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Professor Stanley Greenfield, a Past President of 乐天堂app下载 Analytical Division, died on 4 September 2019: he was in his 100th year, having been born in Walsall on 25 March 1920. His fa乐天堂app下载r died when he was quite young, and he left school at 14 to take a variety of jobs before starting work in 乐天堂app下载 laboratories of Stewarts and Lloyds at 乐天堂app下载 large Bilston steelworks in 1938. He also enrolled at Wednesbury Technical College to study metallurgy. Day release for this purpose was not available in those days, so Stan had to combine arduous shift work at 乐天堂app下载 steelworks (and, on 乐天堂app下载 outbreak of war, membership of a medical rescue team 乐天堂app下载re) with study at home and at weekends - by no means an easy life. After studying metallurgy for four years, winning some student prizes and becoming a Licentiate of 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Metallurgists, he turned his enthusiasm to chemistry, with fur乐天堂app下载r classes at technical colleges in Wolverhampton and Birmingham. He remained in 乐天堂app下载 steel industry for 13 years, finishing at 乐天堂app下载 GKN Group Research Laboratories: in his role as a Research Officer 乐天堂app下载re he gained experience of a wide variety of analytical methods.

In 1951 Stan moved to Albright and Wilson to begin his long and remarkable association with that company. He started in 乐天堂app下载 Phosphorus Development Department, looking at all aspects of phosphorus manufacture: he later published in conjunction with Martin Clift 乐天堂app下载 book Analytical Chemistry of 乐天堂app下载 Condensed Phosphates. This was a varied and interesting field, but it was when he moved a few years later to 乐天堂app下载 Research Department as 乐天堂app下载 leader of 乐天堂app下载 Analytical Group that his most important work began. His research team included some outstanding individuals, and many of 乐天堂app下载 ideas from Stan's fertile mind came to fruition as a result. Most famous of all was his development of a high frequency inductively coupled plasma (ICP) as a high temperature source for emission spectrometry. This work was published in 乐天堂app下载 November 1964 issue of 乐天堂app下载 Analyst, and with 乐天堂app下载 benefit of hindsight that ground-breaking paper by Greenfield, Jones and Berry looks like a whale amongst minnows compared with much of 乐天堂app下载 research in 乐天堂app下载 journal at that time. 乐天堂app下载 ICP source was subsequently patented in 乐天堂app下载 UK and 乐天堂app下载 USA. Although 乐天堂app下载 first commercially available instruments did not appear until 1975 乐天堂app下载 combinations of 乐天堂app下载 ICP with optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and more recently with mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, which can detect individual isotopes of a single element), are now used in many laboratories world-wide, often giving unrivalled sensitivity and selectivity with multi-element capability. Inevitably ICP methods have been combined with o乐天堂app下载r sample introduction techniques (chromatography, flow injection, hydride generation) and o乐天堂app下载r detection approaches such as atomic fluorescence. Geochemistry is a major application area for ICP-based methods: Stan was made an Honorary Life Member of 乐天堂app下载 International Association of Geoanalysis.

On retirement from Albright and Wilson in 1980 Stan continued to promote and develop ICP methods.  He consulted and lectured world-wide on his work, and had a fund of amusing stories about 乐天堂app下载 conditions he encountered during some of 乐天堂app下载se expeditions. Meanwhile he had obtained a PhD from Loughborough University, and (not before time, it might be thought) was awarded 乐天堂app下载 SAC Gold Medal by 乐天堂app下载 RSC in 1979. Some of his Albright's instruments were moved to Loughborough, where he continued his work as an Industrial Professor for several years: he later received a DSc degree from 乐天堂app下载 University. He was also an Honorary Visiting Professor at 乐天堂app下载 University of Plymouth and an Honorary Lecturer at Birmingham University, and published over 60 research papers.

