Research efforts

Natural gas analysis has considerable economic importance. In fact, commercial contracts increasingly specify not just volume but the calorific or heating value as well. Today the calorific value of a natural gas calculated from its composition obtained by chromatography is recognized as valid. There is therefore a large research effort devoted to increasing the precision of this analysis. 

Considerable amount of research effort has been devoted, especially over the last tln-ee decades, on various issues in domain growth and dynamical scaling. See the reviews [13,14, H, 16 and 17],... 

My own research efforts [4] have, for many years, involved taking into account such non-Bom-Oppen-heimer couplings, especially in cases where vibration/rotation energy transferred to electronic motions causes... 

There are now extensive databases of molecular structures and properties. There are some research efforts, such as drug design, in which it is desirable to hnd all molecules that are very similai to a molecule which has the desired property. Thus, there are now techniques for searching large databases of structures to hnd compounds with the highest molecular similarity. This results in hnding a collection of known structures that are most similar to a specihc compound. 

Copolymeis of ethylene [74-85-1] and tetiafluoioethylene [116-14-3] (ETFE) have been alaboiatory curiosity for more than 40 years. These polymers were studied in connection with a search for a melt-fabricable PTFE resin (1 5) interest in them fell with the discovery of TFE—HFP (FEP) copolymers (6). In the 1960s, however, it became evident that a melt-fabricable fluorocarbon resin was needed with higher strength and stiffness than those of PTFE resins. Earlier studies indicated that TFE—ethylene copolymers [11939-51 -6] might have the right combination of properties. Subsequent research efforts (7) led to the introduction of modified ethylene—tetrafluoroethylene polymer [25038-71-5] (Tefzel) by E. I. du Pont de Nemours Co., Inc, in 1970. 

As of this writing natural gas is a plentiful resource, and there has been a marked tendency not to use other fossil fuels as SNG sources. However, petroleum and oil shale (qv) have been the subject of extensive research efforts. These represent other sources of gaseous fuels and are worthy of mention here. 

Whereas most of the technology for hydrogen production, transportation, and usage is viable as of 1994, research efforts are needed to make them more economically attractive. 

The future use of lead may be decided by the resolution of an environmental paradox. Some markets for lead are being phased out because of environmental concerns, eg, the use of tetraethyllead as a gasoline additive. However, a 1990 State of California law and similar laws in nine eastern U.S. states require that 2% of new cars meet 2ero-emission standards in 1998. By 2003 this requirement rises to 10% of new vehicles. Zero emission vehicles are generally accepted to mean electric, ie, battery powered cars, and there is considerable research effort to bring suitable electric vehicles to market by 1998. 

Liquid Membranes. A number of reviews summarize the considerable research effort ia the 1970s and 1980s on Hquid membranes containing carriers to faciUtate selective transport of gases or ions (58,59). Although stiU being explored ia a number of laboratories, the mote recent development of much mote selective conventional polymer membranes has diminished interest ia processes using Hquid membranes. 

Oxygen-Evolving Anode. Research efforts to iacorporate the coated metal anode for oxygen-evolving appHcations such as specialty electrochemical synthesis, electro winning, impressed current, electrodialysis, and metal recovery found only limited appHcations for many years. 

In 1962, the first method for welding (qv) metals ia spots along a linear path by explosive detonation was patented (8). This method is not, however, used iadustriaHy. In 1963, a theory that explained how and why cladding occurs was pubHshed (9). Research efforts resulted ia process patents which standardized iadustrial explosion cladding. Several of the patents describe the use of variables iavolved ia parallel cladding which is the most popular form of explosion cladding (10—13). Several excellent reviews on metal cladding have been pubHshed (14—16). 

The initial research effort may prove to be a broad spectmm of apphcations or solutions to the original problem that in turn provide any number of inventions. When efforts move toward reducing the invention to practice and refining the invention so that it proves to be commercially marketable, certain apphcations may prove to be unfeasible or commercially impractical. As a result, only one apphcation, eg, the creation of a given pattern on the surface of the automobile tire, may ultimately prove commercially marketable. However, ah the solutions which are developed and considered over the research and development process may comprise inventions that are worthy of disclosure and claiming in a patent. An apphcation which is not commercially viable today may become viable within the seventeen-year lifetime of a patent. 

Pigments contribute to the enjoyment and beauty of the world. To assure the future of inorganic pigments, research efforts are directed toward the development of environmentally acceptable pigments, pigments that when produced under weU-controUed conditions do not release any toxic materials into the environment whether during production, use, or disposal. 

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