LECTURER IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING ARRIVES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28481, 10 January 1958, Page 12

LECTURER IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING ARRIVES

After eight years away from New Zealand, during which he has continued his research and studies in both Sydney and London, Dr. R. G. H. Prince returned to Christchurch from Sydney yesterday with “plenty of ideas” for his new appointment as lecturer in chemical engineering at the University of Canterbury. A former student of Christchurch Boys’ High School and the University, Dr. Prince won the Hayden prize in chemistry in 1948 and graduated both bachelor of engineering (chemical) and bachelor of science, in 1950. After being awarded a fellowship for research at the University of Sydney in 1950, Dr. Prince was invited to join the lecturing staff and remained there till the end of 1953. While in Sydney he gained his doctorate of philosophy, submitting a thesis based on his research on solvent extraction. Since 1953 Dr. Prince has been attached to the Distillers Company Ltd., at Epsom, Surrey, where he was engaged in long-term research on distillation. He said yesterday that the type of industrial research work carried out had shown Its ; Use and value and, at Canterbury University he will con-

tinue research work suited to the resources available.

Dr. Prince said the new department should assist greatly in building up post-graduate work at the university, a very necessary feature, the facilities for which in New Zealand were at present very poor and inadequate. Dr. Prince has developed an instrument to measure the intensity of the smell of chemicals and since 1955 has been responsible for a research programme on distillation columns. This has resulted in correlations of maximum, minimum and optimum load and now enables these columns to be designed rationally. This is rated a notable advance in this field. Dr. Prince is married, and his wife and small daughter returned with him yesterday.