Industrial Research 



45 



cellulose film, cellulose nitrate lacquers, synthetic 

 resin enamels, synthetic rubber, and camphor, the ac- 

 complishments of the various laboratories have been 

 almost innumerable and their effect upon the industrial 

 life of the Nation has been incalculable. 



Monsanto Chemical Company 



The Monsanto Chemical Company, established in 

 1901 to make saccharin, now produces a variety of prod- 

 ucts in the following three broad groups : fine and medic- 

 inal chemicals, heavy chemicals, and intermediates. 

 An important factor in the company's growth, particu- 

 larly in recent years, was its research laboratory, which 

 was acquired in an unusual manner. In 1928, the 

 Thomas and Hochwalt Laboratories, then 2 years old 

 and engaged in commercial research in Dayton, Ohio, 

 began work on the problem of producing synthetic 

 resins from petroleum bases. After 5 years the study 

 pointed to such important possibilities that the Mon- 

 santo Chemical Company purchased a major share in 

 the development. A subsidiary, called the Monsanto 

 Petroleum Chemicals, Inc., was formed to exploit the 

 process, while the Thomas and Hochwalt Laboratories 

 not only expanded their research in connection with this 

 new enterprise, but also engaged in other work for the 

 Monsanto Company. By 1936 so large a proportion 

 of the laboratory's effort was bemg devoted to the 

 company's problems that a merger was effected. That 

 same year the company's expenditures for research 

 were 3.04 percent of its sales and 16.5 percent of its net 

 income. 



Petroleum 



Atlantic Refining Company 



The Atlantic Refining Company began its corporate 

 existence April 29, 1870, and during the next 30 years 

 much work was done by various individuals of scientific 

 and engineering attainments upon the problems of pe- 

 troleum refining and the processes and machines in- 

 volved in the packaging of petroleum. About 1900 the 

 emphasis placed on research was increased, but investi- 

 gations were still largely carried on in connection ^vith 

 operating work. In February 1924 a separate depart- 

 ment was established under the title "Process Division"; 

 later this title was changed to "Research and Develop- 

 ment Department." In 1924 this department num- 

 bered 82 individuals and by December 1939 it had 

 grown to 195. At the present time the department has 

 well equipped research laboratories, including an auto- 

 motive laboratory equipped with an electric chassis 

 dynamometer and an air-conditioning apparatus which 

 permits studies at temperatures 20° below zero, Fahr- 

 enheit. In the development branch, pilot units per- 

 mit petroleum refining operations on a small scale, but 



in such a manner that results in the plant can be dupli- 

 cated and anticipated. 



Among those developments in the petroleum in- 

 dustry to which the company has made substantial 

 contributions are the evolution of distillation processes 

 from batch stills, through tower stills, to the modem 

 pipe still for the large scale fractional distillation of 

 crude petroleum; the solvent extraction of lubricating 

 oils; the thermal production of motor fuels from both 

 heavier and lighter hydrocarbons; and novel develop- 

 ments in the construction and propulsion of ocean- 

 going tankers. 



The Atlantic Refining Company also cooperates 

 with both automotive and petroleum companies in 

 projects conducted under the auspices of such national 

 bodies as the American Petroleum Institute, the 

 Society of Automotive Engineers, and the American 

 Society for Testing Materials. 



Gulf Research and Development Company 



When the management of the Gulf companies de- 

 cided to centralize its research activities. Dr. Paul D. 

 Foote was called in August 1937 from the National 

 Bureau of Standards to Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, 

 to head the new research program. The number of 

 technical men employed at Mellon Institute to work 

 on the company's production and pipe-line problems, 

 trebled within a short period. In December of the next 

 year offices were opened for work in geophysics. Dur- 

 ing 1929 a building was erected in Pittsburgh to house 

 the new research activities. In January 1930 most of 

 the company's employees at Mellon Institute and the 

 geophysical group were transferred to the new quarters. 

 Definite technical divisions of geophysics, engineering, 

 chemistry, physics, materials engineering, and business 

 management were set up as the research department of 

 the Gulf Production Company. The total staff num- 

 bered about 90. 



By 1937 the Gulf Research and Development Com- 

 pany had built several new buildings and had a labora- 

 tory staff of 418. An additional 575 employees were 

 doing exploratory work in the United States and 

 foreign countries. 



Humble Oil and Refining Company 



The Humble Oil and Refining Company started 

 operations at its first major refinery in 1920. For the 

 first 4 years there was no formal organization for 

 research work, but there was, of course, a laboratorj' for 

 the control of refining operations. Two or three of the 

 better-trained men in this routine laboratory who 

 showed an aptitude for special investigations were 

 from time to time assigned to work on proposed proc- 

 esses and on the solution of plant operating problems. 

 The refinery was growing rapidly, and in 1924, a sepa- 



