RIDEAL, Eric Keightley

RIDEAL_ERIC_KEIGHTLEY

THE ROYAL COMVISSION ON HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPTS Report on corresvondence and papers of SIR ERIC KEIGHTLSY RIDEAL (1890-1974) FR 1936-1973 deposited in the Royal Institution, London Archives Centre (CSAC 62/6/78) by ON HISTORICAL v ANUSORIDTS Reproduced for the Contemporary Scientific HS ROYAL COM ‘ISSION Quality House, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, No 78/78 London WC2A 1tHP 1978 All rights reserved CSAC 62/6/78 CONTEMPORARY SCIENTIFIC ARCHIVES CENTRE Supported by the Royal Society, the British Library and the Council of Engineering Institutions ; Catalogue of the papers of Sir Eric Keightley Rideal FRS (1890 - 1974) Compiled by: Jeannine Alton Deposited in the Archives of the Royal Institution, London, 1979 Julia Latham- Jackson EK. Rideal CSAC 62/6/78 CONTENTS Description of the collection A Articles, speeches and writings A.1-A.16 \ Notes, drafts and working papers B.1-B.10 Committees, conferences, organisations Cil-Ge 12 Scientific correspondence D.1-D.3: Index of correspondents E.K. Rideal CSAC 62/6/78 Description of the collection The material was received from Lady Oliver (daughter). With few exceptions (A.1, A.2, B.2, B.3) nothing survives of Rideal's early scientific career, and very little of his long and extensive involvement in scientific committees and societies. Most of the speeches and writings in Section A. belong to the last years of Rideal's life (1970-73); several of them are of interest in containing reminiscences of his career and of the development of colloid and surface sciences. The scientific notes and working papers in Section B. similarly belong in the main to a later period (see the introductory note to Section B), as does the small amount of surviving corres~ pondence in Section D. All correspondents are listed in the Index. Note All requests for access to the papers should be addressed in the first instance to the Librarian, The Royal Institution, London. E.K. Rideal CSAC 62/6/78 SECTION A ARTICLES, SPEECHES & WRITINGS 'The adsorption of gases and vapours by solids’. Printer's proof with ms. corrections. ‘Intermolecular forces in two-dimensional systems’, with R.C.L. Bosworth. Physica, 4. Printer's proof with ms. corrections; copy of article as printed. 2 talks on ‘Ecology’. Ms. notes, 5 pp. and 5 pp. The second of the talks (A. 4) includes a discussion of chemical warfare and reminiscences of gas attacks in 1914-18 War. n.d. (c) 1970 Informal speech at Euchem Conference, Holland, April 1970. 2 pp. ms., with some reminiscences, for speech at an informal reception. Speech at Inauguration of Teesside Surface Science Society, 3 June 1970. 3 pp. typescript with ms. corrections. (2 copies) Speech at Roemond Conference, Holland, July 1970. Talk given at the opening of Unilever Research Laboratories, Port Sunlight, Merseyside, and subsequently published. 4 pp. ms. notes, with some reminiscences, including Rideal's claim that 'l had to invent the term Colloid Science so that the General Board [ of Cambridge University] did not dare enquire as to what it was all about', and also an account of the origin of D.J. Crisp's interest in barnacles. Britain', 1969, to which Rideal refers in his own talk. Heavily corrected typescript and ms. draft, perhaps transcript from dictated notes, fuller and more informal than final version, 10 pp. Also included is a signed offprint, sent to Rideal by the author, of R.G.W. Norrish's article 'Fifty years of physical chemistry in Great Similar corrected typescript and ms. draft, 10 pp. Typescript of talk as delivered, 24 pp. (see also D.1) "Sixty years of chemistry’. Various versions of talk, as follows: E.K. Rideal CSAC 62/6/78 A.9 Speech, perhaps at conference or discussion, erganised by British Petroleum Company. n.d. (c) 1970 2 pp. typescript (2 copies). Memorial tribute to A.E. Alexander (J.Coiloid Interface Sci., 1971). 37, ao 2 Letter from R.J. Hunter requesting memorial note, of Rideal's contribution, typescript of final collaborative version. ms. draft Article for 'Shokubai', 3 May 1971. On 'Some experiences on heterogeneous catalysis’. 7 pp. typescript (2 copies). Foreword to 'The surface of non-metals' Vol.1. 2 pp. typescript and brief correspondence. ‘A note on "Advisers" and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company’. 2 pp. + 1 p. notes, ms. n.d. (c) 1973 'The early days of IUPAC' (published as ‘Recollections of IUPAC's early days', Chem. Brit. 10, 1974). 5 pp. +4 pp. ms. drafts. p. ms. notes. 41 pp. typescript with ms. corrections, and 1 Includes background material supplied by Royal Society. Paper on membranes, perhaps draft chapter for book, n.d. Misc. notes and drafts for speeches, anecdotes, etc. E.K. Rideal CSAC 62/6/78 SECTION 6b NOTES, DRAFTS AND WORKING PAPERS The material, which is ali in Rideai's hand, is undated and in many cases Where size of paper, type of pencil or ink, or some similar indication fragmentary. makes grouping of the notes feasible, this has been done; sequences paginated by Rideal in B.5 - B.9. there are also some B.1 2 pp. summary for a course of 8 lectures on Catalysis, and '2 Supplementary lectures on Enzymes'. (probably D.D. Eley) but it given by him or by Rideal. is not clear whether the lectures were There isams. note 'D.D.E.' Early notes, on ‘Catalysis and Chemical Reactivity’ (dated 1928), ‘Oxidation and Reduction', etc. Notes on ‘Adsorption of gases', 4 pp., all bearing a note 'D' (possibly for addendum or appendix to a publication). Notes on 'Concepts of oxydation' with a note 'Katz'. Notes and drafts, 1968 and later, probably for book. These consist of two relatively finished sections (B.5, B.6), several identifiable.sequences of paginated drafts (B.7, B.8) and two folders of fragmentary notes which cannot be attributed (B.9, B.10). 