The industrial research chemist - Journal of Chemical Education (ACS

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Edited by FRANKS. QUIRING Clayton High School Clayton,Missouri 63105

The Industrial Research Chemist E. J. Griffith, Sr. Science Fellow Monsanto Company, St. Louis, MO 63166 The wide diversity of opportunities and options open to an industrial research chemist makes this career particularly difficult to describe to a young chemistry student. The title, industrial research chemist, probably brings to mind for most students a "classic" picture of the chemist dressed in a white lab coat, standing before some complex equipment while plying his knowledge to bring forth a new plastic, fabric, paint, cosmetic, or "what have you." This image is reasonable but offers little insight into the duties and fhcrionsof the industrial resenrchrhemist. In the well-managed ~nduitriallaborat~x),the research chemist will probably spend no more than one quarter of his working hours portraying this "classical" role. Yet the major reason industry hires research chemists is to "invent" new plastics, paints, etc. The Industrial Research Chemlst There are few tasks more demanding and frustrating than the challenge of converting the art forms of science into price-competitive items of a pragmatic and often fickle marketplace. A mere knowledee the fundamentals of science not sufficient. More often than not, the industrial iesearch chemist is led into areas where little or no scientific knowledge exists. The solution to a perplexing problem may remain a scientific mvsterv even after the ~ractical~ r o b l e mhas been solved. ~olu&on;to problems are-often more a result of trial and error than the application of established chemistry knowledge. There is a current picture of the scientists who meticulously collccts all necessar; facts before arting; and, of course, t h k attention to detail insures the successof a venture. Unfortunatelv. in the real world this is seldom how thines work. Even in the best planned and executed industrial research projects, there are many questions left unanswered a t the time when a new product plant is designed. In other words, if all desired facts were known before a plant was built to manufacture a new product, few new products would exist. Most students at the high school level are poorly equipped to make the decision to dedicate their lives to industrial research. Nevertheless, it is not too early for the student to have an understanding of the funrtion and responsibility ofan industrial research chemist and how the positims differ from research in other institutions. The modern industrial research chemist is confronted with a wide variety of responsibilities having very little to do with his formal training in chemistry. Most companies expect their chemists to introduce new ~ r o d u c t swith laree market DOtential, hopefully millions or-billions of poundsper year. ?;his scale immediatelv raises auestions of safetv and environmental acceptahiiity, not only of the produc< but also of the process and waste streams. Other questions faced hy the chemist attempting to create a new product deal with raw material availability, energyrequirements, timing, price, competitive products, and fit with a company's policies. A new silverplating bath is unlikely to 288

Journal of chemical Education

be heralded as a great breakthrough by a company traditionally engaged in the manufacture of oil well treating agents. The industrial research chemist to be successful must learn to operate in the management style of his organization. He or she must he prepared to accept the administrative responsibilities his research may require: these can range from housekeeping and safety to the teaching, managing, and nurturing of research people. Last, hut not least, the chemist is expected to maintain professional excellence in a chosen discipline. Although the application of science is widely promoted and supported in industry, very limited budgets are assigned to pure research. Patents are encouraged and scientific puhlications are permitted. This means new scientific understanding is welcomed, but inventiveness is rewarded to a higher degree, especially when it leads to a patentable invention. These are the logical priorities of an organization required to produce a competitive product needed by consumers. Industrial research, when properly executed, is "first-order research." It must generate the required knowledge to adequately demonstrate or control the function it was designed to demonstrate or control. I t is a sound bulwark of knowledae ungarnished by the lattice-work of minute detail. To be usefil, industrial researrh must withstand hoth test and time. It must be quality research, hut not unlike house painting, the trim can often he more time consuming than the main body of the house. The Rewards of Research Of all the rewards enioved bv a successful research chemist in industry, none is mire gatifying than the actual implementation of an idea. Few people have a greater opportunity A Placs fwchemistssuveys the divwsified careers available to chemists,or those cam which require mchemical training. AS we are all career ConS~ltantrto somi degree. 5 feature*I I hopebl y suppty you wth Some neH nsiqnls as lo what or auatl. able. Frank Qulrlng holds an AB from Bethel College, Kansas and an MA in Chemistry from the University of Kansas. He began teaching chemistry in 1950 at Coldwater High School in Coldwater. Kansas, but since 1959 he has been a member of the faculty at Clayton High School. Mr. Quirim has iono served as a member of the ACS-NSTA Hiah Schwl Test 6mmitlei He also has been actlveiv Involved in the A% vanced P acement Program. both asa commlnre memoer an0 r e a m 01 examonat ons he has SBNW as doreclor 01 lne anoralor) orogram 01 the NSF SummerProlecl for Teachers of h ah Scr>oolCnem ctr. at Hope Coiiege since 1984. Mr. Quirig's dedication aMI excellence in chemical education has maoe h m a nqhlf respectea member at ow mmmun ty h r numaras awards nc ude me James Conant Bryant Award 119691 and m e CMA A w r o lor Onstandmq rlwh S c h ~ oCnemmtn, l Teach no 119731 ke was the first high schwl teacher to receive the k r awa;d

