and ferrosilicon are crushed, mixed, bric-quetted, and charged into a vacuum retort. There, at a temperature of 1175°C. and at a pressure of 100 mi-crons, magnesium vapor is condensed away from the other constituents in a very pure form. In this reaction vacuum prevents the oxidation of magnesium, allows the metal to distil as rapidly as it is formed, and by lowering the boiling point of mag. nesium permits the reaction to proceed 500°C below the temperature required for reduction at atmospheric pressure. Similar processes are used for obtaining other metals in pure form. The properties of gas-free metals are extremely in-teresting. In general they seem to show increased duc-tility, conductivity (both thermal and electrical), den-sity, and permeability, and decreased hysteresis loss, blow holes, and gas evolution. An interesting illustration of the use of vacuum furnaces lies in the hydrogen-atmosphere, heat-treating field. Despite the added cost of vacuum equipment, the process is quickly made more economical by virtue of the fact that only about 2 per cent of the customary amount of hydrogen is consumed. For use in this field, equipment has been developed capable of handling tons, not pounds, at temperatures up to 2000°C. VACUUM DISTILLATION Vacuum distillation has long been a field of great interest to the chemist and chemical engineer because low air pressures minimize oxidation, lower boiling points Page 12 Fig. 5 UPPER Installation of bell jar units for deposition of low-reflection films on optics. Fig. 6 CENTER Large high-speed tank unit for evaporation of both metals and salts. Fig. 7 LOWER Machine for continuous production of front-surface mirrors. Glass enters from conveyor on left; mirrors returned to conveyor on right. ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY ig. 8 Schematic diagram c otary Condenser Still havin high fractionating power. Condenser Coolant " 금은 0u Centrifugal Condenser Drive Motor Vacuum Gauge COLD TRAP -Reflux Control -Rodiant Heater Wetted Wall Column Water Cooled Rotating Condenser Vocuum Gauge EVACUATION PUMP Product Receivers DIFFUSION PUMP Pot Heater VACUUM FRACTIONATING STILL CENTRIFUGAL CONDENSER TYPE MECHANICAL FORE PUMP decomposeque reduction et liniat in ef the sal on distillation rate. Butyl stearate may be used as a typical example of boiling-point depression with reduced pressure. At 1.0 millimeter the boiling point is 155°C., while at 10 microns the boiling point is reduced 55 degrees to 100°C. The effect of residual gas pressure on distillation rate is typified by data reported by K. C. D. Hickman for dioctyl phthalate. With partial pressure of the distilland held constant at 1 micron, the distillation rate was five times as great with a residual air pressure of 0.2 micron as it was with a residual air pressure of 50 microns. To the organic chemist no development could be more important than the rotary fractionating still developed by Dr. J. R. Bowman of the Mellon Institute (Fig. 8). This unit operates on a unique principle and has demonstrated fractionating powers as high as 100 theoretical plates. Heat applied to the bottom pot evaporates the material initially. The vapor then condenses DECEMBER 1947 on the outer surface of the rotating condenser and is subsequently thrown by centrifugal force to the outer wall. The thin film on the outer wall is re-evaporated, and the cycle is repeated. By adjusting the heat ratios between wall and pot, the number of re-evaporations and the amount of fractionation versus through-put can be controlled. Obviously the still requires a very large amount of heat input when the material is re-evaporated several times. Although its actual commercial potentialities are not yet known, this type of still will at least provide the research chemist with a valuable new analystical tool. Standard laboratory models are now under construction. In conclusion, high vacuum may be regarded as a realm that has demonstrated its importance in many industrial fields. Past work forms a firm basis of departure for new. Its future expansion is subject to con-jecture, but continued development of equipment and more wide-spread understanding of its possibilities and limitations cannot but make for wider application. Page 13 C. I. T. NEWS PALOMAR MIRROR IS SAFELY MOVED AFTER a two-day trip, the 200 inch Telescope Mim ror arrived safely at Palomar Mountain from CalTech. The transfer was started when a truck and out of the grinding shop at 3:30 in the morning of November 18, escorted by the California State Highway Patrol, Institute officials, and 50 cars full of press and radio representatives. inland, the cavalcade stopped at Escondido for the night, shifted gears into low the next morning. for the grind up Mt. Palomar. The unloading was successful, and the mirror was deposited to be aluminized and attached to the telescope mounting. The concave face of the huge disc — 3.75 inches in depth at the center — must now be coated with aluminum to create the necessary reflecting surface. A huge vacuum tank has been constructed at the Observatory to do this job. Mounting the mirror, already installed in the cell in which it will ultimately be placed in the telescope tube, and testing of the entire telescope will follow. will require several months, and the telescope cannot possibly be completed and ready from a programmed search of the heavens until late in the spring or early summer of 1948. ZONING VARIANCE MAKES WAY FOR NEW LABORATORY THE long anticipated Earhart Laboratory appears now well on the way toward realization following a Pasadena City Zoning Commission ruling granting the Institute a zoning variance for its property at San Pasqual Street and Michigan Avenue. This new air- THE Institute would certainly be remiss in its duties if it failed to call to the attention of all alumni the excellent assistance it received from „R. M. "Bob" Lehman '31, in obtaining , variance from the City so that the Earhart Laboratory could be built. Lehman did an outstandins sublic relations job for the Institute when he, and other persons whom he paid out of his own poc-ket, circulated a petition in the general area of the laboratory location seeking signatures of property owners stating they approved granting of such a variance. These petitions formed the basis upon which the entire Institute presentation was made to the Zoning Committee. It was an outstanding contribution by an alumnus and gains added importance by the fact that it was his idea " from the beginning. L. A. DuBridge conditioned plant physiology laboratory, which will be the only one of its kind in the world, is to be constructed n the same property where the present small green. ouse and laboratory is located. Funds are being made available by the Earhart Foundation, and cost of the addition will be in excess of $200,000. Page 14 Completely air-conditioned and temperature con-trolled, the Laboratory will enable not only Institute biologists, but also visiting scientists to work out in de-ail plant physiological discoveries made in the present small laboratory. Dr. Frits W. Went, professor of plant physiology, who will direct the Laboratory, will through accurate control of individual factors, be able to manufacture his own climate through absolute control of temperature, humidity, light, wind of gas content of An understanding of the responses of plants to climate will make possible the determination of ideal conditions for growth and production of any kind of plant. It will enable scientists to eliminate the guess-work in developing and discovering the types of plants that will do best in any given area. With records which are available as to the temperature, humidity, amount of daylight and darkness of a specific location, Dr. Went and his associates will be able to duplicate those conditions in the Laboratory. Other problems to be attacked include study of such fundamentals as "What makes a plant grow?" "What makes a plant flower and set fruit?" "What are the ef fects of wind and rain on the mineral and water uptake of plants?" It was in the small existing laboratory that much of the work on plant hormones, which infuence fruit flowering and fruit set, developed - and that is only a start in the right direction. RESEARCH ORGANIZATION HONORS DUBRIDGE A 1947 Award of the Research Corporation of Nev ork for outstanding scientific achievement was ore sented to Dr. Lee A. DuBridge, at a dinner in his honor November 3 in Los Angeles. Dr. DuBridge was chosen to receive this award, which carried with it a plaque and a $2500 honorarium, "for his outstanding scientific achievements in directing the Radiation Laboratory of the Office of Scientific Research and Development in the field of microwave rádar research, development and application to national defense, " Dr. Joseph W. Barker, Research Corporation president, stated. Chosen in 1940 to head the Radiation Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Bridge served as its director until January, 1946. Out -of research and development work done there during the war came the "know how" in microwave radar that enabled the United States to lead the world in its military applications. Four months after leaving the Radiation Laboratory and returning to his prewar position at the University of Rochester, Dr. DuBridge was called to the presidency of the California Institute. Twenty-eight volumes reporting work done at the Radiation Laboratory under Dr. DuBridge's direction are now being published, and are being heralded as the "bible" for all those working in that field. The Research Corporation is an organization which distributes all its net earnings through grants for the advancement of science. Organized in 1912 through the foresight of Dr. Frederick Gardner Cottrell, who assigned to the Corporation valuable patent rights in the field of electrical precipitation, it makes' grants-in-aid to support research in the physical sciences, mathematics and engineering to many colleges and univer-sities. Other public spirited inventors have assigned. valuable patent rights to the Corporation which increase its net earnings. In one of these, Vitamin B, synthesis, Dr. Edwin R. Buchman; now of the staff of California Institute of Technology, was a co-discoverer and donor with Dr. R. R. Williams and Mr. R. E. Water- ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY man. A large part of the net earnings of this patent supports research in the combat of dietary deficiency diseases. Three professors of the California Institute, Dr. D. M. Yost and Dr. E. R. Buchman, chemistry, and Dr. G. D. McCann, electrical engineering, are currently doing work under grants from Research Foundation. MILLIKAN TO SPEAK AT FRIDAY EVENING LECTURE FRIDAY Evening Demonstration Lectures were resumed in November. This series, which has been made available to the public for the past 20 years, with roots are called chang shan. The botanical name for the plant is Dichroa febrifuga. Febrifugine and isofebrifugine are names the chemists give to the the new antimalarials. The names, as Tested against malaria in ducks, febrifugine was about 100 times as active as quinine. Isofebrifugine has only slight activity against duck malaria. Koepfli, Mead and Brockman are now exploring the possibility that leaves of the plant may contain still another anti-malarial chemical. J.P.L.'S DUWEZ APPOINTED M.E. PROFESSOR DR. POL DUWEZ of the let Propulsion mabora-tory was appointed associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Institute, effective September 1. Professor Duwez came to CalTech in 1941 from Bel- recent developments in the fields of physics, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, biology, geology, paleontology, meteorology, aeronautics, hydraulics and electrical, mechanical and civil engineering. Dr. Robert A. Millikan, professor emeritus of physics, will speak on "The Jubilee of the Electron," December 5. "Blood and Heridity" will be discussed by Dr. R. D. Owen, associate professor of biology; on December 12. Institute for both the OSRD and the Navy and since then has been connected with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory doing research and development work with both ceramics and metals in the field of jet pro-pulsion. FOREIGN STUDENTS HAVE OWN ORGANIZATION STUDENTS from 40 foreign lands are among the 1320 men who have completed registration at the Institute for the 1947-48 school year. The number of foreign lands represented on the campus is considerably in excess of last year when only 24 countries had students at the Institute. The Inter-Nations Association, comprising CalTech students from all 40 foreign lands and this country, held a get-acquainted party Saturday night, November 8, at the Athenaeum. President of the Association is Patrick Michael Quinlan of Ireland, and Mrs. Jerome Seitz, now of Pasadena, but formerly of Brazil, is social chair-nan. Miss Esther Gilbert is membership Professor Horace N. Gilbert, chairman of the faculty committee on foreign students, addressed the ing as did also Dudley C. Monk, head of the United Nations organization in Pasadena and a member of the This was the first of a number of programs planned for the year. Countries in addition to the United States which were represented at the party by students included Cuba, India, Malaya, Iraq, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Palestine, Puerto Rico, France, China, Canada, Austria, Norway, Belgium, Switzerland, Colombia, Lebanon, Hungary, Holland, England, Mexico, Italy, Australia, Sweden, Honduras, Wales, Argentina, Iran, Germany, Burma, Peru, Ireland El Salvador, Siam, South Africa, Uruguay, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. INSTITUTE CHEMISTS DEVELOP NEW ANTIMALARIAL DRUG EXTRACTION OF two antimalarial chemicals, one of them 100 times as powertul as quinine, was announced recently by Dr. J. B. Koepfili, J. F. Mead and John A. Brockman Jr., of the Institute Chemistry Department, in a report to the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The chemicals were obtained from the leaves and roots of a plant long known to the Chinese as having antimalarial properties. In China, its DECEMBER 1947 SERVICE LEAGUE NOW OPERATING CALIFORNIA Tech students, their wives and thei babies are getting unprecedented attention thes days as a result of the newly-formed Service League, which completed its formal organization late in Octo-ber. Patterned somewhat after the Stanford University Mother's Club, organization of the League commenced last spring with parents of students, friends of the In-stitute, and faculty members meeting with school of present the proposed student welfare pro- gram. With enthusiastic approval of President DuBridge and other school officials, a specific program was laid out and organization work started Three major projects of the League are already well along to realization. First is the establishment of a new