DuPont Company Research Articles

Notes on Hanford Reactor Start-Up

Weinberg replies: George Bankoff raises a touchy point about the relationship between Eugene Wigner, who holds the patent on the Hanford reactors, and the DuPont company, which built the reactors. As I point out in my book The First Nuclear Era: The Life and Times of a Technological Fixer (AIP Press, 1994), Wigner viewed the Hanford project as a quick and dirty way of making plutonium, whereas DuPont, in Wigner’s view, was unnecessarily slow and deliberate. In his memoirs, Wigner offers a silent apology for having implied that the company was motivated by other than a desire to produce as much plutonium-239 as possible as quickly as possible.As to the size of the Hanford reactors—1500 tubes in the Wigner design compared to 2004 in the DuPont design—there are two explanations for the discrepancy. When Arthur Compton assigned the water-cooled reactor design to Wigner in the spring of 1942, uranium was very scarce. Compton told Wigner and me that we had to do the job with only 200 tons of uranium—that is, the 1500-tube reactor. By the time DuPont came on the job, much more uranium was available. The first to suggest enlarging the reactor to 2004 tubes was Enrico Fermi, according to Volney C. Wilson, who was present when the suggestion was made. I have been told by John Wheeler that George Graves, a DuPont engineer, was the one who actually made the decision to add 504 tubes to the reactor, even though that exceeded Compton’s 200 tons of uranium by about 50 tons.© 2004 American Institute of Physics.

DuPont Dow Elastomers announces new president and CEO

DuPont Dow Elastomers has named John R. “Jack” Lewis as the new president and CEO of the global joint venture between The Dow Chemical Company and The DuPont Company. Visit www.worldpumps.com for the latest pump industry news

Process and controller performance monitoring: overview with industrial applications

AbstractComplex processes depend on regulatory control systems to operate. Changes made to the sensor system and the process itself as well as the natural degradation over time of the equipment may cause some controllers' and process performance to suffer. Since there are hundreds of controllers in most complex processes, it is virtually impossible to monitor their performance manually. This work reviews the state‐of‐the‐art in controller performance monitoring including both feedforward and feedback control. The experiences of the DuPont Company in the deployment of a system for performance monitoring are presented. Information as to how such a monitoring system is implemented in the operation of a chemical process and examples of its operation are included. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ligand Tuning as a Tool for the Discovery of New Catalytic Asymmetric Processes

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.

An Efficient and Highly Enantio- and Diastereoselective Cyclopropanation of Olefins Catalyzed by Schiff-Base Ruthenium(II) Complexes We thank the reviewers for their helpful comments. Support from the DuPont Company and the Beckman, Dreyfus, and Packard Foundations are gratefully acknowledged. S.T.N. is an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow.

An Efficient and Highly Enantio- and Diastereoselective Cyclopropanation of Olefins Catalyzed by Schiff-Base Ruthenium(II) Complexes We thank the reviewers for their helpful comments. Support from the DuPont Company and the Beckman, Dreyfus, and Packard Foundations are gratefully acknowledged. S.T.N. is an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow.

An efficient and highly enantio- and diastereoselective cyclopropanation of olefins catalyzed by Schiff-base ruthenium(II) complexes.

Both electron-rich and electron-deficient olefins—such as styrene and methyl methacrylate—undergo efficient (yields >90 %) cyclopropanation with ethyl diazoacetate as the carbene source to give predominantly trans products with exceptionally high enantioselectivity when the (salen)Ru catalyst shown is used (see scheme).

Observation on retrieved Hylamer glenoids in shoulder arthroplasty: Problems associated with sterilization by gamma irradiation in air

Hylamer is an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene that was used in the glenoid prosthesis of the Global Shoulder. It was developed from a joint venture with DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc, and E.I. DuPont Company. In presterilization evaluations it was noted to have improved mechanical strength with superior creep and wear resistance. However, after sterilization was performed with gamma irradiation in an air environment from 1990 to 1993, the Hylamer glenoids were affected by oxidation, which altered the mechanical properties, and they became brittle and eroded. From 1993 to 1995 Hylamer glenoids were sterilized by gamma irradiation in a nitrogen environment. From 1995 to 1998 sterilization was by gas plasma processes, which do not create the oxidation problem. Since 1998 the glenoid prosthesis of the Global Shoulder has been made exclusively of Enduron and is gas sterilized. The primary purpose of this article is to provide orthopaedic surgeons the best information available about Hylamer glenoids. We make suggestions concerning the diagnosis and treatment of the patients who had a Hylamer glenoid inserted between 1990 and 1993. (J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2002;11:191-197)