to directly henefit the welfare of their fellow man as industrial research chemists. A successful project may move from conception to a household word in a very few Years. No ''opening night" ever surpassed the excitement and sheer fun for the chemist of the start-up of a new successful process, when he has been a significant factor in the success of the project. The Student Obviously, the high school chemistry teacher can no more he expected to identify and encourage nascent industrial research chemists than the biology teacher can be expected to identify future brain surgeons. It is doubtful that a curriculum including industrial chemistry would he of much advantage to a high school student, even if he or she thinks that would he a model career. However, a clear knowledge of scientific fundamentals, plus an understanding of the duties of an organic chemist, physical chemist, inorganic chemist, analytical chemist, or biochemist is a requirement for a student to choose wisely. For example, there are only vague similarities in the duties and functions of organic chemists and physical chemists despite the fact that both are classed as industrial research chemists. A student may be ideally suited to he an organic chemist while having little temperament for analytical or physical chemistry. Perhaps the profile of the student with aptitude for industrial research can he characterized best as a serious student, impatient to linger with mastered concepts, hut anxious to move into new areas, a student comfortable with new ~ r o b l e m sand new concepts. Approach to Research One successful approach to industrial research is to initiate the project as a broad brush survey. That is, ask many questions which may he answered experimentally with a definitive yes or no. As the project progresses, the researrh must become ~ncreasinglyquantitative until derail answers allow management to make decisions with confidence. This approach has .--.--~ the advantage of allowing a project to he terminated in the early stages. The progressive investigation prevents the chemist from painting "a Rembrandt on an outhouse." Elaborate and eleeant research on a deadend -project is simply a resource waste. It is not uncommon for a young- chemist entering industry to express a desire to work on basic research problems, rather than applied problems. On the other hand, management is often &mrnit;ed to applied researrh and is unnmfortable with the words "basic" or "fundamental." Both terms hasic research and applied research are meaningless concepts in the typical company. The only real difference between applied and basic research is in the mind of the chemist. Many prohlems require an in-depth basic approach to solve while others are resistant to all approaches. If a solution is to he gained, the project is mastered only by literally overpowering points of resistance. Naturally, before attempting to "heat a problem to death" by experimentation, the chemist should have determined that the solution he desires is thermodynamically favorable. A dedication to higher education is mandatory for tomorrow's industrial research chemist. It is not improbable that within this decade a PhD degree will he a requirement for the oractice of industrial chemical research. With the current emphasis on human safety and environmentnl prc,tPction, laws similar to th(we ewernine the M D degree will be aoolied to .. chemistry. New standards place the chemist personally responsible for his actions. Whether more new legislation is enacted, present laws are placing new responsibilities on the industrial chemist. The future is certain to he even more restrictive. ~~

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Product Quality Customers of an industrial chemical company have very on the chemicals they use. rigid and demanding These specifications are usually a long list of properties that the chemical must meet before fulfilling the requirements of the purchasing contract. If any of the specifications are not .. the required limits, the product is returned to the within supplier.

It may well he the responsihility of a research chemist to identify changes required to keep a product within specification and to recommend process changes that will achieve this goal. Research is involved when the reasons for an offproduct being produced are obscure, ~ hthe ~ industrial chemist musthe knowledgeable of all aspects of a product for which he has responsibility, Variety is the hallmark of the industrial research chemist. On any given day he may he expected to attend two or more means of dozens of tele. meetings, give and seek advice phone conversations, write one or more reports, and prepare for a trip, All of these events go on while the chemist is planM~~~industries require a ning and executing some form of a long range research chemist to These plans are usually revised and updated at some prear. ranged time, usually an annual undertaking. The industrial man-years pro. research chemist may spend entire moting a project which has no known solution, only to discard project has the project and move to new products when the a satisfactory solution. Salesmanship in Research T o this point, no mention has been made of salesmanship. Many potentially outstanding research projects are never funded because the promoter of the project lacks the salesmanship necessary to convince corporate management that his project is worthy. The ahility to speak publicly is a critical asset of a scientist of any type. An ahility to communicate may well he the difference between success and failure for the research chemist in industry. Even a t the high school level, science students should he required to prepare and present seminars to their classmates. Better still, the student could speak to similar classes a t neighboring schools through an exchange program. In the industrial setting, it is often stated that "technology is cheap and new ideas are a dime a dozen." But it is more accurate to say that cheap technology is cheap and raw ideas are a dime a dozen. Quality technology is expensive and demonstrated ideas are priceless. The key word is demonstrated. In large corporations, approval of costly pn~jectsis usually the responsibility oisenim management. Since senior management may have &ned their prokotions in marketing, manufacturing, law, finance, public relations, or advertising, as well as research, they may or may not he technically oriented. Arguments written or oral which might well bring technical ~ e a state of euphoria mav fall on deaf ears . e o.o l to when presented to a person with a business background, Converselv. demonstrated taneihle evidence seldom requires the same ievel of salesmanshi