Report on Recommended Specifications for Microchemical Apparatus: Carbon-Hydrogen and Dumas Nitrogen

Standardization of Microchemical Methods and Apparatus

“…There was an early realization that it would be necessary to standardize on certain pieces of microapparatus, and this resulted in the formation of a committee by the American Chemical Society in 1937, with G. L. Royer as chairman, to recommend standard microapparatus. Results of this committee's work, published in 1941 (5) and 1943 ( 3,4), made available the best in design of many pieces of microequipment , and there was reasonable assurance that such apparatus when purchased would conform to the recommended specifications. After this committee terminated its work, improvements were made, and before long it was realized that standardization of microchemical apparatus should be brought up to date.…”

Microdetermination of Sulfur in Organic Compounds

“…Commercial tank oxygen is passed directly into a standard A.C.S. pressure regulator (14), filled with saturated sodium carbonate, thence through a drying tube filled with anhydrous magnesium perchlorate, and finally into a bubble counter containing 5% sodium hydroxide (these items of equipment are not shown), before entering the side arm, J. The standard Pyrex microcombustion tube, AS, of A.C.S.…”

The teaching of microchemistry

“…In discussing the standardization of carbon-hydrogen apparatus the student is taught the reasons why each piece of apparatus in this assembly has to be made in the particular design that it is, and why certain dimensions must be considered critical while others are not (7). He is not expected to remember the actual dimensions in millimeters, however.…”