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National Resources Planning Board 



genation and other catalytic processes that have aided in 

 the development of modem aviation fuels, synthetic 

 rubber, and similar products from petroleum. The 

 achievements of these four companies, all of which 

 are large employers of chemical engineers in their 

 research and development departments, are cited here 

 because they are typical of the progress that has been 

 made since 1929 by many other process industries. 



Economic and Commercial Research 



Very early in the development of any chemical 

 product or process, someone must answer to manage- 

 ment's satisfaction several simple but soul-searching 

 questions, such as: "Is it feasible? Can it be made 

 commercially? About what will it cost? "V^Tiere and 

 how much of it can be sold?" 



This preliminary appraisal of a research project is 

 often a chemical engineering function and responsibility. 

 It has been pointed out by Dr. John H. Perry " of 

 the du Pont Company that a competent chemical 

 engineer of broad experience and sound business judg- 

 ment can often do more to promote the economical 

 development of new products than almost anyone 

 else in an industrial organization. If through prelim- 

 inary feasibility studies, it is possible to weed out the 

 projects that could not possibly yield a fair return on 

 the necessary investment in research and development, 

 a great saving can be effected. In like manner, it is 

 often possible to apply similar studies to choice of 

 raw materials or to alternative processes well in advance 

 of laying out a research program. 



In some of the larger chemical companies, these 

 feasibility studies are made by a separate division of 

 the development department devoted to chemical engi- 

 neering economics. Such an agency collects and inter- 

 prets data not alone from research but also from pro- 

 duction and sales departments. When a problem is 

 presented, it must correlate all the known or estimated 

 factors (economic, technical, medical, legal, financial, 

 and public relations) and arrive at a convincing answer 

 on which management can base its most important 

 decisions. 



Another tj^pe of economic research is of an explora- 

 tory nature. Instead of waiting to have new ideas 

 originate in the research department, the chemical 

 engineering scouts search out opportunities from the 

 field by studying consumer needs and the competitive 

 situation as regards supply and demand. They often 

 initiate negotiations for licensing of patented processes 

 and carry on other functions in advance of the regular 

 research program. 



It would be a mistake, however, to imply that feasi- 

 bility studies are confined to any preliminary stage of 

 research or development work. As a matter of fact, 

 much of the work of the chemical engineer in the pilot 

 plant is concerned with the feasibility of equipment and 

 processes as determined by comparative yields, per- 

 formance, and costs. Economic balance also enters 

 into the selection of proper materials of construction 

 to resist corrosion, heat, or abrasion, and of adequate 

 packaging and shipping containers. In short, what 

 Dr. Little meant by the "introduction of the dollar 

 sign into the chemical equation" calls for a high order 

 of chemical engineering economics all along the line. 



In recent years many of the scientific principles and 

 practices long applied to research and production have 

 been extended into the field of marketing and distribu- 

 tion. As a result there has been an increasing demand 

 for chemical engineers in sales-development work.'* 

 Market analyses and sales studies designed to find new 

 outlets for new or existing products are being made 

 constantly by well-staffed departments in many com- 

 panies. Closely allied with men in such departments 

 are employees engaged in customer research or in tech- 

 nical service work carried on to study the problems of 

 the consumer and assist him in the use of proper mate- 

 rials or equipment. 



Market analyses and technical service may seem 

 somewhat remote from chemical engineering, yet both 

 form important parts of the successful program of 

 research and development. As a matter of fact, much 

 of the success of chemical industry in recent years has 

 resulted from the fact that its research has been con- 

 ducted on an engineering basis from the first selection 

 of the project to the final utilization of the product in 

 the plant of the customer. 



What Lies Ahead? 



Despite the remarkable progress that has been made 

 in the application of chemistry in industry through 

 modern chemical engineering developments, much 

 remains to be done. Our present knowledge of the 

 theoretical principles underlying many of the unit 

 operations is fragmentary and far from satisfactory. 

 Even our empirical knowledge, painfully gained through 

 costly trial and error, often proves entirely inadequate 

 because we lack quantitative measures of performance 

 under varying conditions. From the standpoint of 

 theory, there is a better understanding of the under- 

 lying thermodynamics and reaction kinetics of many 

 of the unit chemical processes ; yet in practice the yields 

 obtained in many organic chemical industries are still 



" Perry, John H. But is it feasible? Chemical and Meialluriieal Engineering, iS. 

 75 (February 1936). 



" Tyler, Chaplin. Chemical engineering economics. New York, London, 

 McQraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 2d ed., 1938. 