CalTech Health Center on the campus. A war surplus temporary building which had previously been a sick bay was obtained by the Institute and is now approaching completion on the campus. It will have six beds, 24-hour nursing service, and a full-time physician. Meals will be prepared in the kitchen of the student houses. The League is not only decorating but also helping otherwise to furnish this building. With convalescent care of students arranged, the League next turned to a program of welfare aid for students' wives and children. Out of this came a decision to do two things — establish a well-baby clinic and also a baby furniture and equipment pool. Both are now in heir early stages of operation. The well-baby clinic i eld one afternoon each week by Dr. Belle D. Pool supervisor for the Southern California District of the State Maternal and Child Hygiene Department. Cooperating with her in conducting the clinic is the City of Pasadena Health Department. Bassinets, bathinettes, play pens, baby scales and other types of infant equipment are already being contributed by members and others to establish a pool of such equipment for loan to married students with fam-ilies. Mrs. Archibald Young, Pasadena, is chairman of the committee in charge of this project. Report from Camp Radford By LEONARD F. HERZOG* HAT now ivy-encrusted Callech tradition, the frost 'Camp, this year was a spectacular success, and mem- victory over the surprised youngsters. Choicest bit of repartee of the camp was engaged in bers of the class of '21 who conceived the first one- during the seminar on "how to study" ; the participants day Freshman "retreat" can look with pride on the ro- were Dean Strong and Prof. Owen of the Biology De bust youngster their idea has grown to be. partment, who had just completed a discussion of Through the years, the Frosh Camp has expanded thought-processes. from its original form to a full three-day briefing and Prof Owen (probably abeted by new-Dean Eaton's get-acquainted session; two years ago the Institute reference to himself as Assistant Dean): "Someone has recognizing the value of this YMCA-sponsored activity, said that an Assistant Dean is like a mouse trying to assumed management of the camp. This year's result become a rat." was a well-integrated, purposeful, enjoyable meeting Dean Strong: "I'd like to know where that leaves me notable for the evident quantity of behind-the-scenes — I'm an Associate Dean." preparation which had preceded it. Prof. Owen: "I should say that sounds like an impos- To this observer, the most notable aspect of this sible hybrid." year's meeting at Camp Radford, California, was a new Heading the list of speakers were President Lee A emphasis. In addition to informing the Freshmen on DuBridge, and Howard Lewis, Vice-president of the such subjects as Institute history, departments, activ- Alumni Association, whose remarks were aptly titled ities, student life, and "how to study," every speaker "Report from an End Product." Other speakers included stressed one point: The foremost duty of the student, Bruce Worcester, ASCIT president; Registrar L. W. to himself and to humanity, during his stay at Tech Jones, formerly associate dean for upper classmen; was the development of character, the integration of Dr. Chester Stock, new chairman of the Division of Geo- personality, and the acquisition of those qualities which logical Sciences; Placement Director Donald S. Clark; would enable him best to communicate, cooperate, and Mr. H. Z. Musselman, director of physical education; mix socially with his fellow men. J. Mason Anderson, varsity football coach; Ed Preister, Periods during morning, afternoon, and evening were Freshman football coach; "Doc" Hanes, cross country devoted to talks and orientation. Plenty of time for nentor; Dean Franklin Thomas; Prof. Frederick Linc sports and recreation during which the new men, rep- vall; Prof. John Schutz, and various student leaders. resenting some 40 nations as well as most states, could best get acquainted — was provided throughout the schedule, and night meetings were over early enough to allow further social mingling, mostly in the form of "bull-sessions" and card games, to take place. Meals were excellent, thanks to the capable work of Mrs. Ellen Bunton, manager of the Student Houses, and her staff, which journeyed en masse to the San Ber-sardino Mountain resort for the meet. Featured in the closing hours of the camp was the traditional Frosh-Faculty baseball game, played on the banked (balls hit to the outfield bounced off the mountainside and back to the infield) Radford diamond. The powerful bats of DuBridge, Hershey, Clark, Strong, et al built up an early Faculty lead, which the oldsters managed to hold onto long enough to eke out a 9-8 unior geologist Herzog is editor of the CALIFORNI ECH, attended camp not only in advisory and reportori capacities, but also to scout prospective staff members. Page 16 ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY Research in Industry (Continued from page 7) and some understanding of the economic and social problems of modern business. For the right men there exists today a great field of opportunity in industrial research. It is in itself a rapidly "business" in which high reward may be found ooh poessinelly and inancially. In fat, a noticeable trend today is to provide for ample salary advancement in straight non-administrative technical work for suitably qualified men. There are, of course, many other avenues of advancement as well, including administrative work within the industrial research group, or transfer to other types of business activity such as manufac- FUTURE OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH Industrial research is now a large industry in itself and is at the threshold of its greatest expansion. Im-nediate major problems include the training of mor esearch personnel, the provision of adequate physica facilities, the promoting of public understanding of research and its importance, and the developing of a permanent mechanism for applying effectively the results of industrial research to national security. As potential participants in industrial research, men trained in science and engineering can look forward to the future with confidence. "Science has its cathedrals built by the efforts of a few architects and of many workers."* In- dustry will look to science and engineering graduates as architects of its future cathedrals of applied scientific knowledge. "From the preface of Lewis & Randall's "Thermodynamics." Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 3) if I had been busy I would not have read the magazine. So much for destructive criticism, now for the constructive Why not articles on what is new at the Institute? Set some of the graduate students to write them up; it would be good practice for them. An article like this if advertised on the front cover would cause most of us to at least open the magazine. How about the Placement Service? It certainly deserves a place in the magazine giving an account of the new openings available and also in more normal times the men available. E. D. Alcock '33 Dallas, Texas What do others think? Thanks for your ideas, we are working on them. Some of our difficulties are mentioned in "With the Editor," November 1947. -Ed. THE article on Registration of Engineers in California by Martin H. Webster in the October issue has been read with great interest. It has been of particular interest to me because of my long residence in California and the fact that I am now an active participant in the campaign for registration engineers in Texas. the Texas lae essay makes no provision fos this we intempt co handle it through the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, affiliated with the National Society of Professional Engineers, membership in which is limited to registered professional engineers. As a member of the fees and salaries committee of the Texas e very interested in receiving o furnishing any additional data along these lines which may be available or desired and which might in any way promote the acceptance of engineering as a recognized profession on '25 Fort Worth, Texas E&S will be glad to serve as a clearing house for questions or information. -Ed. DECEMBER 1947 SCOTT & COMPANY LIFE INSURANCE GENERAL INSURANCE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS 811 West 7th Street o Los Angeles 14 • TRinity 4061 MOCK Printing SYcamore 9-1711 1104 MISSION ST. SOUTH PASADENA Special Tools and Machinery Co. 4625 Pacific Boulevard, Los Angeles KImball 3246 - 3247 PAUL F. VOKAL Owner Manager Since 1924 Designing and Building of Special Tools and Machinery Life Insurance Annuities LYLE H. CHENEY New York Life Insurance Company RYan 1-6191 Security Building SYcamore 2-7141 Pasadena 1, Calif. Performance Plus + + with SQUARE D Starters They are simply designed. They are compact, yet afford generous wiring space. Installation and inspection are easier. And —completeness of line (both A.C. and D.C.) means the right starter for any given application. SQUARE D COMPANY DETROIT• MILWAUKEE LOS ANGELES Page 17 ALUMNI NEWS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS PRESIDENT W. M. Jacobs '28 VICE-PRESIDENT H. B. Lewis '23 SECRETARY D. S. Clark '29 TREASURER H. R. Freeman '25 BOARD OF DIRECTORS J. R. Bradburn '32 E. R. Hoge '18 A. L. Laws '26 J. W. Lewis '41 W. B. Miller '37 F. T. Schell '27 W. D. Sellers '25 ALUMNI CHAPTER OFFICERS New York Chapter: PRESIDENT H. E. Mendenhall '23 Be!l Telephone Labs., Murray Hill, N. J. Summit 6-6000 VICE-PRESIDENT Clifford C. Burton '40 The Texas Co., 205 E. 42nd St., New York 17, N. Y., MU 9-7700 SECRETARY TREASURER Richard T. Brice Otis Elevator Co., 260 Eleventh Ave., New York 1, N. CH 4.8000 San Francisco Chapter: PRESIDENT Ted Vermeulen '36 2226 McGee Avenue, Berkeley 3, California THornwall 3475 University of California Chemistry Department AShberty 6000 E VICE-PRESIDENT Robert P. Jones '35 1431 Park Blvd., San Mateo, California, Tel. San Mateo 3-7634 Standard of California Tel. SUtter 7700 SECRETARY-TREASURER John C. Harper '40 5800 Buena Vista Ave., Oakland 11, California, Pledmont 8672-M Standard Oil Refinery, Richmond, California, Tel. RIchmond 7800 The San Francisco Chapter meets weekly for lunch at the Fraternity Club, 345 Bush Street, on Mondays. C.I.O. ORGANIZER SPEAKS TO ALUMNI the first dinner meeting for the 1947-48 year in October. Mr. John A. Despol, international feld representative with the United Steel Workers of America, said that he was speaking both as a union organizer and as a private citizen on the premise that he believed thoroughly in civil liberties and the right to speak out against any impending dictatorship, whether it be political, church, capital or labor. The platform of the C.I.O. includes among its planks: a guaranteed annual wage; more social secur-ity; international control of atomic energy; and the spending of more money on education. A constant threat to our future, said Mr. Despol, is the infiltration of Communism into our society. The C.I.O., under the leadership of Phillip Murray, who is a staunch Catholic, is waging a bitter fight against Com-munism. Labor's attitude on the Taft-Hartley Act is that it is a legislative monstrosity incapable of enforcement and a measure over which even the authors are in disagreement concerning the meaning. Approximately 30 minutes of questions and answers concluded Mr. Despol's part of the meeting. Page 18 LIEUT. GOVERNOR WILL SPEAK AT DECEMBER ALUMNI MEETING LIEUTENANT Governor Goodwin J. Knight will speak at the December 4 dinner meeting of the Association. "America Comes of Age" is his topic, to consist of a critical analysis of current national prob-lems. Preceding Lieut. Gov. Knight on the program is Frederick C. Lindvall '28, youthful professor of electrical and mechanical engineering, chairman of the Division of Civil and Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, and a member of the Executive Commit-tee. Dr. Lindvall will briefly discuss "Current En- gineering Interests at the Institute." Lieut. Gov. Knight, whose talk, it is expected, will be transcribed and broadcast later in the evening of December 4, is a Stanford graduate. He received the bachelor's degree in 1919 following 19 months of Naval service. Upon his graduation, he received the Telluride Scholarship grating him a year of study at Cornell. Knight then returned to Los Angeles, where he practiced law until 1934. In 1933 he purchased a Mojave Desert gold mine. Developing the property, he operated it successfull intil 1936, when he sold one-half interest. Knight's employee relationships of that period are still considered a model of good mine operation. His mine was not troubled by strikes and work stoppages prevalent in that area. Appointed Judge of the Superior Court in Los Angeles County in 1935, he faced 5 contenders for this office in the elections of 1936. Knight defeated them all in the primaries, and was opposed in 1942. Knight was elected Lieutenant Governor in the fall of 1946, and assumed office last January. ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY With the Board WE have mentioned how the affairs of the Associ ation have grown in number and complexity. One means of assuring that there always will be experienced members of the Board is that of replacing only part of the membership each year. This has served well but even so it has been difficult for new Board members to take hold quickly. To remedy this situation, Don Clark suggested along toward the end of the 1945-46 year that a pamphlet describing how the Board works and what it does would be very helpful. The writer was then a member of the Board without portfolio and so he took on the preparation of a Manual of Operations. The draft prepared at that time was turned over to Harold Huston at the beginning of the 1946-47 year and he labored hard and long collecting comments and advice of past and present members of the Board. In June 1947 when Harold's term on the Board expired he turned over to Jim Bradburn, his successor, a pile f Manual papers about an inch thick, saying the job of collecting was done and from then on, the editing, rewriting, and compiling could receive tull attention. lim Bradburn has secured the aid of Earl Burt whose job it now is to distil from this mass of notes the essence of wisdom and experience which went into their preparation and to present this essence clearly and briefly. Having seen how Earl gets things done the writer has great confidence that there will soon be a Manual of Operations for the Board of Directors and officers of the Association, and that it will be a good You've heard of the difficulty experienced occasionally when a person has tried to give away dollar bills or to sell five-dollar bills for a dollar. As you know, the Association By-laws provide for the remission to chapters of a fraction of the membership dues paid to the poreat as aciativiTy of provision ap to secourage there are enough Tech men to warrant. The only requirement to receive remission of the sum due is that a chapter notify headquarters of its membership each year; a check is then sent to that chapter. some cases, the director in charge of chapters frequently asks chapters more than once if they want the money. As this is written one or two chapters still can obtain financial aid for their activities by writing to Doug Sel-lers, care of the Alumni Association. And we might add, Doug will be glad to see that the money is forwarded promptly. DAVID PRESSMAN '37 NOW DOING RESEARCH IN NEW YORK D R. DAVID PRESSMAN '37, American Cancer So- ciety senior fellow, who has been doing research work at the Institute on immuno-chemical radio activity tracers on tumors and tumor tissue, is continuing his work in New York City at the Sloan Kettering Institute Memorial Hospital. After receiving his doc- torate here in 1940, Dr. Pressman remained at the Institute as a research fellow from 1940 to 1942 when he became a senior fellow in the Chemistry Department. During the past year he has been a research fellow of the Cancer Society, carrying on work under a Cancer Society Grant. DECEMBER 1947 WHY ALL ELECTRIC? SO CLEAN SO COOL DIDOCO SO AUTOMATIC COOL... that's your kitchen with an electric range! CLEAN that's your kitchen with an electric dishwasher and electric garbage disposal unrt! AUTOMATIC... that's your kitchen with a new freezer-equipped electric refrigerator ... with electric mixer... electric toaster ... with all the electrical appliances which make kitchen work "part-time" work in the modern home! Start planning now for your All Electric Kitchen! SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY OUTMERM CALIFORMIA Godison Page 19 PERSONALS 1924 FRED A. HOUGH has recently been promoted to vice-president of the Southern Counties Gas Company. He will also continue in his present capacity ex- ecutive engineer and a director of the Company L. BENTLEY COPELAND died October 16, 1947 after a short illness. Mr. Copeland was in partnership with Alfred W. Knight '22, patent attorney for Western Precipitation Co., Los Angeles. 1925 HENRY R. FREEMAN recently spent a vacation in San Francisco. While in the Bay area, Mr. Freeman attended the an- nual San Francisco Chapter Barbecue, which was held at Bob Bowman's walnut store home in Concord. Between 50 and San Francisco Alumni, frieradi ariended. They mei on the afrer- September 20, played games, visited, ate heartily, swam in Bob's swimming pool until late evening. 1931 GLENN CHAMBERLAN is now with Bechtel Corp., in Louisiana, Missouri, as senior engineer, and is in charge of the Electronic and Dynamic Bechtel Corp. Department. is operated by the Bur- eau of Mines. 1932 EDWARD C. KEACHIE is now on the U.C.L.A. faculty as lecturer in Industrial Management. 1933 LOUIS H. GOSS, former city engineer of Monterey Park, became city engineer at Redondo Beach, November 1. Goss was assistant engineer for South Pasadena and engineer-manager of Braw-ley before serving as city engineer of Monterey Park. During the war he served in the Army Engineer office in Los An-geles. 1934 N. van WINGEN, associated with the Richfield Oil Corporation, Los Angeles, since 1938, has resigned to join the faculty of the University of Oklahoma as a professor of petroleum engineering. 1935 L. J. STUPPY was graduated from Harvard Medical School and spent five years in the Army Medical Corps. Stuppy is now practicing in Los Angeles, specializing in heart diseases and internal medicine. Larry and his wife, the former Miss Mary Lissner, have four children. 1937 DANIEL T. GERLOUGH is studying at the University of California for an M.S. in Electrical Engineering. Dan expects to write a thesis on some phase of electronic computing devices. Page 20 HUGH F. WARNER is now with Westinghouse Electric Corp. as manutacturing engineer in the newly acquired lant in Sunnyvale, Calif. 57-acre Schedules call for production of heavy electrical equipment and employment of 4000 workers by the end of 1948. 1938 STEPHEN JENNINGS received Ph.D. in Physics from Ohio Staive Uni versity in August. 1940 J. KOHL is now teaching a U.C. Extension Division course at Berkeley in Process Instrumentation. DR. JOSEPH F. MANILDI has recently received two appointments: to the staff of University of California Exten- sion; and to an assistant professorship of engineering of the Los Angeles Campu: the University. Previously he served some years as director and some years es director Meer nini & Co., Inc., directing a research program connected with jet propulsion engines. 1941 NEWELL T. PARTCH now has two children, a six-months-old daughter, a son Eric, two and one-half years old. 1942 W. I. HOLSER, lecturer in geology at Columbia University, spent the summer months near Philipsburg, Montana, do- ing geological field work under a special research grant from Columbia Univer- sity. The investigation is concerned with contact metamorphic effects around the Philipsburg batholith and related instru-sive, and the magnetite iron deposits associated with these contact effects. Holser was assisted by J. W. ALLINGHAM '48. FRANK I. GIVEN announces the birth of a daughter in mid-September. Given is now a project engineer at Bendix, in North Hollywood, testing compon- Detect COMBUSTIBLE GASES QUICKLY ACCURATELY McDonald J-W Combustible Gas INDICATORS MODEL F A simple, portable instrument that reads directly in terms of "Explosibility" of the gas being tested. Flame arresting system prevents flash-backs. All gases are measured on one scale in units common to all. Weighs only 6¼ Ibs. 1945 RICHARD A. B. KNUDSEN is attending U.C.'s Hastings College of Law. Before entering Hastings, Dick worked at U. S. Propellers as assistant engineer testing experimental propellers. 1947 ADOLFO J. ATENCIO, Argentine naval officer, is studying plant layout and overhaul base operation in Pacific Airmotive Corporation's new Burbank aircraft overhaul facility. These studies are to be used as the basis for setting a similar type of operation in Argentina. Lt. Atencio is a graduate of the Univer-ity of Buenos Aires in Civil Engineer ing. Following his work at Pacific Air- motive, he will be stationed at Bahia Blanca, Argentine Naval Base. CARL RASMUSSEN is now employed at North American Aircraft, in Ingle-wood, Calif. MODEL L Electrically operated for laboratory testing - portable to any spot where 110-volt A.C. current is available. Highly versatile for testing field samples, liquid fuels, analytical work. WRITE FOR BULLETINS B. F. MCDONALD CO. Manufacturers & Distributors of Industrial Safety Equipment. 5100 E SOUTH HOOVER ST. LOS ANGELES 37, CALIF. OTHER OFFICES IN SAN FRANCISCO AND HOUSTON ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY THE IRON-WOOD COMPANY BUILDING CONTRACTORS "Complete Building Service" 4285 Huntington Dr., South - L.A. 32 - CApitol 1-3131 HAROLD ROACH '32 WALTER SCHOLTZ '33 STO-CANT ENGINEERING CO. A. T. Stock H. H. Canterbury Acrylic Plastic fabrication for chemical, hydraulic, and mechanical applications 5939 Clara St. Bell Gardens, Calif. TOpaz 2-5557 BERKLEY ENGINEERING & Equipment Company INDUSTRIAL INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS GENERAL OFFICE: SALES OFFICE: 2417 Riverside Drive 1151 South Broadway NOrmandy 5190 PRospect 8693 ATKINSON LOS ANGELES Photographic Research RALPH B. ATKINSON '30 LABORATORY CALIFORNIA Photographic Chemicals Estate Planning Life Insurance Harold O. Grondahl NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY 234 E. Colorado Street Pasadena 1, Calif SYcamore 2-7141 RYan 1-6191 ALLEN MACHINE & TOOL CO. Designers and Builders of Special Machinery and Tools Also General Machine Work 13409 S. Alameda Street Compton, California Phones: NEvada 6-2707 - NEwmark 1-8190 ARMY AND NAVY ACADEMY CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA WHERE THE CAMPUS MEETS THE SURF If you are interested in a school of distinction for your son investi- gate this fully accredited military academy. One of the West's oldest. The only school in the West located immediately on the Ocean. summer Camp For catalogue: Box Y, Carlsbad, California SMITH-EMERY COMPANY Since 1910 Chemical and Physical Testing Laboratories 920 Santee Street Los Angeles 15, California Planned Lighting with ZENITH Here's a commercial Auorescent luminaire that's engineered for superlative lighting perform-ance-yet costs only a very little more than conventional equip-ment. Precision formed on precision tools, the Zenith installs easily, services quickly. Polystyrene plastic side panels are light, strong and shatterproof. The shielding unit controls the light for greatest effectiveness, with a minimum of surface brightness. The Zenith may be installed individually as shown, or in continuous mounting. Write for the new Zenith catalog sheet SMODT-HOLMAN COMPANY SMOOT-HOLMAN INGLEWODD CALIFORNIA , FADE MI US.A OFFICES .. • STORES FOR THE BEST IN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LIGHTING IT'S SMOOT-HOLMAN POSTMASTER: Return postage guaranteed. A tip to the very wise... Buy Varidrives $4000%° INVESTMENT with fixed speed motor 100% EFFICIENT $4300°° INVESTMENT with U.S. Varidrive 130% EFFICIENT How to make your machine pay a Bonus! Many machines in your plant will turn out more production if their speeds can be quickly changed. But with fixed speed motors you are limited to the speeds of cone pulleys or gears. You restrict the full production capacity of your machines and you limit the operator's abilities to speed up his work or to synchronize movements best suited to his tempo. By installing U. S. Varidrive Motors you increase you machine's performance in many ways. You give your oper ators the right speed so they can work at peak capacity. Assuming a shop tool costs you $4000, with a motor of fixed speed, let's figure its operating factor at 100%. By powering it with a U.S. Vardrive instead of with a fixed speed motor, for a few dollars more you make that tool turn out far more production-10%, 20%, 30% or even more. You can speed up for peak loads, drop down to a slower speed for work requiring diminished movement-just by the turn of a handwheel. You enable your operators to get more satisfaction in their work-and you profit by having the most modern power drive ever conceived. Think of the places in your plant where variable speed will help drive down operating costs. Then apply Varidrives at a traction of the cost of the machines. Ask for interesting illustrated U.S. Varidrive Motor liter-ature. It describes the complete range of sizes and types. Varidrive DESIGN FEATURES Self-contained, compact unit. Speeds from 1 rpm to 10,000 rpm. Smooth running, shockless transmission. Instant change from speed to speed. Quiet, anti-friction operation. U.s. Varidrive MOTORS THOUSANDS OF SPEEDS AT THE TURN OF A WHEEL U.S. ELECTRICAL MOTORS Inc. Atlantic Plant: Milford, Conn. - Pacific Plant: Los Angeles 54, Calif. District Offices: Boston 16-New York City 6-Philadelphia 2 Sales and Service offices in all principal cities MOTORS UN Pittsburgh 22-Chicago 8-San Francisco 7-Seattle 4 ALUMNI NEWS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS PRESIDENT W. M. Jacobs '28 VICE-PRESIDENT H. B. Lewis '23 SECRETARY D. S. Clark '29 TREASURER H. R. Freeman '25 BOARD OF DIRECTORS J. R. Bradburn '32 E. R. Hoge '18 A. L. Laws '26 J. W. Lewis '41 W. B. Miller '37 F. T. Schell '27 W. D. Sellers '25 ALUMNI CHAPTER OFFICERS New York Chapter: PRESIDENT H. E. Mendenhall '23 Be!l Telephone Labs., Murray Hill, N. J. Summit 6-6000 VICE-PRESIDENT Clifford C. Burton '40 The Texas Co., 205 E. 42nd St., New York 17, N. Y., MU 9-7700 SECRETARY TREASURER Richard T. Brice Otis Elevator Co., 260 Eleventh Ave., New York 1, N. CH 4.8000 San Francisco Chapter: PRESIDENT Ted Vermeulen '36 2226 McGee Avenue, Berkeley 3, California THornwall 3475 University of California Chemistry Department AShberty 6000 E VICE-PRESIDENT Robert P. Jones '35 1431 Park Blvd., San Mateo, California, Tel. San Mateo 3-7634 Standard of California Tel. SUtter 7700 SECRETARY-TREASURER John C. Harper '40 5800 Buena Vista Ave., Oakland 11, California, Pledmont 8672-M Standard Oil Refinery, Richmond, California, Tel. RIchmond 7800 The San Francisco Chapter meets weekly for lunch at the Fraternity Club, 345 Bush Street, on Mondays. C.I.O. ORGANIZER SPEAKS TO ALUMNI the first dinner meeting for the 1947-48 year in October. Mr. John A. Despol, international feld representative with the United Steel Workers of America, said that he was speaking both as a union organizer and as a private citizen on the premise that he believed thoroughly in civil liberties and the right to speak out against any impending dictatorship, whether it be political, church, capital or labor. The platform of the C.I.O. includes among its planks: a guaranteed annual wage; more social secur-ity; international control of atomic energy; and the spending of more money on education. A constant threat to our future, said Mr. Despol, is the infiltration of Communism into our society. The C.I.O., under the leadership of Phillip Murray, who is a staunch Catholic, is waging a bitter fight against Com-munism. Labor's attitude on the Taft-Hartley Act is that it is a legislative monstrosity incapable of enforcement and a measure over which even the authors are in disagreement concerning the meaning. Approximately 30 minutes of questions and answers concluded Mr. Despol's part of the meeting. Page 18 LIEUT. GOVERNOR WILL SPEAK AT DECEMBER ALUMNI MEETING LIEUTENANT Governor Goodwin J. Knight will speak at the December 4 dinner meeting of the Association. "America Comes of Age" is his topic, to consist of a critical analysis of current national prob-lems. Preceding Lieut. Gov. Knight on the program is Frederick C. Lindvall '28, youthful professor of electrical and mechanical engineering, chairman of the Division of Civil and Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, and a member of the Executive Commit-tee. Dr. Lindvall will briefly discuss "Current En- gineering Interests at the Institute." Lieut. Gov. Knight, whose talk, it is expected, will be transcribed and broadcast later in the evening of December 4, is a Stanford graduate. He received the bachelor's degree in 1919 following 19 months of Naval service. Upon his graduation, he received the Telluride Scholarship grating him a year of study at Cornell. Knight then returned to Los Angeles, where he practiced law until 1934. In 1933 he purchased a Mojave Desert gold mine. Developing the property, he operated it successfull intil 1936, when he sold one-half interest. Knight's employee relationships of that period are still considered a model of good mine operation. His mine was not troubled by strikes and work stoppages prevalent in that area. Appointed Judge of the Superior Court in Los Angeles County in 1935, he faced 5 contenders for this office in the elections of 1936. Knight defeated them all in the primaries, and was opposed in 1942. Knight was elected Lieutenant Governor in the fall of 1946, and assumed office last January. ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY With the Board WE have mentioned how the affairs of the Associ ation have grown in number and complexity. One means of assuring that there always will be experienced members of the Board is that of replacing only part of the membership each year. This has served well but even so it has been difficult for new Board members to take hold quickly. To remedy this situation, Don Clark suggested along toward the end of the 1945-46 year that a pamphlet describing how the Board works and what it does would be very helpful. The writer was then a member of the Board without portfolio and so he took on the preparation of a Manual of Operations. The draft prepared at that time was turned over to Harold Huston at the beginning of the 1946-47 year and he labored hard and long collecting comments and advice of past and present members of the Board. In June 1947 when Harold's term on the Board expired he turned over to Jim Bradburn, his successor, a pile f Manual papers about an inch thick, saying the job of collecting was done and from then on, the editing, rewriting, and compiling could receive tull attention. lim Bradburn has secured the aid of Earl Burt whose job it now is to distil from this mass of notes the essence of wisdom and experience which went into their preparation and to present this essence clearly and briefly. Having seen how Earl gets things done the writer has great confidence that there will soon be a Manual of Operations for the Board of Directors and officers of the Association, and that it will be a good You've heard of the difficulty experienced occasionally when a person has tried to give away dollar bills or to sell five-dollar bills for a dollar. As you know, the Association By-laws provide for the remission to chapters of a fraction of the membership dues paid to the poreat as aciativiTy of provision ap to secourage there are enough Tech men to warrant. The only requirement to receive remission of the sum due is that a chapter notify headquarters of its membership each year; a check is then sent to that chapter. some cases, the director in charge of chapters frequently asks chapters more than once if they want the money. As this is written one or two chapters still can obtain financial aid for their activities by writing to Doug Sel-lers, care of the Alumni Association. And we might add, Doug will be glad to see that the money is forwarded promptly. DAVID PRESSMAN '37 NOW DOING RESEARCH IN NEW YORK D R. DAVID PRESSMAN '37, American Cancer So- ciety senior fellow, who has been doing research work at the Institute on immuno-chemical radio activity tracers on tumors and tumor tissue, is continuing his work in New York City at the Sloan Kettering Institute Memorial Hospital. After receiving his doc- torate here in 1940, Dr. Pressman remained at the Institute as a research fellow from 1940 to 1942 when he became a senior fellow in the Chemistry Department. During the past year he has been a research fellow of the Cancer Society, carrying on work under a Cancer Society Grant. DECEMBER 1947 WHY ALL ELECTRIC? SO CLEAN SO COOL DIDOCO SO AUTOMATIC COOL... that's your kitchen with an electric range! CLEAN that's your kitchen with an electric dishwasher and electric garbage disposal unrt! AUTOMATIC... that's your kitchen with a new freezer-equipped electric refrigerator ... with electric mixer... electric toaster ... with all the electrical appliances which make kitchen work "part-time" work in the modern home! Start planning now for your All Electric Kitchen! SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY OUTMERM CALIFORMIA Godison Page 19 Report from Camp Radford By LEONARD F. HERZOG* HAT now ivy-encrusted Callech tradition, the frost 'Camp, this year was a spectacular success, and mem- victory over the surprised youngsters. Choicest bit of repartee of the camp was engaged in bers of the class of '21 who conceived the first one- during the seminar on "how to study" ; the participants day Freshman "retreat" can look with pride on the ro- were Dean Strong and Prof. Owen of the Biology De bust youngster their idea has grown to be. partment, who had just completed a discussion of Through the years, the Frosh Camp has expanded thought-processes. from its original form to a full three-day briefing and Prof Owen (probably abeted by new-Dean Eaton's get-acquainted session; two years ago the Institute reference to himself as Assistant Dean): "Someone has recognizing the value of this YMCA-sponsored activity, said that an Assistant Dean is like a mouse trying to assumed management of the camp. This year's result become a rat." was a well-integrated, purposeful, enjoyable meeting Dean Strong: "I'd like to know where that leaves me notable for the evident quantity of behind-the-scenes — I'm an Associate Dean." preparation which had preceded it. Prof. Owen: "I should say that sounds like an impos- To this observer, the most notable aspect of this sible hybrid." year's meeting at Camp Radford, California, was a new Heading the list of speakers were President Lee A emphasis. In addition to informing the Freshmen on DuBridge, and Howard Lewis, Vice-president of the such subjects as Institute history, departments, activ- Alumni Association, whose remarks were aptly titled ities, student life, and "how to study," every speaker "Report from an End Product." Other speakers included stressed one point: The foremost duty of the student, Bruce Worcester, ASCIT president; Registrar L. W. to himself and to humanity, during his stay at Tech Jones, formerly associate dean for upper classmen; was the development of character, the integration of Dr. Chester Stock, new chairman of the Division of Geo- personality, and the acquisition of those qualities which logical Sciences; Placement Director Donald S. Clark; would enable him best to communicate, cooperate, and Mr. H. Z. Musselman, director of physical education; mix socially with his fellow men. J. Mason Anderson, varsity football coach; Ed Preister, Periods during morning, afternoon, and evening were Freshman football coach; "Doc" Hanes, cross country devoted to talks and orientation. Plenty of time for nentor; Dean Franklin Thomas; Prof. Frederick Linc sports and recreation during which the new men, rep- vall; Prof. John Schutz, and various student leaders. resenting some 40 nations as well as most states, could best get acquainted — was provided throughout the schedule, and night meetings were over early enough to allow further social mingling, mostly in the form of "bull-sessions" and card games, to take place. Meals were excellent, thanks to the capable work of Mrs. Ellen Bunton, manager of the Student Houses, and her staff, which journeyed en masse to the San Ber-sardino Mountain resort for the meet. Featured in the closing hours of the camp was the traditional Frosh-Faculty baseball game, played on the banked (balls hit to the outfield bounced off the mountainside and back to the infield) Radford diamond. The powerful bats of DuBridge, Hershey, Clark, Strong, et al built up an early Faculty lead, which the oldsters managed to hold onto long enough to eke out a 9-8 unior geologist Herzog is editor of the CALIFORNI ECH, attended camp not only in advisory and reportori capacities, but also to scout prospective staff members. Page 16 ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY C. I. T. NEWS PALOMAR MIRROR IS SAFELY MOVED AFTER a two-day trip, the 200 inch Telescope Mim ror arrived safely at Palomar Mountain from CalTech. The transfer was started when a truck and out of the grinding shop at 3:30 in the morning of November 18, escorted by the California State Highway Patrol, Institute officials, and 50 cars full of press and radio representatives. inland, the cavalcade stopped at Escondido for the night, shifted gears into low the next morning. for the grind up Mt. Palomar. The unloading was successful, and the mirror was deposited to be aluminized and attached to the telescope mounting. The concave face of the huge disc — 3.75 inches in depth at the center — must now be coated with aluminum to create the necessary reflecting surface. A huge vacuum tank has been constructed at the Observatory to do this job. Mounting the mirror, already installed in the cell in which it will ultimately be placed in the telescope tube, and testing of the entire telescope will follow. will require several months, and the telescope cannot possibly be completed and ready from a programmed search of the heavens until late in the spring or early summer of 1948. ZONING VARIANCE MAKES WAY FOR NEW LABORATORY THE long anticipated Earhart Laboratory appears now well on the way toward realization following a Pasadena City Zoning Commission ruling granting the Institute a zoning variance for its property at San Pasqual Street and Michigan Avenue. This new air- THE Institute would certainly be remiss in its duties if it failed to call to the attention of all alumni the excellent assistance it received from „R. M. "Bob" Lehman '31, in obtaining , variance from the City so that the Earhart Laboratory could be built. Lehman did an outstandins sublic relations job for the Institute when he, and other persons whom he paid out of his own poc-ket, circulated a petition in the general area of the laboratory location seeking signatures of property owners stating they approved granting of such a variance. These petitions formed the basis upon which the entire Institute presentation was made to the Zoning Committee. It was an outstanding contribution by an alumnus and gains added importance by the fact that it was his idea " from the beginning. L. A. DuBridge conditioned plant physiology laboratory, which will be the only one of its kind in the world, is to be constructed n the same property where the present small green. ouse and laboratory is located. Funds are being made available by the Earhart Foundation, and cost of the addition will be in excess of $200,000. Page 14 Completely air-conditioned and temperature con-trolled, the Laboratory will enable not only Institute biologists, but also visiting scientists to work out in de-ail plant physiological discoveries made in the present small laboratory. Dr. Frits W. Went, professor of plant physiology, who will direct the Laboratory, will through accurate control of individual factors, be able to manufacture his own climate through absolute control of temperature, humidity, light, wind of gas content of An understanding of the responses of plants to climate will make possible the determination of ideal conditions for growth and production of any kind of plant. It will enable scientists to eliminate the guess-work in developing and discovering the types of plants that will do best in any given area. With records which are available as to the temperature, humidity, amount of daylight and darkness of a specific location, Dr. Went and his associates will be able to duplicate those conditions in the Laboratory. Other problems to be attacked include study of such fundamentals as "What makes a plant grow?" "What makes a plant flower and set fruit?" "What are the ef fects of wind and rain on the mineral and water uptake of plants?" It was in the small existing laboratory that much of the work on plant hormones, which infuence fruit flowering and fruit set, developed - and that is only a start in the right direction. RESEARCH ORGANIZATION HONORS DUBRIDGE A 1947 Award of the Research Corporation of Nev ork for outstanding scientific achievement was ore sented to Dr. Lee A. DuBridge, at a dinner in his honor November 3 in Los Angeles. Dr. DuBridge was chosen to receive this award, which carried with it a plaque and a $2500 honorarium, "for his outstanding scientific achievements in directing the Radiation Laboratory of the Office of Scientific Research and Development in the field of microwave rádar research, development and application to national defense, " Dr. Joseph W. Barker, Research Corporation president, stated. Chosen in 1940 to head the Radiation Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Bridge served as its director until January, 1946. Out -of research and development work done there during the war came the "know how" in microwave radar that enabled the United States to lead the world in its military applications. Four months after leaving the Radiation Laboratory and returning to his prewar position at the University of Rochester, Dr. DuBridge was called to the presidency of the California Institute. Twenty-eight volumes reporting work done at the Radiation Laboratory under Dr. DuBridge's direction are now being published, and are being heralded as the "bible" for all those working in that field. The Research Corporation is an organization which distributes all its net earnings through grants for the advancement of science. Organized in 1912 through the foresight of Dr. Frederick Gardner Cottrell, who assigned to the Corporation valuable patent rights in the field of electrical precipitation, it makes' grants-in-aid to support research in the physical sciences, mathematics and engineering to many colleges and univer-sities. Other public spirited inventors have assigned. valuable patent rights to the Corporation which increase its net earnings. In one of these, Vitamin B, synthesis, Dr. Edwin R. Buchman; now of the staff of California Institute of Technology, was a co-discoverer and donor with Dr. R. R. Williams and Mr. R. E. Water- ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY man. A large part of the net earnings of this patent supports research in the combat of dietary deficiency diseases. Three professors of the California Institute, Dr. D. M. Yost and Dr. E. R. Buchman, chemistry, and Dr. G. D. McCann, electrical engineering, are currently doing work under grants from Research Foundation. MILLIKAN TO SPEAK AT FRIDAY EVENING LECTURE FRIDAY Evening Demonstration Lectures were resumed in November. This series, which has been made available to the public for the past 20 years, with roots are called chang shan. The botanical name for the plant is Dichroa febrifuga. Febrifugine and isofebrifugine are names the chemists give to the the new antimalarials. The names, as Tested against malaria in ducks, febrifugine was about 100 times as active as quinine. Isofebrifugine has only slight activity against duck malaria. Koepfli, Mead and Brockman are now exploring the possibility that leaves of the plant may contain still another anti-malarial chemical. J.P.L.'S DUWEZ APPOINTED M.E. PROFESSOR DR. POL DUWEZ of the let Propulsion mabora-tory was appointed associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Institute, effective September 1. Professor