Document v1QBXZnddGMGLzDboGJyg3OOY

-Of f ic e Le t t e r f r om f o r Cleveland o f f ic e mr - W. R'. Sieplein An s w e r in g l e t t e r o f 12--11 Chicago o f f ic e Paint Research De f t . Da t e subj ec t Dic t a t e d b y December 18, 1946 Chicago Plant 771?JWRSjmr DEC 30 1M6 Mr. Miller has asked me to reply to your letter of December 11 regarding the Allied Research Laboratories. First of all, I would like to tell you that insofar as the exact terminology is concerned, we no longer have the Allied Research Laboratories. The department formerly designated as such has now been divided into the Paint Research Department, under the writer* s 'supervision, and the Vehicle Research Department, with Mr. Walton as director. This change was made in October of this year. I have no precise record of the history of the department, but we generally assume that it was started on April 1, 1935 under Dr. C. D. Holley as Director. You will probably recall that Dr. Holley passed away in January of 1942. At that time we had approximately 14 chemists and 3 non-technical persons. Dr. S. D. Jackson headed up the Var nish Research Department more or less independently, but when he left, the Varnish Research Department became a physical part of the Allied Research Laboratories and was known as the Varnish Re search Division. Mr. Kohr and his group working on emulsion research even tually developed Kem-Tone and as a natural consequence of the popu larity of this material it became necessary for them to have their own laboratory. As a result of such splitting off of groups from the laboratory there has been no remarkable increase in the number of people. At the present time in the Paint Research Department we have 9 chemists and 6 non-technical persons, although it should be kept in mind that in the non-technical group we classify people without college degrees, who nevertheless may be participating in some of the technology work. The Vehicle Research Department has 6 chemists and 2 non-technical people, using the same basis for classification. We have in mind to prepare a pamphlet discussing the vari ous departments at Kensington employing technical help, this pamphlet to be given to students who might qualify as prospective employees. We are attaching copies of the write-ups for the Paint Research De partment and the Vehicle Research, which probably gives you the best idea of the general problems handled in the two departments. N40036 We are attaching several photographs which we made our selves of portions of the laboratory. These can be mounted as to give almost panorama views, but we believe you would be most inter ested in taking only some of them for illustration purposes. I think tile ceilings could be cut down and give better balanced pic tures. . > You will also note that we have sent along a picture of a representative 50-foot wooden vertical fence for house paint exposures. Something along these lines was once used in "The World," issue of December-January, 1942-45. Including both metal and wood exposures, principally at Chicago, but also at Coffeyville and Miami, we have had about 20,000 exposures on the fences since 1935, of which approximately 12,000 are still active. I know you would not be interested in listing all of the problems that we have in work, but as far as the Paint Research De partment is concerned, much of it could be classified as investi gation of house paints and undercoaters, metal protective paints,' stucco arid concrete paints, wall paints, enamels, plastic coatings including vinyls and silicones, pigment studies, as well as miscel laneous specialized investigations. I imagine that, this is much more than you will need to prepare the brief commentary usually'used for publication. How ever, if you need anything more that we can supply, feel free to call on us. MVL:AR Director of' Paint Research Paint Research Department The Paint Research Department deals primarily with long range - , * -i\ research and development in the field of pigmented protective coatings* Typical fundamental problems involving pigments and extenders include evaluations of opacity, shape and size distribution, surface area and hinder requirements, viscosity characteristics, studies of surface active agents influencing wetting and dispersion, and all surface re actions between pigment and vehicle* Instrumentation includes adequate microscopic and photomicrographic equipment, reflectometers, gloss meters plastograph, viscosimeters, and large scale spraying and baking equipment Among the products receiving special attention are house paint undereoatars and top coats including fire-retardant, or mildew resistant types, metal protective paints,' chemical resistant paints, wall paints and enamels* Research in plastic coatings, vinyls, polyvinyl butyrals, , silicones, etc.. Is emphasized. Properties evaluated comprise mixing and grinding qualities, rheological characteristics, surface tension, brushing and other application qualities, flow, drying, gloss, color, reflectance, film permeability# abrasion resistance, adhesion, elasti city, humidity and salt spray resistance, durability and other exterior performance characteristics, etc* k large exposure farm is maintained in the Chicago suburban area, supplemented by exposures in Coffeyville, Kansas, and Miami, Florida. The personnel uhlch executes this work Includes chemists of various types, some having specialized training in physical, colloid or organic chemistry* The projects are carried on and reports are distri buted for the benefit of the entire institution* Baployment in the de partment affords a side experience in paint technology and contacts with all types of usage of protective coatings N40036.01  <54-.`* ''*!,,>?*>VrOiISl * .'... *- ,1 w %*' i, .*-XT- r ?.;> ^V fV.t-*f1 ,r - %'# p1^ '<t"**>`\.* - ' V4^rT's; >* f *** i 'i'^p TKH33DIB RESEARCH DEPARTJffiHT .:\?VTw a ; - . ~ : , ,. . -o . ' .. - t * * .> L4 S i' ,v - f*g/ ' " December 18, 1846 ') f > - ?V* /*' tf' y1 : . ^ V*v,i$4 . . .U `-if? ` . V. , ,%T*$*!?'.fv.;*' - V-' ft* Vefciele Research Department, asthaname implies, is i-fe: y nogeged 4te research and development vrorie on vehicles for protective ooat- lng#, l.., that portion of auoh coatings other than pigaent, The field :'ia a large andimportant tot#':'. Xt is l&rgebeoaueo it embraces such a - *'V- * >' v&de variety of materials, which include dfyingead seminirying oils, / ' 1 * naturaland synthetic reeins and their ocmpMmtpartw^^to^ iurrn- storable canbination, tfceae go to make up vehiolee of the present aad future* It is important because vehicle preparation lies oloaoly within th hand of the paint and viu^h miraffeoturor, and it la hera tbat in genuity in rapidly translated into now and improved protective coatings, ' I ', V ' v '> '. ' ' ; '*' .' >>' ; )' , 1>? ' 1 ' ,, -r' ',7 >\ . v "ip" : ?' ;f'iU-4dapartmont Hea mairily in Hth#1 fioli'of organic . ~ t.. oteittbry#' - Conaideirabio timo io epont on organio onalyais and aynthaaia, : and p^aleo>ohBiioal moaatoreoanto, RMurtdons :ttost' ocomonly not' anro thoao' of Wkponifloation, oatorifioatian, alooholyaia, aoidolyais ad polssteriaa-. tion. Tho work la both thaorotioal and applied In nattawy. 3^ mtoro and motions of dsying and aa^<Hiryise oila are studied, Ho^ reaearoh is done on raeln ayntixealB, hot a good knowledge of asmthetlo 1 reain ohenistry is gained trm the vraek in hand* On the other hand, nany investigations terminate in nee vehiolea, ehloh after development in the H laboratory, are then put into production in the faotory under the joint < ' supervision of tMe dopartnant end the Production Department, until sati ioffeotory produotion is established,. .VJ \ r* ' She diverse nature of' the' work ie reflected in the pereoamel - of the dopartaaent, which la nade tp of ohamiata vho ha-ve baokgrouoda of eoadomlo training and experlanoe to fit than beat for the many types of t problems which arise in the field of vehiole reaearoh. -I N40036.02