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Peter Salt 1935 - 1996Peter Salt died on 7 October 1996 following a short illness. He was 61. Peter's scientific career began at the Rothampstead Experimental Station where he was occupied with a soil survey of England and Wales and worked with George Brown of clay minerals fame. Later, Peter moved to ICI where he m et Sylvia, his future wife. In 1968 he joined the R& D department of English China Clays (then known as ECLP) where initially he worked on the development of their new XRF facilities. Peter soon became involved in XRD as well, and eventually took responsibility for the whole analytical section.Peter's early work at ECC included the automation of XRD analyses and the development of methods for the quantitative analysis of clays and accessory minerals. His role as laboratory Health and Saf ety Officer led to a broader interest in matters of Occupational Health concern and specifically the use of analytical methods for the accurate determination of controlled substances. The issues and legislation surrounding crystalline silica are of real importance to many extractive industries, and the determination of crystalline silica became a particular expertise. Peter developed XRD methods of on- filter dust analysis at ECC and when the HSE began formulating their Methods for the Determination of Hazardous Substances for quartz and cristobalite in airborne dusts, Peter was consulted and made significant contributions to the development of the approved methods. An announcement in 1987 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that crystalline silica was a probable human carcinogen caused near panic in many US chemical /mineral producers, who were concerned about the possible effect on business. Reviews commissioned by the Chemical Manufacturers Association sugges ted that accurate measurement at the 0.1 wt.% level would be exceedingly difficult. Peter showed that by careful experimentation accurate quantitation of quartz in clays and other industrial minerals at the 0.1 wt.% level was certainly possible by XRD. Latterly, Peter became concerned with errors in quantitative XRD, and particularly the role of particle statistics in the determination of low levels of analyte. The results of this, and other work was presented widely at conferences both in the UK an d abroad, and in journal publications. His final work on particle statistics was published in Pow. Diffr. just a few weeks before he died. Peter was well known and highly regarded in the industrial powder diffraction community. His manner was quiet and unassuming, he gave his time freely, and was always ready to offer help and advice. It was a pleasure and privilege to work with him. Peter took early retirement in 1994 and was honoured and proud to receive the BCA-IG award in 1995. The awar d came as a complete surprise, and the presentation at the IG autumn meeting was Peter's last `public engagement'. Peter was admitted to hospital at the beginning of October following two mild heart attacks, but went on to develop a lung infection from which he never recovered. We extend our condolences to Sylvia, and to their daughter, Margaret and son, Jonathan. He will be greatly missed. Nick Elton |
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