SECTION II 

 5. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN INDUSTRY 



By Charles M. A. Stine 

 Vice President, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del. 



ABSTRACT 



Fundamental research is a quest for facts about the 

 properties and behavior of matter, without retjard to a 

 specific apphcation of the facts discovered. Funda- 

 mental research in industr)' is a sound business policy 

 because (1) it provides a basis for future processes and 

 products; (2) it is a logical approach to the more 

 difficult or complex "practical" problems; (3) it is an 

 assm-ancc of continued leadership in quality and 

 economy of production. 



In addition, there are several important secondary 

 factors residting from industrial fundamental research, 

 namely: (1) Fundamental research creates consulting 

 specialists within a company, readily accessible to those 

 engaged in applied research; (2) it broadens and 

 strengthens relations with university research; (3) it 

 attracts to a company university graduates having 

 distinct aptitude for research; (4) it provides an 

 opportunity within a company for placing personnel 

 who might otherwise be misfits. 



In the du Pont Company each of the operating de- 

 partments and subsidiaries has a research division. 

 Many problems of interest to two or more operating 

 departments, however, are handled by an independent 

 central research department. The fundamental re- 

 search staff is within the administration of the central 

 resoarcli department. 



The fundamental research staff of the du Pont Com- 

 pany now comprises about 45 men, including full-time 

 group leaders and other supervisory personnel. The 

 investment in research facilities is approximately 

 $10,000 for each scientifically trained worker. The 



operating expense is approximately $7,000 to $8,000 

 annually for each scientifically trained worker. 



Fundamental research should be undertaken only as a 

 long-range effort, rather than on a year-to-year basis. 

 Significant results seldom appear in a year's program. 

 It is desu'able, too, to assure personnel generous com- 

 pensation and security of employment. For these 

 reasons fundamental research in industry is somewhat 

 limited to companies of considerable size, seasoned 

 experience, sound financial condition, and demon- 

 strated faith in research generally- But a small com- 

 pany may participate in fundamental research and 

 profit from it, particularly by obtaining assistance out- 

 side its owi\ organization. 



The du Pont Company's program of fvmdamcntal 

 research has been in operation 12 years. Substantial 

 results have been achieved in the following lines of 

 work: Giant molecules, or "superpol3'mers" (nylon); 

 chemical engmeering unit operations ; organic synthesis, 

 including studies of acetylene polymers resulting in 

 neoprcne chloroprene rubber; cellulose derivatives; 

 catalyst studies; and pigments and particle size. 



Although pioneering applied research may enlarge 

 existing fields, fundamental research broadens the 

 whole field of chemical industry, and from it flow new 

 l)roducts and new processes. These new products 

 exhibit not onty the properties expected b}' their dis- 

 coverer, but, as so frequently happens, new and unex- 

 pected properties which result in new uses not envi- 

 sioned for it when the product was merely a dream in 

 the mind of the inventor. 



Introduction 



Fundamental research and what may be termed 

 "pioneering applied research" should bo differentiated. 

 The distinction is based principally upon the scope of 

 the work and the extent to which it is limited by certain 

 recognized practical objectives. In general, research 

 undertaken upon some broad general subject, such as 

 the structure of cellulose, belongs to the category of 

 fundamental research. 

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On the other hand, if a company engaged in the 

 production of textiles coated with cellulose derivatives, 

 or in the manufacture of photograpiiic film, or of other 

 products utilizing derivatives of cellulose, undertakes 

 research aimed at the development of new cellulose 

 derivatives, in the hope of developing such derivatives 

 as might exhibit useful ju-operties fitting them for appli- 

 cation in manufactured products, the work becomes 

 pioneering applied research. After the discovery of a 



