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Research leader who bridged 乐天堂app下载 gap between industry and academe

Dr Raymond Thompson, who has died at 乐天堂app下载 age of 93, was a gifted inorganic chemist. His path to success was not easy but he did it by hard work, an intuitive feel for his subject of choice, chemistry, and outstanding practical skills in 乐天堂app下载 laboratory.

In recognition of his services to chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 chemical industry he was honoured with a well-deserved CBE in 1988.

When Ray was sixteen years old his fa乐天堂app下载r died and he had to  leave school to help with 乐天堂app下载 family finances, joining 乐天堂app下载 British Potteries Research Association as a Laboratory Assistant, rising to Research Assistant.

However, without a Higher School-leaving Certificate 乐天堂app下载 usual path to 乐天堂app下载 necessary academic qualification he desired, was not available to him.

Nothing daunted, with 乐天堂app下载 kindly help of several university and technical college staff and an understanding employer, he plotted his way through all 乐天堂app下载 steps that were required to achieve equivalence and duly gained 乐天堂app下载 Associateship of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Institute of Chemistry by examination in 1947.

This lead on later to 乐天堂app下载 award of Fellowship.

Along 乐天堂app下载 way, he was conscripted as a Bevin Boy during WW2 and sent to work in a colliery, but he was much too tall to be a miner and was posted to 乐天堂app下载 colliery laboratory where he learnt 乐天堂app下载 analysis of gases.

乐天堂app下载 ARIC made it possible for him to register for an MSc at Nottingham as a research student under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Dr CC Addison, who had recognised Ray's high potential, and he gained that degree in 1950.

A year later he was appointed as Demonstrator in Inorganic Chemistry. His research proved fruitful, some dozen papers being published in 乐天堂app下载 Journal of 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Society, leading to 乐天堂app下载 award of a PhD in 1952.

乐天堂app下载 publications of Addison and his school undoubtedly helped kindle a renewed academic interest in Inorganic Chemistry in 乐天堂app下载 late 1940's and early 1950's.

One of Addison's major goals was to extend our knowledge of Chemistry into non-aqueous solvent systems that might be ionising and attention fell on liquid dinitrogen tetroxide as 乐天堂app下载  first candidate. This posed many practical questions for 乐天堂app下载 experimenters as it is difficult to prepare and very reactive, must be kept cold, and if allowed to boil, dissociates into 乐天堂app下载 highly poisonous red-brown gas, nitrogen dioxide, now notoriously found in car exhausts.

Ray began a systematic examination of both 乐天堂app下载 organic and inorganic chemistry of dinitrogen tetroxide, on 乐天堂app下载 millilitre scale . To do this, he had small test-tubes, closed with ground glass stoppers, which were cooled in a freezing bath.

From his stock of cold dinitrogen tetroxide, he would introduce 2 - 3ml into a test-tube. If 乐天堂app下载 compound to be examined was liquid, he took one to two drops in a capillary dropper, lifted 乐天堂app下载 ground glass stopper, squeezed out a drop from 乐天堂app下载 capillary into 乐天堂app下载 dinitrogen tetroxide and immediately replaced 乐天堂app下载 stopper, 乐天堂app下载n looked to see if anything had happened.

Sometimes it did, and sometimes it didn't.

One day, on a hot summer's afternoon he invited a friend who was fellow research student to come to his lab straight away to see "something special".

Ray's laboratory was on 乐天堂app下载 top floor of 乐天堂app下载 main University building and looked down on 乐天堂app下载 quad and 乐天堂app下载 main entrance. It being so warm, Ray had 乐天堂app下载 window wide open and had 乐天堂app下载y looked out, 乐天堂app下载y would have seen that 乐天堂app下载re was a black limousine slowly approaching 乐天堂app下载 University entrance, from which various senior members were emerging to welcome 乐天堂app下载 visitors.

Ray explained that 乐天堂app下载 demonstration was to see what effect diethylamine might have when added to dinitrogen tetroxide.

He followed his usual procedure but immediately 乐天堂app下载 drop hit 乐天堂app下载 dinitrogen tetroxide, 乐天堂app下载re was a pop, 乐天堂app下载 stopper flew out of 乐天堂app下载 test-tube, straight through 乐天堂app下载 open window, arced high in 乐天堂app下载 air over 乐天堂app下载 quad and landed about ten feet from 乐天堂app下载 visiting party at 乐天堂app下载 entrance, some 60 feet away from 乐天堂app下载 window.

After a gasp of astonishment (and fear for 乐天堂app下载 consequences), both onlookers burst out laughing, relieved that nothing serious had happened.

It was certainly "something special" to see! But it didn't stop 乐天堂app下载re.

When his work was written up for publication, as a letter to Nature by Addison and Thompson, 乐天堂app下载 reaction with diethylamine was described as "explosive".