Semiconducting and Metallic Polymers: The Fourth Generation of Polymeric Materials

Prior to receiving the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2000 for my work in polymers, polymer science had been recognized three times. The first Nobel Prize in chemistry for polymer science was awarded in 1953 to Hermann Staudinger, for his pioneering work in the 1920s. At that time, the concept of macromolecules was new, and his ideas were controversial. However, the data prevailed, and he was awarded the Prize “for his discoveries in the field of macromolecular chemistry.” The next major event in polymer science was the discovery and invention of nylon by Wallace Carothers at the Dupont Company in 1935. Although Carothers died as a young man, his discoveries created an industry. I have little doubt that his work was deserving of a Nobel Prize and probably would have been awarded. The next related Prize went to Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta in 1963 for their work on polymer synthesis in the 1950s. The Ziegler–Natta catalysts made possible the large-scale production of polymers such as polypropylene. They were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry “for their discoveries in the field of chemistry and technology of high polymers.” In 1974, the Prize for chemistry went to Paul J. Flory, who was a giant in this field. He was awarded the Nobel “for his fundamental achievements, both theoretical and experimental, in the physical chemistry of macromolecules.”

Exploring Some Determinants of ES Quality

In this study some important determinants for expert systems (ES) quality are field-tested. To reduce possible confounding results that may occur because of interorganizational differences, a case study approach to data collection in a single company has been used. The company is E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, Inc., which since 1986 has implemented more than 1200 ES within the organization. The results corroborate four of the five hypothesized determinants of ES quality. One of the most important factors is the selection of an appropriate ES development shell that matches the business problem. Developer skills and the end-user characteristics addressed in this study are also directly related to ES quality as measured by user satisfaction with ES friendliness, usefulness of system documentation, and the quality of the information provided by the ES.

The History of Saltpeter Production with a Bit of Pyrotechnics and Lavoisier

The early development of saltpeter (potassium nitrate) production is intimately related to the invention of pyrotechnics and gunpowder. The evolution of the industry in France was closely tied to the political events that took place during the period before and after the French Revolution. Lavoisier transformed it from a losing operation to a successful enterprise and in so doing set the beginning of industrial chemistry as we know it today. The DuPont Company was founded as a result of these activities.

In search of E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Company: the perils of archival research

The purpose of this paper is to describe the pitfalls of archival research into the bookkeeping records of a specific firm, E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., and how it may lead to misinterpretation and misdirection. Traditionally, the bookkeeping records of an individual or organization have provided a great deal of information to researchers who use the records for many different research projects. Such research is costly, however. The researcher is concerned with the analytical techniques of the historian, or even the detective; the time-consuming, methodical routine of familiarization with the records; and the analysis and interpretation of the significance of the techniques and trends evident in the data base. The sources for this traditional archival research project were many, varied, and often contradictory. For the record books of the DuPont Company, an early 19th century gunpowder manufactory, the process of understanding, interpreting, and validating the record keeping led to a number of misleading, confusing, and time-consuming issues which had to be resolved. These issues may have implications for other accounting historians since the need to search for the 'story' behind a particular research project will in all likelihood be encountered in the course of other research. Researchers must understand that they are able to rely on secondary sources, when they exist, only as long as they remain circumspect when depending on the secondary interpretation of primary sources, and that even the primary sources themselves may lead the researcher astray.

Water and Methanol Uptakes in Nafion Membranes and Membrane Effects on Direct Methanol Cell Performance

This paper compares direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) employing two types of Nafion® (E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company) membranes of different equivalent weight (EW). Methanol and water uptakes in 1100 and 1200 EW Nafion membranes were determined by weighing and methanol solution‐equilibrated membranes. Both methanol and water uptakes in the 1200 EW membrane were about 70–74% of those in the 1100 EW membrane. The methanol crossover rate corresponding to that in a DMFC at open circuit was measured using a voltammetric method in the DMFC configuration and under the same cell operating conditions. After accounting for the thickness difference between the membrane samples, the methanol crossover rate through a 1200 EW membrane was 52% of that through an 1100 EW membrane. To resolve the cathode and anode performances in an operating DMFC, a dynamic hydrogen electrode was used as a reference electrode. Results show that in an operating DMFC the cathode can be easily flooded, as shown in a DMFC using 1100 EW membrane. An increase in methanol crossover rate decreases the DMFC cathode potential at open circuit. At a high cell current density, the DMFC cathode potential can approach that of a cell. © 2000 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.

