Arthur D.

Little
CONTRIBUTIONS TO CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING
 Griffin and Little: Chemical Engineers American Institute
Cellulose Products Company Of Chemical Engineers
Little enters MIT
1884 1894 1909

1863 1881 1886 1908

Little enters The Chemistry of Arthur D. Little (ALD)

Richmond Company Paper-Making
 Anti-knock Gasoline Standard

New Chemical Engineering

Curriculum Kleinschmidt Still

1916 1921 1935 1941

1920 1925 1939

Introduction of Silk purse from Death of Arthur D. Little Oxygen masks

Unit Operations Sow’s ear for WWII pilots
Educational
Background
 RICHMOND PAPER COMPANY

 The first sulfite paper mill in the United States

 Little improved the mill’s design
GRIFFIN AND LITTLE: CHEMICAL ENGINEERS
 Analytical laboratory and consultancy
 Chemical analysis for quality control
 Consultancy on paper making
THE CHEMISTRY OF PAPER-MAKING

 Primary basis for paper producers

CELLULOSE PRODUCTS COMPANY
 Pioneered the use of cellulose acetate
CELLULOSE PRODUCTS COMPANY
 Financially unsuccessful
 After it was dissolved, patents were
purchased by other firms
 LITTLE & WALKER
 Partnered with William H. Walker for
five years
 Eventually, Walker left the firm
 Incorporated as Arthur D. Little (ADL)
 AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

 To claim industrial territory for chemical engineers by demonstrating

their uniqueness
 Chemical engineers, not mechanical engineers
 Little was one of the 6 founding members
 ARTHUR D. LITTLE (ADL)
 The largest consulting industrial laboratory in the United States
 Helped businesses improve in terms of strategy, technology, and
innovation
 The “industrial application of chemistry” can make plants/factories/
industries more efficient
 Developed synthetic penicillin
  Any industrial process could be simplified into
basic steps called unit operations
 Became the focus of the new Chemical
Engineering curriculum
UNIT
OPERATIONS
 SILK PURSE FROM SOW’S EAR
 “You can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear”
 Smithsonian’s Institute Collection Artifact
PRODUCTS
CREATED BY
ADL
 ANTI-KNOCK GASOLINE STANDARD
 Iso-octane compound

PRODUCTS
CREATED BY
ADL
 KLEINSCHMIDT STILL
 Converts salt water into fresh water

PRODUCTS
CREATED BY
ADL
 OXYGEN MASKS
 Used by World War II pilots at high altitudes

PRODUCTS
CREATED BY
ADL
Sources:
Arthur D. Little voted most influential chemical engineer (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.adlittle.com/en/insights/press/press-release/arthur-d-little-voted-most-influential-
chemical-engineer

Flavell-While, C. (2011). Arthur D Little — Dedicated to industrial progress. Retrieved

https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/features/cewctw-arthur-d-little-dedicated-to-industrial- progress/

Science History Institute. Arthur D. Little, William H. Walker, and Warren K. Lewis (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/arthur-d-little-william-h-walker-and-warren-k-lewis

Arthur Little- coined the term unit operations (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.worldofchemicals.com/85/chemistry-articles/arthur-dehon-little-coined-unit- operations-
term.html

Timeline of Arthur D. Little (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.adlittle.com/en/timeline

History (n.d.) Retrieved from libraries.mit.edu/archives/exhibits/adlittle/timeline.html