270 



NATURE 



[May 25, 1916 



for identification by estimation of the silver contained 

 in it. 



Since acrolein is easily produced by the dehydration 

 of glycerine, it has usually been assumed, when the 

 odour of this compound has been detected, that it was 

 derived from the glycerine of the glycerides which 

 constitute the drying-oil. This assumption has been 

 disproved in the present instance, since acrolein was 

 also obtained by oxidising in a similar manner the 

 free fatty acids obtained by hydrolysing the oil, as 

 well as by oxidising the linolenic acid which is the 

 chief product of this hydrolysis. No acrolein was 

 formed in the oxidation of oleic acid, and it is doubt- 

 ful if linoleic acid would give any acrolein if it could 

 be obtained quite free from linolenic acid. 



In order to explain these observations, it is sug- 

 gested that linolenic acid contains three copulated 

 double-bonds, of which the two outer ones only would 

 unite with oxygen to form an oxygenide, and then 

 rupture with formation of pairs of aldehydic groups, 

 thus — 



(i) — CH=CH— CH=CH— CH=CH— 



(2) — CH— CH— CH=:CH— CH— CH— 



O- 



-0 



O- 



-0 



(3) — CHO I CHO— CH=CH— CHO | CHO— 



, fumaraldehyde \ 



(4) CO + CH2 = CH-CHO (5) CHO-CHO + CHO.CHO. 



acrolein 



The hexatriene group would thus give rise to fumar- 

 aldehyde, from which acrolein could be produced by 

 removal of carbon monoxide (or b}' oxidation with 

 removal of carbon dioxide), whilst oxidation of the 

 double-bond would give rise to glyoxal, CHO'CHO. 

 It is suggested that this formation of aldehydes, by 

 oxidation is an essential feature of the process of dry- 

 ing, and that the varnish-like product, to which the 

 name linoxyn has been given, is essentially a mixture 

 of polymerised aldehydes, including polymerisation 

 products of acrolein and glyoxal. 



It is an encouraging sign of the times that investiga- 

 tions such as these should be undertaken by important 

 commercial companies, as a normal part of the work 

 of their research laboratories ; no better omen could be 

 discovered for the stability of British chemical indus- 

 tries in face of the severe competition which may be 

 anticipated in the near future. T. M. L. 



INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH IN THE 

 UNITED STATES A 



\\7HlhE research is receiving increasing recogni- 

 ' * tion as an essential factor in industrial work, 

 little attention has been given to the manner in which 

 scientific resources in this country can best be directed 

 to meet national industrial needs. A description of 

 the manner in which the United States is dealing 

 with this matter may be useful in throwing some 

 light on our problem, and incidentally the evidence of 

 the progress in that country of industrial research 

 may be inspiring to English manufacturers, who are 

 somewhat sceptical as to the value of science in in- 

 dustry. 



The term "industrial research" is often very loosely 

 applied, and it is necessary first of all to define what 

 it really comprises. One may consider it to be 

 focussed in a simple fundamental principle that an 

 industry depends for progress on a continual influx of 



1 Synopsis of an address delivered before the Engineers' Cluh, Man- 

 chester, at the Municipal School of Technology, on April 4, by A. P. M. 

 Fleming. 



new knowledge, and it may be conceived that indus- 

 trial research embraces all means whereby this new- 

 knowledge having application in industry can be 

 obtained, whether it is from the accumulated experi- 

 ence of individual workers, or from the efforts of 

 trained investigators directing their efforts to the solu- 

 tion of manufacturing problems impeding the progress 

 of industry, requisitionmg where necessary the aid of 

 contemporary science ; or whether from new dis- 

 coveries resulting from investigations in pure science 

 which ultimately find their application in industry. 



Industrial research in -the United States is mainly 

 accomplished by individual firms, although a good deal 

 is done in the universities and national institutions. 

 With certain exceptions, noted later, the greater part 

 of the university work, however, is directed to pure 

 science investigations having no immediate commercial 

 object. 



As regards the work of individual firms, during the 

 past ten years there have been very considerable sums 

 spent by the leading manufacturing corporations to 

 provide facilities for scientific investigation. Annual 

 expenditures for this purpose of 25,000^., 50,000^., 

 and even ioo,oooZ. are not uncommon. The leading 

 firms possessing private research laboratories include 

 the General Electric Co., Schenectady; VVestinghouse 

 Electrical and Manufacturing Co., East Pittsburg; 

 Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, New York, this firm 

 representing the manufacture of photographic chem- 

 icals and apparatus ; the Du Pont Powder Co. ; the 

 American Rolling Mill Co., producing sheet iron and 

 steel ; the National Electric Lamp Association, repre- 

 senting a large number of electric lamp manufacturers ; 

 the General Chemical Co. ; General Bakelite Co. ; 

 United States Steel Corporation ; the Edison Labora- 

 tories ; Pennsylvania Railway Co., which deals with 

 all kinds of materials and investigations pertaining to 

 railway requirements ; and many others. 



Among the important features of the work of many 

 of these laboratories is the equipment of full-scale 

 manufacturing plant, which enables discoveries in the 

 laboratory to be fully tried out and manufacturing 

 methods perfected, relieving the manufacturing depart- 

 ments from the hampering effects of new develop- 

 ments. Many of the laboratories also are equipped 

 for the manufacture on a commercial scale of some of 

 the commodities developed from their discoveries which 

 are not of a character adapted to production in the 

 manufacturing departments. The laboratory produc- 

 tion in such cases is continued until it reaches such 

 dimensions as justify the starting of a separate works. 

 There is a growing tendency in many of the research 

 laboratories to devote more and more attention to 

 investigations in pure science having no immediate 

 commercial object in view, with an appreciation of the 

 fact that almost invariably such investigations result 

 in industrial application, sometimes bringing about 

 the development of entirely new industries. Prominent 

 examples of this kind are represented by the work of 

 the General Electric Co.'s laboratory at Schenectady 

 and the National Electric Lamp Association. In con- 

 nection with such work, a very broad-minded policy 

 is shown by the publication of the scientific investiga- 

 tions carried out. 



It is also noteworthy that these research labora- 

 tories serve as very effective advertising means by 

 inspiring confidence in the minds of purchasers as a 

 result of such visible evidencp of scientific working. 



There appears to be no doubt that these laboratories 

 have proved financially successful, not only in that 

 they afford the greatest possible assistance to the works 

 with which they are connected in solving manufactur- 

 ing troubles, developing new materials, methods, tools, 

 and making discoveries which result in new industrial 

 developments, but also in the direct manufacture and 



NO. 2430, VOL. 97] 



