12 Facts About Robert Brattain

1.

Robert Brattain was an American physicist at Shell Development Company.

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2.

Robert Brattain was involved in a number of secret projects during World War II.

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3.

Robert Brattain is recognized as one of America's leading infrared spectroscopists for his work in designing several models of spectrophotometer, and for using the infrared spectrophotometer to determine the ß-lactam structure of penicillin.

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4.

Robert Brattain was born May 21,1911, to Ross R Brattain and Ottilie Houser Brattain.

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5.

Robert Brattain attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, following his older brother, Walter Houser Robert Brattain.

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6.

Robert Brattain then completed a master's degree in physics at the University of Washington in 1933.

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7.

Robert Brattain went on to attend Princeton University, studying physics.

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8.

Robert Brattain introduced John Barden to his brother, Walter Brattain, with whom Bardeen would win a Nobel Prize.

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9.

Robert Brattain was hired by Otto Beeck and joined Shell Development Company in Emeryville, California.

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10.

One of the areas Robert Brattain studied was isomers of butane, which were used to make high-octane aviation fuel.

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11.

Robert Brattain's goal was to use infrared spectrometry as an analytical tool for industrial chemical process control, reliably measuring the isomers in petroleum mixtures.

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12.

The US Office of Scientific Research and Development approached Shell during the summer of 1944, and Robert Brattain assembled a team to study the problem using infrared spectrophotometry.

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