Duwez came to CalTech in 1941 from Bel- recent developments in the fields of physics, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, biology, geology, paleontology, meteorology, aeronautics, hydraulics and electrical, mechanical and civil engineering. Dr. Robert A. Millikan, professor emeritus of physics, will speak on "The Jubilee of the Electron," December 5. "Blood and Heridity" will be discussed by Dr. R. D. Owen, associate professor of biology; on December 12. Institute for both the OSRD and the Navy and since then has been connected with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory doing research and development work with both ceramics and metals in the field of jet pro-pulsion. FOREIGN STUDENTS HAVE OWN ORGANIZATION STUDENTS from 40 foreign lands are among the 1320 men who have completed registration at the Institute for the 1947-48 school year. The number of foreign lands represented on the campus is considerably in excess of last year when only 24 countries had students at the Institute. The Inter-Nations Association, comprising CalTech students from all 40 foreign lands and this country, held a get-acquainted party Saturday night, November 8, at the Athenaeum. President of the Association is Patrick Michael Quinlan of Ireland, and Mrs. Jerome Seitz, now of Pasadena, but formerly of Brazil, is social chair-nan. Miss Esther Gilbert is membership Professor Horace N. Gilbert, chairman of the faculty committee on foreign students, addressed the ing as did also Dudley C. Monk, head of the United Nations organization in Pasadena and a member of the This was the first of a number of programs planned for the year. Countries in addition to the United States which were represented at the party by students included Cuba, India, Malaya, Iraq, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Palestine, Puerto Rico, France, China, Canada, Austria, Norway, Belgium, Switzerland, Colombia, Lebanon, Hungary, Holland, England, Mexico, Italy, Australia, Sweden, Honduras, Wales, Argentina, Iran, Germany, Burma, Peru, Ireland El Salvador, Siam, South Africa, Uruguay, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. INSTITUTE CHEMISTS DEVELOP NEW ANTIMALARIAL DRUG EXTRACTION OF two antimalarial chemicals, one of them 100 times as powertul as quinine, was announced recently by Dr. J. B. Koepfili, J. F. Mead and John A. Brockman Jr., of the Institute Chemistry Department, in a report to the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The chemicals were obtained from the leaves and roots of a plant long known to the Chinese as having antimalarial properties. In China, its DECEMBER 1947 SERVICE LEAGUE NOW OPERATING CALIFORNIA Tech students, their wives and thei babies are getting unprecedented attention thes days as a result of the newly-formed Service League, which completed its formal organization late in Octo-ber. Patterned somewhat after the Stanford University Mother's Club, organization of the League commenced last spring with parents of students, friends of the In-stitute, and faculty members meeting with school of present the proposed student welfare pro- gram. With enthusiastic approval of President DuBridge and other school officials, a specific program was laid out and organization work started Three major projects of the League are already well along to realization. First is the establishment of a new CalTech Health Center on the campus. A war surplus temporary building which had previously been a sick bay was obtained by the Institute and is now approaching completion on the campus. It will have six beds, 24-hour nursing service, and a full-time physician. Meals will be prepared in the kitchen of the student houses. The League is not only decorating but also helping otherwise to furnish this building. With convalescent care of students arranged, the League next turned to a program of welfare aid for students' wives and children. Out of this came a decision to do two things — establish a well-baby clinic and also a baby furniture and equipment pool. Both are now in heir early stages of operation. The well-baby clinic i eld one afternoon each week by Dr. Belle D. Pool supervisor for the Southern California District of the State Maternal and Child Hygiene Department. Cooperating with her in conducting the clinic is the City of Pasadena Health Department. Bassinets, bathinettes, play pens, baby scales and other types of infant equipment are already being contributed by members and others to establish a pool of such equipment for loan to married students with fam-ilies. Mrs. Archibald Young, Pasadena, is chairman of the committee in charge of this project. With the Editor-. GREMLINS haven't bothered ye editor very much but recently they slipped one over. He had plannec to include in the October issue short accounts of two very pleasant experiences of the summer; but the office gremlins put the copy in the wrong file, and so the articles were not published. According to schedule, the October E &S was issued several days after the copy for the November E &S was complete; so the December issue is our first chance to tell you about the parties held by Vice-President and Mrs. Howard Lewis in July and by President and Mrs. Morton Jacobs in In both cases the Board of Directors and their guests assembled in the afternoon to play badminton, tennis, croquet, and other games and later enjoyed excellent lowed by what was to be a short business interlude bit re games te resumed. To the dinouncent of particularly Mort, who had announced every attempt must be made to make business meetings short, the business meeting lasted until nearly midnight when it was recessed to be resumed at a special meeting a few days later. In spite of the disappointment, how-ever, this and Howard Lewis' party will remain in the memories of the guests as two of the most pleasant events of the summer. In the October issue we told of a discussion between the managing editor and ye editor regarding the rarity of letters commending our eftorts or telling of disagree- which led to the ESSICK MANDFASTURNG LOS ANGELES More than a Quarter Century of Leadership Builders of PLASTER MIXERS ALL STEEL CONCRETE MIXERS TWO-MAN SUCTION DREDGES STEEL-FRAME CONTRACTORS HOISTS EVAPORATIVE AIR COOLERS AIR-POWER WEED SPRAYING EQUIPMENT PORTABLE PAINT SPRAYING EQUIPMENT SELF-PRIMING PUMPS ESSICK MANUFACTURING CO. TUcker 5144 1950 Santa Fe Ave. Los Angeles 21 that up to now, time has proved that the M.E. was right - three months have passed and no comment has been received on the article. However, several alumni were spurred to action by ye editor's column. Excerpts from some of the letters are included herewith. That's a good start; keep it up. Letters to the Editor JUST a note to commend you for your excellent magazine. Why not carry the Humanities to the Alumni? You might reviews and essays (non-technical) supplied by he Humanities Department. You could even carry articles on Atomic Energy and the United Nations. -J. Kohl '40 Recent articles on these subjects will be found in E&S for Jan., Feb., April, May, June, October 1946; April and Nov 1947. We shall continue to be on the lookout for such ma- terial. -Ed. .. THE LACK of reaction on the part of the Alumni can b nterpreted in the way you describe, ... or it can be interprete in another way which places the blame squarely on the shoulder of the editorial staff; namely that if a magazine is not reac The first article is good from the standpoint of the engineers working in California or who expect to work there. I have not worked in California for over 10 years nor do I expect to while drawing The next four pages have news items whick, e same applies some interest, so the perse, appeare nexechree pases it all sums appe (Continued on page 17) DECEMBER 1947 Petroleun TESTING EQUIPMENT A new catalog covering the latest developments for testing petroleum will soon be available. If you are interested in this type of laboratory equipment, we want you to have a copy. Ask for it! "Over 50 years of service to the laboratories on the Pacific Coast." INDUSTRIAL - EDUCATIONAL - PETROLEUM TRinity 6031 BRAUN CORPORATION 2260 EAST 15TH ST., LOS ANGELES, CALIF., U.S.A. San Francisco, California Seattle, Washington BRAUN-KNECHT-HEIMANN-CO < BRAUN> SCIENTIFIC SUPPLIES CO. Page 3 Research in Industry (Continued from page 7) and some understanding of the economic and social problems of modern business. For the right men there exists today a great field of opportunity in industrial research. It is in itself a rapidly "business" in which high reward may be found ooh poessinelly and inancially. In fat, a noticeable trend today is to provide for ample salary advancement in straight non-administrative technical work for suitably qualified men. There are, of course, many other avenues of advancement as well, including administrative work within the industrial research group, or transfer to other types of business activity such as manufac- FUTURE OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH Industrial research is now a large industry in itself and is at the threshold of its greatest expansion. Im-nediate major problems include the training of mor esearch personnel, the provision of adequate physica facilities, the promoting of public understanding of research and its importance, and the developing of a permanent mechanism for applying effectively the results of industrial research to national security. As potential participants in industrial research, men trained in science and engineering can look forward to the future with confidence. "Science has its cathedrals built by the efforts of a few architects and of many workers."* In- dustry will look to science and engineering graduates as architects of its future cathedrals of applied scientific knowledge. "From the preface of Lewis & Randall's "Thermodynamics." Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 3) if I had been busy I would not have read the magazine. So much for destructive criticism, now for the constructive Why not articles on what is new at the Institute? Set some of the graduate students to write them up; it would be good practice for them. An article like this if advertised on the front cover would cause most of us to at least open the magazine. How about the Placement Service? It certainly deserves a place in the magazine giving an account of the new openings available and also in more normal times the men available. E. D. Alcock '33 Dallas, Texas What do others think? Thanks for your ideas, we are working on them. Some of our difficulties are mentioned in "With the Editor," November 1947. -Ed. THE article on Registration of Engineers in California by Martin H. Webster in the October issue has been read with great interest. It has been of particular interest to me because of my long residence in California and the fact that I am now an active participant in the campaign for registration engineers in Texas. the Texas lae essay makes no provision fos this we intempt co handle it through the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, affiliated with the National Society of Professional Engineers, membership in which is limited to registered professional engineers. As a member of the fees and salaries committee of the Texas e very interested in receiving o furnishing any additional data along these lines which may be available or desired and which might in any way promote the acceptance of engineering as a recognized profession on '25 Fort Worth, Texas E&S will be glad to serve as a clearing house for questions or information. -Ed. DECEMBER 1947 SCOTT & COMPANY LIFE INSURANCE GENERAL INSURANCE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS 811 West 7th Street o Los Angeles 14 • TRinity 4061 MOCK Printing SYcamore 9-1711 1104 MISSION ST. SOUTH PASADENA Special Tools and Machinery Co. 4625 Pacific Boulevard, Los Angeles KImball 3246 - 3247 PAUL F. VOKAL Owner Manager Since 1924 Designing and Building of Special Tools and Machinery Life Insurance Annuities LYLE H. CHENEY New York Life Insurance Company RYan 1-6191 Security Building SYcamore 2-7141 Pasadena 1, Calif. Performance Plus + + with SQUARE D Starters They are simply designed. They are compact, yet afford generous wiring space. Installation and inspection are easier. And —completeness of line (both A.C. and D.C.) means the right starter for any given application. SQUARE D COMPANY DETROIT• MILWAUKEE LOS ANGELES Page 17 PERSONALS 1924 FRED A. HOUGH has recently been promoted to vice-president of the Southern Counties Gas Company. He will also continue in his present capacity ex- ecutive engineer and a director of the Company L. BENTLEY COPELAND died October 16, 1947 after a short illness. Mr. Copeland was in partnership with Alfred W. Knight '22, patent attorney for Western Precipitation Co., Los Angeles. 1925 HENRY R. FREEMAN recently spent a vacation in San Francisco. While in the Bay area, Mr. Freeman attended the an- nual San Francisco Chapter Barbecue, which was held at Bob Bowman's walnut store home in Concord. Between 50 and San Francisco Alumni, frieradi ariended. They mei on the afrer- September 20, played games, visited, ate heartily, swam in Bob's swimming pool until late evening. 1931 GLENN CHAMBERLAN is now with Bechtel Corp., in Louisiana, Missouri, as senior engineer, and is in charge of the Electronic and Dynamic Bechtel Corp. Department. is operated by the Bur- eau of Mines. 1932 EDWARD C. KEACHIE is now on the U.C.L.A. faculty as lecturer in Industrial Management. 1933 LOUIS H. GOSS, former city engineer of Monterey Park, became city engineer at Redondo Beach, November 1. Goss was assistant engineer for South Pasadena and engineer-manager of Braw-ley before serving as city engineer of Monterey Park. During the war he served in the Army Engineer office in Los An-geles. 1934 N. van WINGEN, associated with the Richfield Oil Corporation, Los Angeles, since 1938, has resigned to join the faculty of the University of Oklahoma as a professor of petroleum engineering. 1935 L. J. STUPPY was graduated from Harvard Medical School and spent five years in the Army Medical Corps. Stuppy is now practicing in Los Angeles, specializing in heart diseases and internal medicine. Larry and his wife, the former Miss Mary Lissner, have four children. 1937 DANIEL T. GERLOUGH is studying at the University of California for an M.S. in Electrical Engineering. Dan expects to write a thesis on some phase of electronic computing devices. Page 20 HUGH F. WARNER is now with Westinghouse Electric Corp. as manutacturing engineer in the newly acquired lant in Sunnyvale, Calif. 57-acre Schedules call for production of heavy electrical equipment and employment of 4000 workers by the end of 1948. 1938 STEPHEN JENNINGS received Ph.D. in Physics from Ohio Staive Uni versity in August. 