March 1, 1913 ] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



293 



the rubber industrj'. Thus it sometimes happens that a 

 chemical process which has been used in the leather industry, 

 in the varnish industry, or even ir. some inorganic industry, 

 has called forth in the mind of the chemist possibilities which 

 would not appear at first thought. As the special chemist in 

 charge of development work, he should be informed as to the 

 latest advances in the way of machinery for all operations 

 which involve chemical processes. Materials of construction 

 for vulcanizing and rclaiming apparatus should also be given 

 due attention by him. His duties comprise: 



1. Investigation of cheaper raw materials. 



2. Creation of new uses for products manufactured. 



3. Examination of new products to determine their present 

 and future value. 



4. Promotion of increased efficiency. 



5. Improvement of the quality of products manufactured. 



6. Utilization of wastes. 



7. Procuring more efficient structural material for a])- 

 paratus. 



Great care should be exercised in the selection of the Re- 

 search Chemist as he should embody all the varied talent and 

 knowledge required in a wide field; and it is important here 

 that only the very fit be retained, as the achievements of this 

 department will very largely depend on two factors: (1) a 

 highly efficient college-trained staii; (2) an organization that 

 will, from every other department, invite periodic presenta- 

 tion of all questions worthy of research. 



The collective talent of the research chemists should em- 

 brace: 



1. Thorough scientific education in the principles of phys- 

 ics and chemistrj'. 



2. The power to imagine new processes. 



3. The power to discern the causes of various irregularities 

 in manufacture. 



4. The ability to submit these ideas to the test of experi- 

 mental proof. 



5. The habit of accurate observation. 



6. The skill to deduce from such observation the correct 

 conclusion. 



7. The quality of discerning the one vital thing that counts 

 amidst the maze of unessential generalities. 



8. A knowledge of manufacturing that will make all con- 

 form to practical conditions. 



"All these qualities, diligently applied,'' says Mr. William 

 Ferguson in a recent coinmunication, "are essential to the 

 success of modern research." 



The Research Chemist should have at his disposal, a proper- 

 ly equipped research laboratory, with miniature mixing-mills, 

 calenders, presses and vulcanizers, where work can be carried 

 on in a test tube or on a manufacturing scale as occasion 

 requires, in order to determine practical dilficultics and 

 costs. Together with the supervising chemist and the factory 

 manager he forms the Research Committee which meets 

 regularly to consider and advise upon all important investi- 

 gations. 



Questions presented to this department are settled: (1) by 

 carrying out the experimental work upon a small scale; (2) 

 abstracting the journal and patent literature bearing upon it; 

 (3) increasing in size the experiments, as occasion war- 

 rants. Each investigation should be made by a man par- 

 ticularly' fitted for the job, and this man made responsible, 

 but he should constantly consult with other members of the 

 staflf whose knowledge or skill would be helpful. The 

 progress made and the difficulties encountered should be pre- 

 sented to the Research Committee at its regular meetings so 

 that it can advise when necessary. At the conclusion of each 

 investigation: (1) a detailed report is made to the supervis- 

 ing chemist; (2") an exact estimate of the cost is made for 

 each investigation. This will show the profit or loss in each 



particular case and will demonstrate the value of the re- 

 search work as a whole. 



THE SUPERVISING CHEMIST. 



If a corporation has more than one laboratory, uniform 

 methods of sampling, of chemical analysis and physical tests 

 must be used throughout. The selection of standard meth- 

 ods and the complete written description of each should be 

 under the immediate charge of the supervising chemist. Their 

 accuracy should be first proved by analyzing mixtures of 

 known composition. The various precautions to be observed 

 should be prominently outlined at the end of eacli method, 

 together with the experimental data, and where possible, 

 t<luations showing the accuracy of the method. These meth- 

 ods should be issued to the different laboratories, and all 

 chemists of the corporation required to strictly adhere to 

 them. Without this, uniform methods and uniform results 

 are impossible. 



He assigns to his first assistants all analytical work which 

 will aid the departments for Purchase, Manufacture, Sales 

 and Engineering. He carefully investigates new methods of 

 analysis and considers complaints presented by the sales, 

 department. He should call a weekly meeting of the chief 

 chemists to discuss: 



1. The company's standard methods of analysis. 



2. Abstracts of promising analytical methods; and physi- 

 cal tests. 



3. Patents of interest to the rubber industry. 



-'\ digest of this meeting should be forwarded to all the 

 chemists of the company for comment and for filing. He 

 has in his office a card index which contains condensed ab- 

 stracts of all relevant articles from the chemical journals. 

 One file is devoted to "Rubber-chemical" articles while an- 

 other contains indices to "Related Industries." Such an 

 equipment facilitates considerably the investigation of any 

 problem which is presented for his consideration. He should 

 request of his chief chemists carefully worded reports of all 

 work done and these should contain all results, whether 

 favorable or otherwise. New methods (physical and chem- 

 ical) suggested through the literature or through other 

 chemists of the company, should be tried out, and if found 

 to be an improvement they are incorporated in the Standard 

 Methods of the company. 



The policy of the supervising chemist should be to give his 

 chief chemists a broad acquaintance with all the work of his 

 department through the weekly meetings. All work should 

 be systematically and independently checked by more exact 

 or by dififerent methods than those in daily use. Each man 

 is held strictly responsible for the work entrusted to him, 

 and he should be encouraged to become thoroughly familiar, 

 through study and inquiry, with the theory and practical ap- 

 plication of his work. 



Foremen should, so far as possible, make simple tests to 

 control processes under their charge, as they can often make 

 a test in less time than it takes to send the sample to the 

 Central Laboratory. Such work must, of course, be period- 

 ically checked by the laboratory. In order to estimate each 

 man's capacity and to charge up the chemical work carrectly 

 a Laboratory Order Blank is used. These are numbered con- 

 ■;ecutively and a different color is used for each section (Fac- 

 tory, Buyer. Sales, etc.) One order accompanies each sam- 

 ple or request for laboratory investigation. It has a place 

 to record: 



Date on which the sample or request was received at La- 

 boratory. 



Actual number of hours spent on the investigation. 



Date on which the results were handed in. 



Results obtained; recommendations. 



Signature of the chemist, the supervising chemist and the 

 department for which the investigation was made. 



