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We congratulate all chemical industry employees on Chemist's Day 2022, and today we'll introduce you to the history of this holiday!
Chemist's Day is celebrated every last Sunday in May in the Russian Federation and the former Soviet Union. This holiday is dedicated to the vital and indispensable profession of chemist. It is celebrated by specialists in the chemical and petrochemical industries.
Chemist's Day is celebrated in many countries that were formerly part of the USSR. All chemical industry specialists, undergraduate and graduate students in chemistry departments, and university professors participate in the celebratory events dedicated to this day. People from outside the industry are also welcome to join in the celebrations, as universities often hold open days where anyone can watch interesting experiments and learn something new.
The history of Chemists' Day dates back to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Its observance was based on Decree No. 3018-X of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated October 1, 1980, "On Holidays and Memorial Days," which stipulated that it would be celebrated once a year on the last Sunday of spring. The holiday continued after the dissolution of the USSR, particularly in Russia, Ukraine, the Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and elsewhere.
A very interesting tradition is to dedicate this holiday to a single chemical element from the periodic table. For example, cuprum, magnesium, iron, and so on. This can be done at home—simply learn a little about the chosen element and find it in household chemicals, cosmetics, and other products. After all, so much of our lives is connected with chemistry. Many universities traditionally hold open events on this day, open to anyone. They demonstrate interesting experiments with various chemical reactions: changing the color of a liquid, the appearance of a slight smoke, hissing, and more. The very first element to which Chemist's Day was dedicated was hydrogen. This tradition began at Moscow State University in 1966.
We can say "thank you" to women chemists:
- for developing laundry detergents distinguished by their cost-effectiveness and unique properties;
- for the invention of new cosmetics;
- for durable tights.
We say "thank you" to male chemists for the excellent fabrics used to make good athletic shoes and clothing, excellent engine oils for cars, and a special "thank you" for the creation of industrial synthetic rubber.
The first person in the world to obtain industrial synthetic rubber was Soviet chemist Sergei Lebedev on December 30, 1927.
In 1926, a competition for the best work on rubber synthesis was announced. According to the terms and conditions, at least two kilograms of this product had to be provided. A complete production technology, not just a description of the production method, had to be developed. Furthermore, the raw materials had to be inexpensive and readily available. The grand prize was one hundred thousand rubles.
Lebedev replaced oil with ethyl alcohol and proposed metallic sodium as a catalyst. As a result, he submitted two kilograms of synthetic sodium butadiene rubber, obtained from alcohol, along with a complete set of process documentation, to the jury. Thanks to Lebedev's discovery, modern car tires, window and door seals in our homes, flexible garden hoses, doormats, children's rubber toys, and many other rubber-based items were later created.
On behalf of the entire Factory team, we wish our industry colleagues and partners continued rapid development, reaching new heights, successful experiments and developments, innovative ideas, and their successful implementation! Today, Vasily Novokshonov, Director of the Standard Prof Factory, personally congratulated the best employees of the production and administrative departments for their outstanding achievements and special contributions to the company. The best employees were awarded certificates of honor and bonuses.