1940 J. KOHL is now teaching a U.C. Extension Division course at Berkeley in Process Instrumentation. DR. JOSEPH F. MANILDI has recently received two appointments: to the staff of University of California Exten- sion; and to an assistant professorship of engineering of the Los Angeles Campu: the University. Previously he served some years as director and some years es director Meer nini & Co., Inc., directing a research program connected with jet propulsion engines. 1941 NEWELL T. PARTCH now has two children, a six-months-old daughter, a son Eric, two and one-half years old. 1942 W. I. HOLSER, lecturer in geology at Columbia University, spent the summer months near Philipsburg, Montana, do- ing geological field work under a special research grant from Columbia Univer- sity. The investigation is concerned with contact metamorphic effects around the Philipsburg batholith and related instru-sive, and the magnetite iron deposits associated with these contact effects. Holser was assisted by J. W. ALLINGHAM '48. FRANK I. GIVEN announces the birth of a daughter in mid-September. Given is now a project engineer at Bendix, in North Hollywood, testing compon- Detect COMBUSTIBLE GASES QUICKLY ACCURATELY McDonald J-W Combustible Gas INDICATORS MODEL F A simple, portable instrument that reads directly in terms of "Explosibility" of the gas being tested. Flame arresting system prevents flash-backs. All gases are measured on one scale in units common to all. Weighs only 6¼ Ibs. 1945 RICHARD A. B. KNUDSEN is attending U.C.'s Hastings College of Law. Before entering Hastings, Dick worked at U. S. Propellers as assistant engineer testing experimental propellers. 1947 ADOLFO J. ATENCIO, Argentine naval officer, is studying plant layout and overhaul base operation in Pacific Airmotive Corporation's new Burbank aircraft overhaul facility. These studies are to be used as the basis for setting a similar type of operation in Argentina. Lt. Atencio is a graduate of the Univer-ity of Buenos Aires in Civil Engineer ing. Following his work at Pacific Air- motive, he will be stationed at Bahia Blanca, Argentine Naval Base. CARL RASMUSSEN is now employed at North American Aircraft, in Ingle-wood, Calif. MODEL L Electrically operated for laboratory testing - portable to any spot where 110-volt A.C. current is available. Highly versatile for testing field samples, liquid fuels, analytical work. WRITE FOR BULLETINS B. F. MCDONALD CO. Manufacturers & Distributors of Industrial Safety Equipment. 5100 E SOUTH HOOVER ST. LOS ANGELES 37, CALIF. OTHER OFFICES IN SAN FRANCISCO AND HOUSTON ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE monthly Vol. X. No. 9 December 1947 Research in Industry By HOWARD G. VESPER OME years ago the British magazine Punch pub- Slished an extended analysis of restates in business, concluding as follows: "To sum up, the following are the main advantages and disadvantages of a research department: "Advantages: 1. It does no harm. 2. Visitors and shareholders are impressed by the sight of so much science and the smell of so much hydrogen sulfide. 3. It provides congenial employment for a number of people who otherwise would invariably be reduced to teaching small boys that 2HCH Zn = ZnCl+H2. 4. One of these days someone may find out something that will make all the difference to your business; the thing is at least statistically pos-sible. 5. Scientists are usually quite nice lads without VICE. "Disadvantages: 1. Cash. "We cannot visualize any business man, comparing the advay gos with this single shout do dimey bet to come ev come do an ayo open the ys see some buildininent EVOLUTION OF MODERN INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH In contrast to this humorous approach, modern industrial research has a long and interesting background of evolution. While there were a few earlier high spots, science really began about the 16th century gradually to take definite form and supplant the speculations of ne alchemists and philosophers on the imaginary prop rties attributed to matter. This progress tool great strides during the 19th century through the activity of scientists in Europe and the United States, substantially increasing man's fundamental knowledge. Notable landmarks included Count Rumford's establishment in This article is based on a talk presented at the annual Tau Beta Pi dinner at the California Institute, March 14, 1947. DECEMBER 1947 Royal Institution of London, 1825 of the first chemical laboratory for systematic study in that field. There was a considerable lag between 19th century fundamental developments and their commercial ap- plication. This was mainly because industry had abundant resources and was serving a rapidly increasing population and market, with the result that there was small incentive to look for new or better things. The first industrial research laboratory in the. United States is claimed to have been established by the Merrimac Manufacturing Company in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1834. The second such laboratory of any significance was founded about 1860 at Wyandotte, Michigan, for investigating the difficulties of the Bessemer steel pro-cess. Competition did not become sufficiently severe until roughly the last quarter of the 19th century to cause industrialists to turn with increasing frequency to science for assistance. However, when they did, the results were so outstanding that the gap between pure and applied science diminished quite rapidly and trained chemists, physicists, and other technicians found increasingl ready employment in industry. During this period in dependent investigators also made discoveries leading to the establishment of new industries, thus further demonstrating the practical value of science. Examples are many, including Bell, Edison, Goodyear, Hall, and Baekeland. Until the 20th century industrial research remained largely a matter of the unorganized effort of individuals. Early in the 1900's a few companies organized separate research departments and began a systematic search for the solution to their immediate problems and for new knowledge. Thus, organized industrial research is less than 50 years old! Public attention was focused by the first World War on the accomplishments of applied science. This resulted in a greatly stimulated growth of industrial re search. Our supply from Germany of chemicals, dyes, medicines, and glass was cut off, thus inspiring American scientists to new and intense efforts, out of which grew a number of important new American industries. Page 5 Many companies started organized research activities in the early 20's, either directly or indirectly because of this war impetus, and set up laboratories which have become increasingly important since that time. For ex-ample, Standard Oil Company of California initiated an organized research and development program in 1920 as a research division within its Manufacturing Depart-ment. Initial efforts were directed toward improvement cracking, acid treating, and acid recovery. of refinery proteses, artil aid recolayion, the smal cessful results led to the formation of a separate Research and Development Department in 1926, which has since grown into the California Research Corporation with a total personnel today of over 800. The impetus on research from World War II was similar to that of the earlier war, but much more important because of its greater magnitude. A few examples will be sufficient to illustrate; namely, atomic energy, synthetic rubber, high octane aviation fuel, ra-dar, rockets, penicillin. This is emphasized by a statement made recently by Mr. Robert P. Patterson when he was Secretary of War: "There is a great new voice in the world today, the voice of science and technology. It is a voice heard since ancient times, but never until today has it spoken with such authority, have its words been so filled with promise, has it been listened to with such hope. And in no country in the world does the voice speak as eloquently as in our own." The following table indicates graphically the amazing growth of industrial research in the United States during the past few years (based on National Research Council data): No. of Industrial Total Personnel in Year Research Laboratories Personnel Petroleum Research 1920 300 9,300 145 1940 2,200 70,000 6,000 1946 2,500 139,000 10,000 Best available data indicate that the present annual rate of industrial research expenditure is in excess of $700 million. It is interesting to note that out of 139,000 people now engaged in industrial research work, approximately 41 per cent are technical graduates doing technical work, the remainder being administrative, clerical, mainten- ance, and similar supporting personnel. Of the scientific group, percentage wise, 39 are chemists, 38 engineers, 5 physicists, 4 metallurgists, with the remainder includ ing a wide variety of special professions. The distribution in research personnel within individual industrial research laboratories will vary considerably from these average figures. For example, in the California Research Corporation the percentage of sci-entic to total personnel is considerably higher, approximately 48 per cent. However, the ratio of engineers to total technical personnel checks the national closely, being about 40 per cent. average CHARACTER AND MOTIVES OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH The kind of research conducted by industry is pri-narily applied science using and extending the basi facts and principles uncovered through broad funda mental research. Thus, the fundamental findings of nuclear physicists and chemists in the atomic energy field are now being applied to atomic energy power development. The dividing line between fundamental and applied research is not distinct. Its complexion depends on the character of the problem and the nature of the agency conducting the investigations. The study Page 6 of properties of a hydrocarbon by a manufacturer of electrical equipment might be fundamental research, but if conducted by a petroleum research laboratory, it might be considered largely applied research. Broadly, industrial research is the endeavor to learn how to apply scientific facts to the service of mankind In general, the objective of industrial research is the material objective of civilization itself-to prolong life, to improve health and comfort, to enhance happi-ness, and to enlarge productive ability and usetulness; in other words, to contribute to the common store of technical knowledge and thus improve our standards of living. By helping to translate fundamental scientific facts into new or better products for a greater number of people, industrial research has become a vital part of our competitive economic system. Obviously, the profit motive is a basic consideration in selecting and carrying out industrial research projects. Nevertheless, the success of industrial research in improving living standards and making life easier and happier for more people is both a justification and an indication of greater things ahead. Industrial research is essential to the survival of business. All businesses face changed post-war conditions in marketing, competition, customer demand, and other operations, and must be flexible to meet such changing requirements. This applies to large and small business alike. There are many examples of industries that have languished because they have had little or no research protection and support. Industrial research is also important in maintaining employment. Organized labor by 1940 had officially indicated its approval of the encouragement of applied science. Mr. C. F. Kettering of General Motors has said, "An industrial research project should do one or more of the following: 1. Reduce cost of production 2. Reduce operating cost to the user 3. Increase the utility of the product 4. Increase its sales appeal 5.. Produce new business 6. Determine technical information contributory to to some other project." Industrial research operates in a variety of fields. Projects are often concerned with the finding, growing, creating, and use of raw materials. In the petroleum industry this refers to research in oil exploration, drill-ing, and producing. Another broad field is research work on "normal" processes and products. Within th petroleum industry this would include, for example, refining work on such indigenous products as gasolines, lubricating oils, and greases. An increasing field is research on synthetic processes and products. Examples in the petroleum field would be the increasing emphasis on synthetic fuels made from various non-petroleum sources such as coal and shale. Also included would be chemical syntheses from hydrocarbon raw materials. Another important phase of industrial research is the engineering related to the foregoing, including particularly the preliminary and final process designs for new plants. An important field closely related to industrial research and frequently carried out by the same organization is that of technical service to operating groups on processes and products. This is in effect technical consultation by the research group for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of existing plants or bringing about better use of existing products. ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY Another closely related subject is that of patents and licensing. Generally the results of modern industrial research work are protected by patents, the degree of ictivity in this held being dependent on how aggressive the company concerned decides to be in exploiting its developments. In the modern approach to industrial research, the coordination of motive, men, and money has replaced the scattered efforts of individuals and the poorly di-rected, planned and supported research of earlier days. The time has passed when a Daniel Boone with rife and packhorse could add greatly to our store of geographical knowledge. To make significant industrial research addition today requires a wealth of scientific equipment and observers. Careful organization planning is necessary to achieve maximum effectiveness of technical manpower. otten in the past the time of highly trained technical men has been so restricted and hampered by other demands that technical efficiency was seriously reduced. Much of this was the result of the very rapid growth of industrial research organizations, thought that technical activities do not lend themselves well to the same kind of organization planning as do dicet phases of modern business. Experience has in however, that this is not true and that there is just as much — or more — need for the application of sound organizational principles in industrial research work as in other phases of business activities. Research ideas may originate from any one or more of a number of sources, including individuals, groups: other departments, consumers. However, the modern industrial research laboratory handles the development of these ideas as projects assigned to teams or groups. There was wide adoption of this practice on war projects where its effectiveness was proved beyond doubt. These projects must be caretully planned, directed, and budgeted to accomplish specific objectives, yet with enough provision for flexibility to permit necessary changes as the work progresses. