BIOGRAPHICAL MEMORANDA 



titative aspects of the various fermentation processes had inevitably 

 led him to consider the possibility of their industrial application. 



Consequently a more or less casual encounter with F. G. Waller, 

 Chem. E., at that time a graduate student and later successor to his 

 father as director of the yeast factory, was all that was needed to 

 open negotiations. They led to many years of fruitful cooperation, 

 which became formally established with Kluyver's appointment as 

 adviser in 1928. 



The first new fermentation products, manufactured on an industrial 

 scale in 1928, were butanediol and acetylmethylcarbinol. Soon 

 afterwards the latter was used for the production of diacetyl by chem- 

 ical means. Some years later the manufacture of butanol and acetone 

 was taken in hand. The development, and afterwards the supervision, 

 of adequate procedures called for much technological-scientific work. 

 As a consequence several of Kluyver's pupils found excellent positions 

 at the yeast factory. Kluyver himself paid regular weekly visits to the 

 plant where he conferred with them on the problems they encoun- 

 tered. Especially the butanol fermentation provided material for 

 many discussions and extensive laboratory experimentation. Kluyver's 

 mastery of the literature, both in this particular field and in the most 

 general sense of the word, was exceptionally stimulating, and great 

 was the influence he wielded on the expansion of research work in the 

 entire factory. 



In later years Kluyver also established connexions with many other 

 industries that had to struggle with microbiological problems. When 

 informed of their difficulties, Kluyver usually let one of his students 

 conduct experiments on what, in the light of his experience, seemed 

 to be the essential elements of the situation. Most common were the 

 instances, such as food spoilage, anaerobic corrosion, obstruction, etc., 

 in which the industry concerned was plagued by unwanted microbial 

 activities. Naturally, the typical microbiological industries themselves 

 also profited from his knowledge from time to time. Thus the useful- 

 ness of microbiological research became more and more appreciated 

 by industry in general, so that gradually an increasing number of 

 Kluyver's pupils went to work in breweries, the dairy industry, sugar 

 factories, water and sewage purification plants, food preservation in- 

 dustries, and even at the Royal Dutch Shell laboratory in Amsterdam, 

 where Kluyver later became microbiological adviser. 



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