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Operating & instruction manuals for electrical precipitation process

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Held at: Science History Institute Archives [Contact Us]315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Science History Institute Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

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The Research Corporation was begun in 1912 by Prof. Frederick G. Cottrell (U.C., Berkeley) using the proceeds from a 1907 patent on a device for charging particles then collecting them through electrostatic attraction. The sale of these electrostatic precipitators allowed Cottrell to set up a foundation to fund academic research with commercial possibilities. Sales of these patents allowed the Corporation to continue funding new research. As the result of a decision by the U. S. Supreme Court, Cottrell's original corporation was split into Cottrell-Research Inc., covering the eastern portion of the United States and Western Precipitation covering the west. Cottrell's invention was a highly efficient method of removing unwanted particulate matter from the air. It was first utilized in acid-making and smelting to cleanse the air of sulphuric acid mist and lead oxide fumes, but its use soon spread to other industries.

The manuals were created for the following ESPs: Volume 29 - G. O. 1291, Sept. 9, 1940 (Rev. 4/3/46.); Volume 30 - G. O. 1698, June 20, 1945 (Retyped 4-3-46 & 4-18-46.); Volume 31 - G. O. 1316, December 19, 1940 (Rev. April 2, 1946.); Volume 32 - G. O. 1522, March 9, 1943 (Rev. April 3, 1946.) - Special Operating and Maintenance Instructions for the Cottrell Electrical Precipitator Installation at the Ford Motor Company (Defense Plant Corporation) Rouge Plant, Dearborn, Michigan; Volume 33 - G.O. 1614, January 20, 1944 (Retyped January 20, 1944.); Volume 34 - G. O. 1317, April 1, 1941 (Rev. April 2, 1946.) - Operating Instructions for the Cottrell Electrical Precipitation Installation on the #1#2& #3 Murray-Waern Recovery Units at the Champion Paper & Fibre Company, Pasadena, Texas.; Volume 35 - G. O. 1697, October 4, 1945 (Retyped 4-2-46.); Volume 36 - G. O. 1138, May 28, 1937 (Rev. 4/3/46.).

This is a group of eight hardbound manuals, originally the property of Northwestern University Library which numbered them as Volume 29 through Volume 36. Each manual was created for a different Cottrell Electrical Precipitator and so vary in certain details.

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