APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200110012-0
polymer properties, and hydrophilic polymers, which are of interest for contact lenses.
Increasing emphasis has been placed on biochemistry. The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry has a large group working on nucleic acids, amino acid sequence of proteins, effects of antibiotics, protein synthesis, and enzymes. Charles University is active in research on hormones, acetylcholinesterase (enzyme) activity and lipid histochemistry.
Significant work is done in several areas of physical chemistry in addition to the previously mentioned work in physical organic chemistry. The Mass Spectrometry Laboratory of the CSAV Institute of Physical Chemistry is investigating the kinetics and mechanism of diazo coupling, which is of interest in connection with azo dyes. The Jaroslav Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry and the associated Heyrovsky Institute of Polarography are active in research on polarography, electrochemical reactions, fuel cells, and reaction kinetics. The major universities conduct research in physical chemistry.
Important research is done at several facilities in inorganic and analytical chemistry. Outstanding work on the chemistry of scandium, gallium, lanthanum, and other rare earth elements has been carried out by Frantisek Petru at the College of Chemical Technology, Prague. The chemistry of copper complexes has been studied at the Slovak Technical University. Good research on instrumental methods of analysis is done at Charles University, the College of Chemical Technology, and the Heyrovsky institutes. The Nuclear Research Institute at Rez is concerned with analytical and inorganic chemical problems related to the processing of nuclear fuels and with radiochemical reactions, plutonium chemistry, fluorine chemistry, and the properties of uranium compounds.
The Institute of Inorganic Synthesis, also known as the Laboratory for Special Inorganic Chemistry, Rez, has done extensive research on the chemistry of metal and boron hydrides. During 1960-65 this institute cooperated with the U.S.S.R. in a research program directed toward the use of boron hydrides, such as pentaborane and decaborane, and hydrazine monoborane as components of liquid rocket fuels. The staff of this institute is continuing to do outstanding research on the chemical and physical properties of hydrides, but the current work does not appear to involve military applications.
The geographic area in which Czechoslovakia is located has long been noted for its capabilities in metals production and metallurgical technology. This history extends back to the 19th century. Despite being overrun in two World Wars, conquered by both the Germans and the Russians and presently under political domination by the Soviets, the capabilities of the Czechoslovaks in metallurgical technology have continued to expand. Yet Czechoslovakia is a landlocked country that does not have the native resources to support a complete metallurgical industry. Nevertheless, from the standpoint of metallurgical technology and innovation, Czechoslovakia ranks well above the other Soviet bloc countries such as Poland and East Germany. In some areas of technology, the Czechoslovaks rival the Soviets.
The metallurgical research and development program is of high quality and well funded, but it is concerned primarily with the metallurgical products of economic importance to the country. As a consequence, the research is directed principally toward improving processes for producing steel products and toward improving the quality of the metal products produced. Considerable research is directed also toward refining native nonferrous ores, particularly copper ores.
Metallurgical research and development programs are undertaken at government laboratories under both the Ministry of Metallurgy and Engineering and the CSAV as well as at plant laboratories. Some metallurgical research is also conducted at universities and technical colleges, but the research at such educational facilities is far less impressive than that done at the government and plant research laboratories. In contrast to the other Communist countries, extensive metallurgical research is done in plant research laboratories, such as those connected with the Lenin (Skoda) Steel Works in Plzen, the Klement Gottwald Steel Works in Ostrava, and the Vitkovice Steel Works. Such work at the plant facilities has been applied and directed chiefly toward the improvement in processes and in product quality, although a significant amount of basic metallurgical research has also been undertaken in such facilities. Research at the CSAV facilities has been basic in nature while that at the Ministry of Metallurgy and Engineering's Research Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy in Prague has been more of the applied type. Research at universities has been fundamental in nature.
All areas of metallurgical technology important to the Czechoslovak economy are covered fully while those not important to the economy are not researched to any significant degree. Recent research on steel production has included ore benefaction, briquetting and sintering, blast furnace reactions, the physical
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200110012-0
