December i6, 1920] 



NATURE 



507 



associates. At present there are 135 members 

 and seventeen associates. 



The management of the association is vested 

 i'i the council with an executive committee; the 



imcil consists of a majority of elected members 

 iugelher with a limited number of members co- 

 opted because of their special knowledge and ex- 

 perience, and members nominated by the Depart- 

 ment of Scientific and Industrial Research. The 

 chairman of the first council is Mr. George E. 

 Alexander, whose support and direction have 

 been largely responsible for the successful estab- 

 lishment of the association. 



The organisation and direction of research work 

 is entrusted to a director of research, and the 

 association has appointed to this post Mr. K. L. 

 f'rink, formerly of the Frink Laboratories, Lan- 



■»ter, Ohio, L'.S.A., who took office on March i, 

 1920. 



The director of research works in close con- 

 sultation with seven research committees, which 

 have been apf>ointed by the council to survey the 

 field of research in relation to glass and the glass 

 industry. The terms of reference of these com- 

 mittees are : — 



(i) Chemical and physical properties of glass (at 

 all temperatures). (Chairman : Dr. \V. Rosenhain.) 



(2) Fuels, refractories, furnaces. (Chairman : 

 Mr. S. N. Jenkinson.) 



(3) Glass-making materials, glass-foundiivg- - 

 I'-mperature measurement and control; anneal- 

 ing and finishing other than decorative and 

 marking operations. (Chairman : Mr. C. C. 

 I'iiterson.) 



(4) Glassware-forming operations — hand and 

 mei-hanical ; glassware-making machinery. (Chair- 

 man : Mr. J. Forster.) 



(5) Lamp-working. (Chairman : Mr. F. Cossor.) 



(6) Design, lay-out, and equipment of glass 

 i';tories. (Chairman : Mr. R. S. Biram.) 



(7) filass decorative and marking operations. 

 |( hairman : Mr. E. J. Purser.) 



The programme of research covers a wide range 

 of subjects, including investigations into the fol- 

 lowing problems : — 



(i) The def)endence of fusibility, range of vis- 

 cosity, colour transparency, brilliancy, refractivity. 

 heat conductivity, expansibility, electrical conduc- 

 tivity, tensile and crushing strength, hardness, 

 hrittleness, elasticifv, working properties in the 

 lilow-pipc flame, resistance to chemical action, and 

 devitrification upon the rhomii ;il cfimposition of 

 the glass. 



(2) The examination and ircatinent of clays and 

 bricks, the composition and methods of manu- 

 facture of refractory materials, the firing of pots, 

 and investigations in regard to refractory 

 materials. 



(3) The design, construction, and operation of 

 furnaces, tanks, pot arches, lehrs, kilns, glory- 

 holes, etc. 



(4) The relative value and cfTiciency of coal, 

 cfike, oils, tar, and other combustible mixtures, 

 gas and gas-producers for various types of fur- 



NO. 2668. VOL. 106] 



naces and lehrs, and the investigation of electrical 

 methods of healing. 



(5) The most suitable raw materials by means 

 of which to introduce certain chemical elements 

 in the best and most economical forms. 



(6) Methods of batch mixing. 



(7) Measurement and control of temperature 

 during founding, chemical and physical changes 

 during, founding, determination of most suitable 

 rates of charging and founding different types of 

 glass, effect of furnace gases upon the various 

 types of glass during founding ; methods of aiding 

 the fining process. 



(8) Examination and improvement of the 

 methods and conditions under which molten glass 

 can be conveyed to the forming apparatus ; moulds 

 and their treatment ; mechanical processes of form- 

 ing glass. 



(g) Investigation of annealing temperatures, 

 rates of annealing, effect of annealing on physical 

 and chemical properties; methods of detecting and 

 measuring strain. 



(10) Cracking off,- grinding, etching, enamel- 

 ling, decorating, graduating and "marking, lamp- 

 working machinery, and other mechanical pro- 

 cesses of finishing. 



(11) Ventilation of works. 



(12) Efficiency and health of operators as re- 

 lated to industrial operations. 



Apart from the general problems of the in- 

 dustry, members of the association may, on terms 

 to be decided by the council, have special informa- 

 tion given to them by the director or staff of the 

 association, or may have special investigations or 

 researches made for them. 



In March, 1920, the association secured the 

 lease of 50 Bedford Square, W.C. i, and these 

 premises have been equipped as offices and labora- 

 tories, in which eight research assistants are 

 carrying out intra-mural investigations. Diffi- 

 culties have been met with regard to the equip- 

 ment of these premises, thus causing much delay 

 in the work; but now the required equipment is 

 being rapidly assembled. 



The full activities of the asstn-iation have as yet 

 been of short duration, but during this period it has 

 consummated agreements an<l arrangements with 

 certain f)f its members whereby' it has been made 

 possible to construct an experimental tank furnace 

 for the development of certain types of glasses, 

 and a method of their formation into chemical, 

 table, lighting, and other classes of ware, which, 

 it is hoped, will effect not only a great economy 

 in cost of manufacture, but also increase the pro- 

 duction. The construction of a new type of Ichr 

 is also contemplated under a similar .-irrangemcnt, 

 and it is hoped that the results of this work will 

 assist in solving, or e\en solve completely, niMiy 

 of the technical problems in the annealing of 

 various classes of ware at a greatly reduced cost 

 in construction and operation, and at the same 

 time place annealing under more scientific and 

 positive control. Moulds for forming glassware, 

 their comjjosition. construction, and methods of 



