Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1942 [PAGE 426]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1941]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

423

and the Comptroller an expression of the appreciation of the Board of their excellent work in this matter.

QUARTERS FOR RADIO STATION (27) F o r the past few years the University Radio Station W I L L has been greatly handicapped because of inadequate studio facilities. Various solutions of this problem have been studied, including (1) an addition to the present station and studio building, (2) construction of a new building, (3) remodeling the Arcade Building, and (4) remodeling the Lower Gymnasium of the Woman's Building.

On motion of Mr. Davis, the Director of the Physical Plant Department was instructed to proceed with plans tor the location of the Radio Station in the Woman's Building.

PATENTABLE DISCOVERIES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY (28) T h e Faculty Committee on Patents has considered the following discoveries by members of the staff of the Department of Chemistry, and is submitting recommendations in each case. 1. Professor C. S. Marvel has developed a method of reducing the polymer of methyl isopropenyl ketone with hydrogen over Raney nickel catalyst to give a linear polymer containing about 13.5% of the original carbonyl groups as hydroxyl groups and the remaining 86.5% as cylic ethers. Neither Professor Marvel nor Professor Adams, Head of the Department of Chemistry, can suggest any prospect of worthwhile commercial exploitation. T h e process is relatively expensive, and the commercial possibilities of very doubtful value. The protection of a patent is not necessary for further scientific research. It is the judgment of the Committee on Patents that the University would not be justified in expending funds to apply for a patent covering ihis discovery and that it should therefore be released to Professor Marvel. 2. Professor A. G. Deem has been carrying on researches in fuels and has made discoveries which, in his judgment, should have patent protection in the following described fields: Case 2, Polymerization of gaseous hydrocarbons Case 3, Improvement in the gasification of bituminous coal Case 4, Improvement in the liquefaction of coal Case s, Polymerization of butadiene Case 6, Production of aliphatic aromatic ketones Case 7, Purification of fuel gas In some of the foregoing cases several applications would be necessary u> afford the protection suggested by Professor Deem. In the judgment of the Committee on Patents, this research is not sufficiently advanced to warrant the expenditures required in filing and prosecuting applications. Moreover, it is very doubtful that if patents are procurable they would have any promise of commercial value. The Committee recommends that any patentable discoveries resulting from these researches be released to P r o fessor Deem. 3. Robert Steinman, Assistant in Chemistry, has succeeded in preparing rutile titanium dioxide in small quantities by seeding titanyl hydroxide with a rutile type compound in the presence of amorphous silica. T h e discovery is of interest in the field of pigmentation, and in January this year the manufacturers of pigment announced production of commercial titanium dioxide pigment with rutile type structure. This material has an opacifying power about 35% greater than that of the previously prepared anatase modification. In the judgment of the Committee, the University would not be justified in expending money to secure a patent on this discovery. There are already available and known methods by which rutile dioxide can be produced. T h e development of Mr. Steinman's process to a point where it would be of prac-