US assistance to Russian chemical weapons destruction: Identifying the next steps

Dr. Khripunov was in the Soviet Foreign Service until 1992 and participated in negotiating several arms control agreements. He is now Associate Director of the Center for International Trade and Security at the University of Georgia. Dr. Parshall was Director of Chemical Science in the Central Research Department of the DuPont Company until his retirement in 1992. Since then he has worked on National Research Council studies of the US programs to destroy both stockpile amd nonstockpile chemical warfare agents. He also served on the peer review panel for the Russian-American Joint Evaluation of Russian chemdemil technology. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

THE RIO TINTO MINE A VOLUNTEER CLEAN-UP SUCCESS STORY

Underground copper mining at the Rio Tinto mine in northern Nevada commenced in 1932 and continued intermittently for approximately forty years. Since 1975 the site has been essentially inactive. Mine operations included placement of tailings generated from ore processing in the Mill Creek drainage. In 1993, due to concerns about environmental damage to surrounding surface waters, four of the previous owners and operators of the site jointly formed the Rio Tinto Working Group (RTWG) to remediate the site in cooperation with the State of Nevada, Department of Conservation and Natural Resource and the Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP). The Rio Tinto Working Group consists of the Atlantic Richfield Company, Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company, E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, and Cominco American Inc., The regulatory and technical approach taken by the RTWG to achieve their objective of proactively implementing remedial measures at the site, rather than following the CERCLA process, are discussed. The steps included preparing an 18-element remedial program to be completed at the site and negotiating an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) with the State of Nevada, which included a deferral from EPA for listing of the site on the NPL list. By entering into a cooperative relationshipmore » with the NDEP and avoiding the CERCLA process, the Rio Tinto Working Group was able to fast track site investigation and remedial designs, leading to a timely start up of remedial construction activities.« less

Time to therapy and salvage in myocardial infarction.

This study sought to examine the influence of time to reperfusion on myocardial salvage. Major trials of reperfusion therapy for myocardial infarction (MI) have demonstrated improved outcome for patients achieving earlier reperfusion. However, some patients experience significant benefit despite delayed reperfusion. Fifty-five patients with a first anterior MI underwent successful reperfusion therapy (angioplasty or thrombolysis). Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) sestamibi was injected before reperfusion therapy and again at hospital discharge to determine the myocardial salvage index for each patient. Residual flow to the infarct territory was assessed by the nadir of the Tc-99m sestamibi count-profile curve. The salvage index showed wide variability (range -0.04 to 1.0), and extreme values were seen in 34.5% of the group (<0.10 in 9%, >0.90 in 25%). A high salvage index was associated with reperfusion therapy before 2 h (p=0.02) or good residual blood flow (p < 0.01). For the 10 patients who received reperfusion therapy within 2 h, residual blood flow was not correlated with salvage (p=0.12). For the 45 patients treated after 2 h, residual blood flow correlated significantly with salvage (r=0.57, p < 0.0001). There was a significant interaction (p < 0.05) between residual blood flow and time to therapy, indicating that the effect of each variable on salvage depended on the value of the other. Multiple historic and hemodynamic variables were examined, but none demonstrated any association with residual flow or myocardial salvage. In patients with acute MI, successful reperfusion therapy within 2 h is associated with the greatest degree of myocardial salvage. For patients treated after 2 h, residual blood flow to the infarct-related territory appears to be the most important determinant of myocardial salvage.