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH From the foregoing discussion, there is an obvious close relationship between academic and industrial re-search. Any former lack of understanding and mutual confidence between industrialists and scientists has practically disappeared. Full cooperation between groups is essential in the future if we are to continue our modern industrial progress. Industrial research is dependent to a very large degree on universities and colleges for fundamental research work. While industrial laboratories can and do carry out a moderate amount of such fundamental work, this type of activity is inherently a minor part of the job such laboratories are set up to do. In fact, a grave danger today lies in the possibility that industrial research and development may go forward so rapidly that they will outstrip the fundamental research on which future industrial projects must be based. Not only is industrial research dependent on universities for fundamental work, but it also looks to these institutions for its technical personnel. This further increases the close bond between universities and industry. In this connection, many farseeing industrial firms are today maintaining fellowships at a variety of institutions of higher learning, partly to support their program of basic research and partly to assist students to better trained for their ultimate work as either research or industrial scientists. Such support is increasingly DECEMBER 1947 important in view of the decreasing endowments available to many institutions. The following table illustrates the growth of this type of industrial aid for universities: No. of Scholarships Year 1929 1941 " No. of Companies 56 210 and Fellowships 95 721 The number today is doubtless much larger. The importance of academic and commercial institutions working hand in hand in the research field is well expressed in DI. J. B. Conant's words, "In the last analysis the fuire of science in this country will be determined by our basic educational policy." How-ever, the question of whether such institutions can do the necessary basic research job raises the possibility of Government support. Government interest in research as increased greatly as a result of World War II, anc arious tederal agencies are now contracting or otherwise supporting extensive research projects. There is an obvious requirement for better coordination of such activities. What is needed is a national science foundation that will coordinate Government support for fundamental research through existing university and other laboratories - not compete on the basis of a sedatate Government research foundation. It is to be hoped sincerely that the present Congress will enact suitable legislation on this subject. Another facet of the increasing cooperation between academic and industrial institutions is the growth of research in specific fields or on specific projects carried out in such institutions for an industrial concern. This is accomplished in part through institutions designed specifically for this purpose, such as the Mellon Insti. tute, the Armour Research Foundation, and the new Stanford Research Institute. However, in addition, many universities will undertake specific projects on the basis of grants by the industry. Of 800 colleges and universities canvassed by the National Research Council in late 1945 and early 1946, 292 indicated that they were offering such research service to industry. Another important phase of academic-industry contact and correlation lies in the increasing number of faculty members who are retained as consultants by industrial firms. PERSONNEL IN INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH In his report to the President, of July 1945, Dr. Vannevar Bush stated, "The most important single factor in scientic and technical work is the quality of the personnel employed." We are in the midst of a serious war-induced deficit of science and technology students and graduates. The Bush report estimated this deficit in Bachelor degree graduates at 150,000, and in advanced degree men at about 17,000 by 1955. In spite of the remarkable registration being handled by universities today, it may be many years before the demand for qualified technical graduates can be fully satisfied. Requirements for employees in a modern industrial research laboratory are high. They must, of course, have adequate educational training and background and this may or may not include an advanced degree. There are as many opportunities for B.S. graduates as there are for those holding Master's and Doctor's de-grees. Of comparable importance are such other factors as research attitude, positive approach to technical problems, a personality which will promote good relationships with fellow workers, ability to cooperate, physical fitness, training in oral and written self-expression, (Continued on page 17) Page 7 Research in Industry (Continued from page 7) and some understanding of the economic and social problems of modern business. For the right men there exists today a great field of opportunity in industrial research. It is in itself a rapidly "business" in which high reward may be found ooh poessinelly and inancially. In fat, a noticeable trend today is to provide for ample salary advancement in straight non-administrative technical work for suitably qualified men. There are, of course, many other avenues of advancement as well, including administrative work within the industrial research group, or transfer to other types of business activity such as manufac- FUTURE OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH Industrial research is now a large industry in itself and is at the threshold of its greatest expansion. Im-nediate major problems include the training of mor esearch personnel, the provision of adequate physica facilities, the promoting of public understanding of research and its importance, and the developing of a permanent mechanism for applying effectively the results of industrial research to national security. As potential participants in industrial research, men trained in science and engineering can look forward to the future with confidence. "Science has its cathedrals built by the efforts of a few architects and of many workers."* In- dustry will look to science and engineering graduates as architects of its future cathedrals of applied scientific knowledge. "From the preface of Lewis & Randall's "Thermodynamics." Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 3) if I had been busy I would not have read the magazine. So much for destructive criticism, now for the constructive Why not articles on what is new at the Institute? Set some of the graduate students to write them up; it would be good practice for them. An article like this if advertised on the front cover would cause most of us to at least open the magazine. How about the Placement Service? It certainly deserves a place in the magazine giving an account of the new openings available and also in more normal times the men available. E. D. Alcock '33 Dallas, Texas What do others think? Thanks for your ideas, we are working on them. Some of our difficulties are mentioned in "With the Editor," November 1947. -Ed. THE article on Registration of Engineers in California by Martin H. Webster in the October issue has been read with great interest. It has been of particular interest to me because of my long residence in California and the fact that I am now an active participant in the campaign for registration engineers in Texas. the Texas lae essay makes no provision fos this we intempt co handle it through the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, affiliated with the National Society of Professional Engineers, membership in which is limited to registered professional engineers. As a member of the fees and salaries committee of the Texas e very interested in receiving o furnishing any additional data along these lines which may be available or desired and which might in any way promote the acceptance of engineering as a recognized profession on '25 Fort Worth, Texas E&S will be glad to serve as a clearing house for questions or information. -Ed. DECEMBER 1947 SCOTT & COMPANY LIFE INSURANCE GENERAL INSURANCE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS 811 West 7th Street o Los Angeles 14 • TRinity 4061 MOCK Printing SYcamore 9-1711 1104 MISSION ST. SOUTH PASADENA Special Tools and Machinery Co. 4625 Pacific Boulevard, Los Angeles KImball 3246 - 3247 PAUL F. VOKAL Owner Manager Since 1924 Designing and Building of Special Tools and Machinery Life Insurance Annuities LYLE H. CHENEY New York Life Insurance Company RYan 1-6191 Security Building SYcamore 2-7141 Pasadena 1, Calif. Performance Plus + + with SQUARE D Starters They are simply designed. They are compact, yet afford generous wiring space. Installation and inspection are easier. And —completeness of line (both A.C. and D.C.) means the right starter for any given application. SQUARE D COMPANY DETROIT• MILWAUKEE LOS ANGELES Page 17 INDUSTRIAL HIGH VACUUM By FRANK B. JEWETT JR. TE developinent of any tool or technique is al- ways of interest to technically trained men for its potential impact on their individual felds. Recent developments in high vacuum equipment and practice have indicated an ever-increasing sphere of commercial usage. Consequently, it is felt that a brief resume of the field may prove to be of considerable interest even to those not now involved in low-pressure work. Industrial high vacuum may be defined as the use on a large scale of total pressures less than a few millimeters of mercury. Rarely do industrial applications require pressures less than 10-5 millimeters. "In general, high vacuum represents to each industry the utilization of pressures lower by a large factor than that previously believed possible or practical. Prior to 1940 industrial use of high vacuum was con- fined to a limited number of specialized applications despite the fact that very low pressures had been common in the laboratory for more than a generation. Up to that time, no commonly accepted standards or equip ment and, probably more important, no large-scal demonstration that low pressure could effectively be used were available to the engineer seeking to use it in his process. The inevitable result was that where applications were made the design was usually done by men primarily interested in other phases of the work; consequently, the vacuum equipment represented in each case pioneering work in high-vacuum engineering and technique. As might be expected, the results were of varied quality; but. it is fair to say that all suffered from the lack of contributions by organizations whose primary business was the production of the best in engineering design, equipment and technique. Despite these handicaps, however, high vacuum was early usec in the production of electronic tubes and electrical capacitors, later in the distillation of marine and vegetable oils for vitamin content, and in the small-scale dehydration of blood plasma. Much of its later success hinges on these early applications. Industrial high vacuum as a field may be dated from about 1940, when the military needs of the impending war first began to make themselves felt. Its rapid development during the war years was, in a large measure, dependable, large-scale equipment and demonstrated conclusively that low pressures, when properly applied, could be used economically on a commercial scale, but also brought into existence a large body of technical and business personnel familiar with the possibilities and limitations of high vacuum. Also extremely important was the growth during the war of several organizations specializing in the design, construction, and application of vacuum equipment. Whereas previously it was necessary to develop and construct all pumps and equipment for a particular job, now it is possible to secure catalogs of standard equipment and expert advice from any of several competent organizations. Now it is unnecessary for the process engineer to dilute his efforts by considerations of vacuum equipment design and construction. Page 8 Fig. 1 Typical three-stage oil diffusion pump, 10-inch diameter inlet. ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY g. 2 Schematic diagram of Rot. indenser unit for pumpi water vapor at low pressures. -Rotary Condenser Drivo Motor Scraper Blodes - ROTARY CONDENSER Refrigerant In Rofrigerant Out. Snow Receiver- Ice- ICE EJECTOR Refrigerant in Air and Water Vapor -Rofrigerant Out VACUUM DIFFUSION PUMP MECHANICAL FORE PUMP Hydroule Piaton man discard a high-vacuum involves low pressures on a large ss merely because it Diffusion pumps, similar to the 10-inch model illustrated in Fig. 1, up to 32 inches in diameter with speeds up to 30,000 cubic feet per minute at 0.1 micron* are standard items with several manufacturers. Electrically heated metal pumps have almost completely supplanted other types. Diffusion pumps fall into two broad classifications, and each has its proper place: (1) The high-vacuum type usually consists of three umbrella stages in a cylindrical, water-cooled casing. It is designed to have its maximum speed at about 0.1 micron and blank off at 0.001 micron or less and to operate against a forepressure of 100 to 500 microns. This is the most common diffusion pump. (2) The booster type is designed to have its maximum speed between 10 and 500 microns and to blank off between 0.1 and 1.0 micron. It will operate against forepressures of 1000 microns It is interesting to note that diffusion pumps can be used either to produce low pressures or to reduce the number or size of mechanical pumps required to achieve a given speed at pressures in the micron range. No diffusion pump will exhaust to atmosphere directly, and so some sort of backing pump, either mechanical or steam ejector, must be provided With the exception of some conditions where very stance dioctyl phthalate is useful where low back-stream-ing and high ultimate vacuum are required. It has good speed characteristics, but is quite heat-sensitive. Sili- *ual 000019 poetry esquare in i absolute une microt DECEMBER: 1947 coat sale, but hase relatively present speere heat-stable, but have relatively Chlorinated hydrocarbons, while not useful for very low pressures, have excellent speed characteristics at about 0.1 micron and are reasonably stable. The pumping of condensible gases like water vapor interesting problems to the vacuum engineer. When one considers that to move 10 pounds of water per hour at 100 microns