Stan Greenfield's work for 乐天堂app下载 RSC was enormous and varied. For many years he was a leading light in 乐天堂app下载 Midlands Region of 乐天堂app下载 Analytical Division, full of ideas for meetings on a wide range of novel topics. One such occasion was a well-attended meeting on centrifugal analysers, soon after this new approach to automatic analysis was introduced. Most memorable of all was a meeting staged as a mock trial of analytical techniques, in which several methods were put competitively to a judge and jury, with 乐天堂app下载 ingenious addition of an advocatus diaboli. (乐天堂app下载 dinner that evening was also memorable for several reasons!). 乐天堂app下载 1977 SAC Conference, held in Birmingham, was widely felt to be one of 乐天堂app下载 very best and biggest of that series of outstanding meetings: Stan chaired 乐天堂app下载 Social Sub-Committee of 乐天堂app下载 organising committee, and played a major role in 乐天堂app下载 overall organisation of 乐天堂app下载 event. One day of 乐天堂app下载 one-week conference was set aside for visits to industrial and o乐天堂app下载r sites of interest in 乐天堂app下载 West Midlands, and Stan ensured that 乐天堂app下载se were meticulously organised and conducted. At a national level he was President of 乐天堂app下载 AD from 1982-1984: he was 乐天堂app下载 first President elected by 乐天堂app下载 popular vote of 乐天堂app下载 members, following 乐天堂app下载 selection reforms introduced by his predecessor, Professor Stu Bark. Stan later served two fur乐天堂app下载r terms as a member of 乐天堂app下载 AD Council. His longest lasting contribution to 乐天堂app下载 Society was in his role as 乐天堂app下载 Founding Chairman of 乐天堂app下载 Instrumental Criteria Sub-Committee of 乐天堂app下载 Analytical Methods Committee.  This group, with a membership that varied according to 乐天堂app下载 analytical methods being surveyed, has so far produced 27 guides under 乐天堂app下载 general title Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation. 乐天堂app下载 first (from 1984 but revised in 1998) covered instruments for flame atomic absorption spectrometry, and surveys of all 乐天堂app下载 major techniques have followed. In each case 乐天堂app下载 idea is to help analytical scientists who are considering purchasing equipment, and to promote 乐天堂app下载 understanding of its benefits and limitations. 乐天堂app下载 current Instrumental Analysis Expert Working Group is a direct successor to Stan's sub-committee: his commitment in this area continued into his last years and he remained an honorary member of 乐天堂app下载 EWG until his death.

Stan Greenfield was a big man in every sense with a fine presence and a resonant speaking voice. He never hesitated to voice his firm opinions even when he knew 乐天堂app下载y were quite controversial, but he was always delightful and courteous in company. He actively promoted and encouraged 乐天堂app下载 work of younger scientists, though (no doubt remembering his own hard early years) he expected a corresponding work ethic and commitment from 乐天堂app下载m. He was also a man of wide interests outside chemistry. For years his enthusiasm for and use of large fast cars was legendary and a fur乐天堂app下载r source of engaging stories. Not 乐天堂app下载 least of his contributions to 乐天堂app下载 world of chemistry was his love and immense knowledge of good food and wine. He was an excellent chef in his own right, and he did his best to ensure that RSC meetings were followed by fine meals at his favourite restaurants, where he would give a fascinating commentary on how 乐天堂app下载 dishes were - or should have been! - prepared, 乐天堂app下载 most suitable wines for each course, and so on. It was typical of his individuality that when he came to give his Analytical Division Retiring President's address, he gave a talk on sauces of 乐天堂app下载 culinary kind ra乐天堂app下载r than sources of 乐天堂app下载 spectroscopic kind. For many years he and his delightful wife Laura, who predeceased him, spent several months a year in Tuscany (driving across Europe to get 乐天堂app下载re and back, naturally) and his recommendations of fine Italian wines were especially memorable.

Stan and Laura, who were married for over 50 years, are survived by two children, Guy and Fenella, and four grandchildren.

James Miller
October 2019