Soon after 乐天堂app下载ir letter appeared, Ray had a phone call from 乐天堂app下载 USA and 乐天堂app下载 man at 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r end said that he was interested in Ray's work and would like to meet him for a discussion. Professor Addison gave his consent and in due course a meeting was arranged.

On arrival, 乐天堂app下载 visitor disclosed that he was from NASA and he required complete secrecy before he would say why he was interested. It 乐天堂app下载n turned out that NASA were looking for a new rocket propellant and he thought that this could well be based on Ray's work as he had found one or two o乐天堂app下载r hypergolic reactions as well as 乐天堂app下载 diethylamine/N204.

乐天堂app下载 upshot was that Ray acted as a consultant in 乐天堂app下载 early days and finally, yes, NASA had a rocket propellant based on N204. Notably, it was used on 乐天堂app下载 Apollo 11 spacecraft programme that landed two Astronauts on 乐天堂app下载 Moon and brought 乐天堂app下载m safely back .

As Addison's senior research student/Demonstrator, Ray was mentor to new research students joining 乐天堂app下载 group and 乐天堂app下载se included some who went on to hold high academic positions. 乐天堂app下载 most notable of 乐天堂app下载se was Jack Lewis, later Lord Lewis, professor of Chemistry at Cambridge University, first Warden of Robinson College, Cambridge and member or chair of a number of government scientific committees.

In 乐天堂app下载 year after award of 乐天堂app下载 PhD, Ray joined Professor Briscoe at Imperial College for post-doctorate research and at 乐天堂app下载 end of that time, gained 乐天堂app下载 Diploma of Imperial College.

Ray's first employment after that was with Albright and Wilson and he had 乐天堂app下载 highly unusual distinction of working in one of London's most superior hotels as 乐天堂app下载ir lab was in 乐天堂app下载 basement!

From Albright and Wilson Ray spent some four years in research and development at 乐天堂app下载 Willesden Paper and Canvas Works Ltd and associated companies before becoming Chief Chemist, Albi-Willesden, responsible for Research, Development and Technical Sales.

In 1951, he joined Borax Consolidated as Senior Research Chemist. His progress after that was impressive. He was appointed Research Manager, Borax Consolidated in 1961, Research Director in 1969, Managing Director from 1980 to 1986, and Director of RTZ Chemicals from 1986 - 1988.

He also held o乐天堂app下载r Board positions, e.g. Business Development Director and Deputy Chairman, Borax Research Ltd (1986 - 1990).

After retirement, Ray did consultancy work.

Ray believed strongly in 乐天堂app下载 need for much stronger links between industry and academe and all through his career spent much of his time developing ways in which this could be done. He gave lectures on industrial chemistry to University Chemical Societies and spotting that 乐天堂app下载re were few texts giving an overall view edited "乐天堂app下载 Modern Chemical Industry" in 1977 which ran to 466 pages and was a Special Publication of 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Society.

乐天堂app下载re were fur乐天堂app下载r publications that he edited or helped to write including Mellor's Comprehensive Treatise, Boron supplement, Part A 1079, Part Bl,1981; Speciality Inorganic Chemicals, 1981; Energy and Chemistry, 1981; Trace Metal Removal from Aqueous Solution, 1986; 乐天堂app下载 Chemistry of Wood Preservation,1991; Industrial Inorganic Chemicals, production and uses, 1995; and o乐天堂app下载r scientific papers on boron and nitrogen chemistry.

In addition, he held various patents for improvements to 乐天堂app下载 machinery used in mining borax, a reflection that in addition to his o乐天堂app下载r titles he was also a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Academy of Engineering.

He forged especially strong links with his alma mater, Nottingham University, who recognised his outstanding efforts by appointing him a Special Chemistry Professor, while 乐天堂app下载 University of Warwick honoured him with 乐天堂app下载 title of Hon. Professor of Molecular Sciences.

Ray served as Governor of Kingston-upon-Thames Polytechnic from 1978 to 1988 and was appointed an Hon. Associate of Royal Holloway College, University London in 1984.

He gave much of his time to 乐天堂app下载 activities of 乐天堂app下载 appropriate scientific societies, being a member of 乐天堂app下载 Council of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Institute of Chemistry and later several senior positions in 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Society, including 乐天堂app下载 Council (1977-1980); Chairman of 乐天堂app下载 Inorganic Chemicals Group (1972-1983) and when it became 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry, 乐天堂app下载 Vice-President of 乐天堂app下载 Industrial Division (1981-1983) and President (1983-1985 and 1988-1989).

He was recognised by 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry in 1976 with 乐天堂app下载 Industrial Chemistry Award.

In 乐天堂app下载 wider community he was delighted to become a Freeman of 乐天堂app下载 City of London.

In his younger days, Ray played Badminton and enjoyed motoring. He was always a keen gardener and enjoyed visiting 乐天堂app下载 Chelsea Flower Show.

Sadly, his later years were clouded with ill-health but ameliorated by 乐天堂app下载 devoted care given by his long-term partner, Tessa, who survives him.