'The Surface Tension of Metals’. 21 pp. heavily corrected and revised typescript. 'Diachisis and Disjoining Pressure’. 'Diachisis and Disjoining pressure’. 2 separately paginated drafts for B.6 18 pp. typescript with ms. corrections (2 copies). Rideal's folder, inscribed ‘Inserts and interfacial phases. Ch.! Includes offprints annotated by Rideal. Misc. notes and drafts, some bearing titles or page numbers but too fragmentary to be attributed. Also included are notes and comments on Rideal's draft in another hand. 'The surface tension of metals' (ms. draft of B.2 above). Incomplete sequence of pages numbered 235-434, Contains some paginated sequences on: 'Katalysis of metals’. untitled (post 1970) P1l-264'. B.9 B. 10 c.K. Rideal CSAC 62/6/78 SECTION C COMMITTEES, CONFERENCES, ORGANISATIONS The items below present, in alphebetical order, all that remains of Rideal's extensive involvement in professional societies (notably |UPAC) and in official scientific policy through service on government advisory bodies. For details of the extent of Rideal's activities of this kind, see D.D. Eley, Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 22, 1976. C4 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Correspondence and papers, 1967-71. Mainly re Symposium on Surface Area Determination, held at Bristol, July 1969. clatures, some with ms. annotations by Rideal. Includes draft papers on definitions and nomen- (see A.14 for Rideal's paper on 'The early days of IUPAC’) Ministry of Supply. Advisory Council on Scientific Research and Development. Rideal served as Chairman 1953-58. The items below consist of correspondence with officials and with colleagues re meetings, visits to factories and research stations, changes of membership, etc. Rideal kept separate, in alphabetical order, correspondence This order has been preserved. 1954 only. 1953 1953-56 Biological Research Advisory Board. Chemical Engineering Committee. Correspondence and papers. With few exceptions, the period covered is June 1953 to March relating to the diverse committees, panels and boards of the Advisory Council. Committees, returned to Ministry 15/1/55. Correspondence and papers, mainly re visits and discussions at R.R.E. Malvern. Secretary's list of Technical Reports for various of the above Crop Committee. High Explosives Committee. Radar and Signals Advisory Board. Weapons and Explosives Advisory Board. Weapon Research Committee. 1953-54 1953 E.K. Rideal CSAC 62/6/78 C.10 Rideal conferences on Chemisorption and Catalysis. y i Conferences on Chemisorption and Catalysis were held in Belfast (1962), Bristol (1965) and Nottingham (1968). meeting the name ‘Rideal Conference ...' was adopted after Rideal, 'who has made such important contributions to Colloid and Surface Science and who had been the chairman of the first conference’. At the Nottingham organisation. General correspondence 1969-73 re conferences, financial Includes statements of account, an appeals and account of the history, aims, achievements and financial supporters of the conferences, and the programme (with some ms. notes by Rideal on papers read) of the 1948 conference at Nottingham at which the name ‘Rideal Conferences’ was adopted. Royal Commission for the exhibition of 1951 ‘Science Scholarships Committee’. Very little remains of Rideal's long service on this committee. The folder contains committee papers, chairman's notes and secretarial correspondence relating to the 127th and 128th meetings in April and June 1970, and one letter re the Committee, 1972. Science Research Council. 1970 1970 Letter from G.D. Parfitt, on teaching of colloid science. Correspondence and papers on various committees, panels, etc. Correspondence, committee papers and report of panel on Science of Colloidal Dispersions. Letter and supporting material, on Surface Studies Panel, from R. Mason. 1970-71 E.K. Rideal CSAC 62/6/78 SECTION D SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE D.J. Crisp, on barnacles (with related offprints). (see also A.7) George L. Gaines, on ion exchange (with related offprints). H. Mykura, on surface energy anisotropy in metals. E.K. Ridea! CSAC 62/6/78 Index ef correspondents CAWOOD, Sir Walter CRISP, Dennis John EVERETT, Douglas Hugh FOX, Terence Robert Corelli GAINES, George L. GARNER, Frederic Horace HOWARTH, Leslie HUNTER, Robert J. JAMES, C. Anthony H. KEMBALL, Charles MASON, Ronald MORRISON, John Lamb Murray MYKURA, H. Cs D. Gs fi D. C. Cc. A. C; Cs Gs C. D; Cy Cs hos Ce Cy A. CG a : e Q OTTEWILL, Ronald H. OVERBEEK, J. Th. PARE, ©. < iD G. W. J. (Haddon) WELLS, Peter B. SING, Ken S. Van OLPHEN, H. THaMSON, So. ROSENHEAD, Louis RICHARDS, William John WANSBOROUGH-JONES, Sir Owen WILLIAMS, Sir Frederic (Calland)