requires a pumping speed of 25,000 cubic feet per minute, it is obvious that diffusion unsatisfactory. Mechanically refrigerated cold traps have been developed into efficient water- vapor pumps for the lower micron range. The rotary condenser (Fig. 2) is an interesting example. In this case refrigerant at —70° F. to -85° F. is circulated through the jacket. Water vapor condenses in the form of ice on the inner surface of the condenser and is con-tnuously removed from that surface by a rotating cutter blade. The resulting snow is customarily removed from an ice-receiver pot at the end of the run, but may be continuously ejected to the atmosphere. By its cold surtace temperature, this type of unit can be used to produce ultimate water-vapor pressures down to 1 micron,* and it has the advantage of always presenting an ice-free surface for maximum condensing efficiency not possessed by the static trap. Within limits, the pumping capacity of any given rotary condenser is dependent upon the tonnage of refrigeration applied to it, and obviously the pressure varies with the condensing temperature. More recent developments indicate that • liquid absorber units using a fluid like lithium chloride may replace the rotary condenser on large installations because of lower operating cost. For pressures of 1000 microns or higher, multi-stage steam ejectors are more *Equilibrium temperature of ice at 1 michon approximately —100° F. Page 9 economical to use. Comparative operating costs for pumping water at 250 microns show 2.5 cents per pound for the rotary condenser, 1.5 cents per pound for liquid absorbers, and 25 cents per pound for steam ejectors. Accurate vacuum measurement is difficult and is influenced by mixture and composition of gas, presence of condensible vapors, contamination, temperature, and location of gauge. Probably one of the greatest diffi culties encountered by persons utilizing high vacuum is the discrepancy between gauge readings and the actual pressure in the system. This error can be many hundred per cent and often leads to dangerous misinterpretation of result. Many types of vacuum gauges are now on the market. Each has its field and its own peculiar limitations. Vacuum measurement has often held an entirely different meaning for the engineer in industrial applications from what it has for the scientist in his laboratory. Where a repetitive process is involved, cycles are frequently worked out by trial and error using some form of gauge which gives consistent, but not necessarily ac-curate, results. Consequently, the comparison of operating conditions between two installations must always be preceded by a resolution of the methods of vacuum measurement. The proper use of new vacuum gauges will do much to eliminate these errors. Representative of these developments is the Alpha-tron Gauge. It is actually an ionization gauge in which alpha particles emanating from a small radium source, rather than electrons from a hot flament, act as the ionizing agent. Not susceptible to flament failure, the gauge may be operated at atmospheric pressure and covers the range between 1 micron and 10 millimeters in three linear scales. For all practical purposes, it has an instantaneous response. Where water vapor is present, the instrument is of special value because of the small variations in calibration between water vapor and air. A complete new chapter in valve requirements has been written by the demands of high vacuum where impedance at low pressures and inleakage are so im-portant. All good vacuum valves must have exceptionally wide openings to reduce impedance. Generally they should be as short as possible. Sealing of the operating mechanism is accomplished either by a metal bellows (Fig. 3) or by some variation of a rubber gasket-vacuum grease seal. Page 10 Fig. 3 Modern high-vacuum valve showing metallic bellows. Anyone familiar with vacuum equipment undoubt edly has visions of hours, days, or weeks spent immersec in castor oil, acetone, and various waxes and greases, while one searches for hard-to-find leaks. Of necessity, those whose business is the production of vacuum equipment have solved this problem partly by improved design and production methods and partly by vastly superior testing methods. The old technique of spark-test-ing glass tubing still lingers on, pressure-testing with soap bubbles has its place, and acetone or ether-spray. testing has changed only in that it is more frequently done with a radium-type ionization gauge. But by far the best method, the most accurate and quickest way of locating even minute leaks, involves the use of a mass spectrometer. A tracer gas such as helium diffuses through a leak and into a pre-set mass spectrometer tube. The ion current registers not only the leak but, with special care, the magnitude of the leak as well. Suf. fice it to say that in this manner leaks which would allow a volume of one cubic foot to show a pressure change of 0.1 micron per hour can be located within a small fraction of an inch. From the brief summary presented above it is possible to visualize the tremendous progress made in the art of producing very low pressures. The refinements in acuum equipment, the tools for producing vacuur vould, however, be meaningless by themselves. The enc result of these developments must lie in commercially profitable operations if they are to be of interest and importance. Although new applications are constantly coming to the fore, some indication of the direction of motion of the whole field may be gained from areas already well explored. LOW-PRESSURE DEHYDRATION Among the larger vistas in which vacuum is used, dehydration deserves a major rating. Low-pressure dehydration is usually required for the drying of heat-sen-sitive materials. Such materials may be dried either to save shipping weight and make distribution more economical or to prevent decomposition and spoilage in the liquid form. The actual mechanism of low-pressure drying will apply to any particular product for one or more of the following reasons: (a) to reduce or eliminate thermal decomposition of the product during the ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY drying operation because of low equilibrium tempera-ture, (b) to obtain a low final-moisture content, (c) to produce a lyophilic (easily rehydrated) structure in the dry product, or (d) to improve the appearance of the dry product. Perhaps the most interesting dehydration operation from the engineering point of view is that of the orange juice plant at the Vacuum Foods Corporation at Ply-mouth, Florida. Briefly the plant (Fig: 4) operates as tollows. Oranges are squeezed in a juicing plant at an average rate of 500 boxes per hour. The juice is then passed to either of two banks of falling-film concen-trators, where approximately 86 per cent of the water (75 per cent of total mass) is removed by steam ejectors at a pressure of 12 millimeters. In this stage more than 2000 gallons of product per hour are handled. Subsequently a portion of the output is canned and marketed as a frozen orange juice concentrate, while the remainder is dried to a powder in the vertical dryers at a pressure of about 100 microns. The water is pumped by large rotary condensers. This stage is interesting in that the product is introduced as a liquid and removed as a powder without breaking the vacuum. Tests have shown that the mean retention of ascorbic acid in both concentrate and powder is more than 96 per cent of the fresh juice content. The size of this plant, probably one of the largest commercial vacuum installations in the world, may be judged by comparing the size of the man and the equipment. EVAPORATION OF METALS AND SALTS One of the best-known applications of high vacuum developed rapidly during the war. Starting with the deposition of one-quarter-wave-length films of mag- nesium fluoride and other substances on glass to reduce surface light reflection, this field has now expanded to include the deposition of metallic films on a wide variety of materials. A typical wartime optics coating install-tion depicted in Fig. 5, and a modern, high-speed Fig. 4 Vacuum Foods Corporation drying plant for orange juice. Falling-film concentrators at left; two rows of powder dryers in foreground with rotary condensers between. DECEMBER 1947 evaporating tank in Fig. 6. Machines have been developed for applying metal films to continuous rolls of plastics, paper, and other materials. These machines open up the whole electrical capacitor field where small, self-healing units can be constructed from zinc-coated By far the most interesting development, however, s the automatic metallizing unit (Fig. 7) was designed to produce -ront-surtace aluminum re fectors for the optical systems of television sets, but it is equally important for its revelation of what can be done with modern high-vacuum equipment. Clean pieces to be metallized approach the machine in jigs on a conveyor line from the left. They are automatically staged into the machine and moved from chamber to chamber until they reach the coating cell which remains constantly at a pressure of about 0.1 micron. Here aluminum, continuously evaporating from a controllec source, is deposited on the surface. The material is thei staged out of the machine and back to the line. Complete controls and safety devices make the entire oper- ation automatic, and labor is reduced to a minimum. Al. though this particular machine was designed for television applications, the general philosophy of the design will have a much wider application. VACUUM METALLURGY Vacuum metallurgy represents a field yet in its infancy but with unlimited possibilities. Four basic pheno- mena make high vacuum metallurgical processes pos- sible. (1) High vacuum provides the only true inert at-mosphere, and by its use metals may be protected during processing or heat treating. • (2) At low pressures the boiling or subliming temperature of metals is reduced sometimes by as much as 1000° C. This phenomenon allows the purification of some metals by selective evapor-tion, the evaporation of metals for mirror work, similar processes. (3) Operation in a vacuum tends to lower the reaction temperature by favoring any reaction Page 11 in which gas or volatile metal is produced from nonvolatile constituents. (4) In many cases dissolved gases can be removed by melting the base metal in vacuum. During the war these properties were put to use in the now-abandoned thermal-reduction process for producing magnesium. Although the economics of the process would not justify its use except for emergency operations it represents a typical application. Calcined dolomite and ferrosilicon are crushed, mixed, bric-quetted, and charged into a vacuum retort. There, at a temperature of 1175°C. and at a pressure of 100 mi-crons, magnesium vapor is condensed away from the other constituents in a very pure form. In this reaction vacuum prevents the oxidation of magnesium, allows the metal to distil as rapidly as it is formed, and by lowering the boiling point of mag. nesium permits the reaction to proceed 500°C below the temperature required for reduction at atmospheric pressure. Similar processes are used for obtaining other metals in pure form. The properties of gas-free metals are extremely in-teresting. In general they seem to show increased duc-tility, conductivity (both thermal and electrical), den-sity, and permeability, and decreased hysteresis loss, blow holes, and gas evolution. An interesting illustration of the use of vacuum furnaces lies in the hydrogen-atmosphere, heat-treating field. Despite the added cost of vacuum equipment, the process is quickly made more economical by virtue of the fact that only about 2 per cent of the customary amount of hydrogen is consumed. For use in this field, equipment has been developed capable of handling tons, not pounds, at temperatures up to 2000°C. VACUUM DISTILLATION Vacuum distillation has long been a field of great interest to the chemist and chemical engineer because low air pressures minimize oxidation, lower boiling points Page 12 Fig. 5 UPPER Installation of bell jar units for deposition of low-reflection films on optics. Fig. 6 CENTER Large high-speed tank unit for evaporation of both metals and salts. Fig. 7 LOWER Machine for continuous production of front-surface mirrors. Glass enters from conveyor on left; mirrors returned to conveyor on right. ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE MONTHLY ig. 8 Schematic diagram c otary Condenser Still havin high fractionating power. Condenser Coolant " 금은 0u Centrifugal Condenser Drive Motor Vacuum Gauge COLD TRAP -Reflux Control -Rodiant Heater Wetted Wall Column Water Cooled Rotating Condenser Vocuum Gauge EVACUATION PUMP Product Receivers DIFFUSION PUMP Pot Heater VACUUM FRACTIONATING STILL CENTRIFUGAL CONDENSER TYPE MECHANICAL FORE PUMP decomposeque reduction et liniat in ef the sal on distillation rate. Butyl stearate may be used as a typical example of boiling-point depression with reduced pressure. At 1.0 millimeter the boiling point is 155°C., while at 10 microns the boiling point is reduced 55 degrees to 100°C. The effect of residual gas pressure on distillation rate is typified by data reported by K. C. D. Hickman for dioctyl phthalate. With partial pressure of the distilland held constant at 1 micron, the distillation rate was five times as great with a residual air pressure of 0.2 micron as it was with a residual air pressure of 50 microns. To the organic chemist no development could be more important than the rotary fractionating still developed by Dr. J. R. Bowman of the Mellon Institute (Fig. 8). This unit operates on a unique principle and has demonstrated fractionating powers as high as 100 theoretical plates. Heat applied to the bottom pot evaporates the material initially. The vapor then condenses DECEMBER 1947 on the outer surface of the rotating condenser and is subsequently thrown by centrifugal force to the outer wall. The thin film on the outer wall is re-evaporated, and the cycle is repeated. By adjusting the heat ratios between wall and pot, the number of re-evaporations and the amount of fractionation versus through-put can be controlled. Obviously the still requires a very large amount of heat input when the material is re-evaporated several times. Although its actual commercial potentialities are not yet known, this type of still will at least provide the research chemist with a valuable new analystical tool. Standard laboratory models are now under construction. In conclusion, high vacuum may be regarded as a realm that has demonstrated its importance in many industrial fields. Past work forms a firm basis of departure for new. Its future expansion is subject to con-jecture, but continued development of equipment and more wide-spread understanding of its possibilities and limitations cannot but make for wider application. Page 13