Cross research needs

The emphasis of this report is placed on technical aspects of electrochemical phenomena, both those that have clearly defined commercial potential (Chapter 5, "Opportunities in Particular Technologies") and others where new understanding and capabilities may ultimately lead to new products (Chapter 6, "Opportunities for Cross-Cutting Research"). These issues were addressed only peripherally by recent studies on chemistry (Opportunities in Chemistry, National Academy Press, 1985) and chemical engineering (Committee on Chemical Engineering Frontiers Research Needs and Opportunities, a current National Research Council activity). The committee notes that the findings of these studies are compatible with those in this report. 

Our research work in electrophoretic extraction has confirmed the technical feasibility of multistage extraction of cells using electric fields. However, a good amount of research needs to be done to bring the ADSEP to the market as ELECSEP (electrophoretic separator). For example, immediate study is required to examine the efficacy of the unit for the fractionation of mixtures of cells. Prehminary experiments have indicated that the resolution is being hampered by the depth of the chamber. So in the future design the depth of the chamber is to be reduced while increasing the diameter/cross sectional area of the chambers. 

Since many aliphatic PEMs were prepared from some new synthesized polymers in researches, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a useful tool to characterize the molecular structure of these polymers. In most cases, it was used to verify the coherence of the designed and actual structure of the new polymer [41,47]. Sometimes, it has also been used to identify a series of new polymers, when the researchers need to study on the effect of polymer structure on the properties of PEMs [65]. Confirmation of quaternization was also done by IH NMR spectroscopy (Figure 10.4), such as in cross-linked quaternized PVA (QPVA) [66] and cross-linked quaternized-CS [67] AEMs by observing the chemical shifts (ppm) of related functional groups (OH, CH, CH3) or increase in these peak intensities. 

Record keeping is an essential requisite of good market research. In the chemical field, call reports or visit reports are usually written by the interviewer and become part of the report in some cases and certainly should become part of the company or consultant files for future reference. Obviously, the call report serves a valuable purpose in the analysis and writing stage. Some market researchers have also found that cross-referencing call reports over a period of time allows rapid identification of the respondents who have demonstrated the greatest abiUty in forecasting their company needs and/or the needs of their industry. 

The need for weU-trained technical service professionals is expected to continue as an essential aspect of the chemical industry, despite the phenomenal growth ia electronic methods of information storage, retrieval, and transmission. Advanced troubleshooting of complex customer processes and accelerated accurate product development and market introductions should continue to be principal elements of technical service personnel duties. Increased levels of integration, perhaps blurring the lines between suppHer and customer, may come to pass. There are already instances of personnel swapping between customers and suppHers for extended periods to allow cross-fertilization of ideas and provide more accurate perspectives for the companies involved in these efforts. Technical service and research personnel have been those persons most directly involved in such efforts. 

By adopting a perspective from the philosophy of science I will attempt to cross levels of complexity from the most elementary chemical explanations based on electron shells to those based on ab initio methods. Such a juxtaposition is seldom contemplated in the chemical literature. Textbooks provide elementary explanations which necessarily distort the full details but allow for a more conceptual or qualitative grasp of the main ideas. Meanwhile the research literature focuses on the minute details of particular methods or particular chemical systems and does not typically examine the kind of explanation that is being provided. To give a satisfactory discussion of explanation in the context of the periodic table we need to consider both elementary and deeper explanations within a common framework. 

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