The DuPont Conference: Implications for the Chemical Technology Curriculum

Southeast Community College (SCC) hosted the first DuPont Conference for Chemical Technology Education at its Lincoln, Nebraska campus October 4-6, 1997. The conference brought together fourteen practicing chemists and chemistry technicians and five college and university faculty members for the express purpose of suggesting new laboratory activities that would help relate the real world of work to the education of chemical laboratory technicians in community colleges. Participants included seven men and seven women from DuPont, Procter and Gamble, Eastman Chemical, Eastman Kodak, Dow Chemical, Air Products and Chemicals, Monsanto, Union Carbide, the Nebraska Agriculture Laboratory, and the University of Nebraska Biological Process Development Facility, Department of Food Science. The conference, sponsored by the E. I. DuPont DeNemours and Company through a grant awarded to SCC in June 1997, was intended to help further the goals of the two major projects underway at SCC, funded by the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Program. These projects, dubbed Assignment: Chemical Technology I and II, or ACT-I and ACT-II, are curriculum and materials development projects. The invited scientists had between 2 and 32 years of experience that ranged from bench work to management levels. Many are or have been active on the national scene as members and officers of the American Chemical Society's Division of Chemical Technicians and the ACS Committee on Technician Activities.

Empirically testing ES success factors in business process reengineering

Previously proposed success factors for Expert Systems implementation are field tested in the context of business process reengineering (BPR) projects. Due to its nature mimicking human expert behavior, ES technology applications in BPR provide a unique opportunity to study major organization changes within a relatively short time. Using Pearson correlations and multivariate regression analysis, eight ES implementation success factors proposed in the literature were empirically tested in this study in terms of their importance to the BPR benefits derived from the application. Sixty-two ES applications within E.I. Dupont de Nemours and Company dealing with business process changes significant enough to be called BPR were used. Despite the relatively small sample size, six of the eight success factors were corroborated: user satisfaction with the ES, the importance and difficulty of the business problem addressed, user attitudes toward ES technology and the particular ES project, the degree of user involvement in the ES implementation process, and the ES developer(s) skills.

Discovery Research Re-Emerges in DuPont

OVERVIEW:Alternative corporate strategies of growth and of consolidation result in a changing focus for research and development. Over the past 70 years, the DuPont Company has passed through four recurring cycles, each lasting 15–20 years. Within each cycle, the emphasis shifts from a period of discovery research to a later period of consolidation. It is the interplay between these phases that has shaped today's DuPont Company. The cause for this regularity in the cycles remains a puzzle. If history repeats itself, a new cycle is beginning and DuPont is on the verge of another burst of discovery research.

The Role of Corporations in Ensuring Biodiversity

/ Corporations own approximately 25% of all private land in the United States and, therefore, play an essential role in protecting biodiversity and maintaining natural habitats. The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) is a unique joint venture between conservation organizations and corporations to utilize corporate lands for ensuring biodiversity. The following case studies demonstrate how corporations have helped ensure healthy ecosystems and provided critical leadership in regional efforts. Amoco Chemical Company's Cooper River Plant has been instrumental in developing a cooperative project that involves numerous corporations, plantation owners, private citizens, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and community groups to develop a comprehensive, ecosystem-based management plan for part of the Cooper River in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. The second case focuses on the Morie Company, a national sand quarry operator headquartered in southern New Jersey, USA. Morie Company is working with WHC, community groups, the Pinelands Commission, and other state regulatory agencies to explore sustainable development opportunities for companies within the Pinelands regulations. The third case takes us to DuPont Company's Asturias, Spain, site. A win-win success story of improved habitat and cost savings is the result of DuPont's concern for the environment, ability to work with a variety of groups, and willingness to consider innovative restoration techniques. The fourth case discusses Consumers Power Company's Campbell Plant in West Olive, Michigan, USA. In addition to implementing projects that contribute to biodiversity, Consumers Power has developed an environmental education field station to teach others about the importance of natural habitats. The final case highlights Baltimore Gas & Electric Company's efforts to maintain habitat for endangered species at their Calvert Cliffs site in Maryland.KEY WORDS: Partnerships; Stewardship; International; Habitats; Biodiversity

Factors important to expert systems success a field test

Some important determinants for Expert Systems (ES) implementation success are field tested. User satisfaction is used as the surrogate of ES success, affording some basis for inter-study comparison. To reduce possible confounding results that may occur due to interorganizational differences, a case study approach to data collection in a single company has been used. The company is E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Company, Inc., which since 1986 has implemented over 1200 ES within the organization. The results underline the importance of seven of the nine hypothesized determinants of ES success. One of the most important factors is increasing system usage by establishing end-user training programs which desensitize the potential user community to ES technology and demonstrate its potential as a business tool and as a source of job improvement. Another important factor is the selection of an appropriate shell which matches the business problem, as well as user and developer requirements. Last, the results show the need for user involvement in the ES development process.