Hungary

Welcome to our faithful Readers in the second half of 2004!

Despite life being quieter in the summer (unfortunately not here however), the time flies faster. Looking back on what has happened so far in 2004, we can feel satisfied (officially).

In the spring, the Thermoanalytical Working Group of Hungarian Academy of Sciences organized an extended meeting on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the development of 'Derivative Thermogravimetry'. This technique made the interpretation of TG curves easier. In the years that followed, the combination of the TG (DTG) technique with DTA by the Paulik Brothers and Prof. L. Erdey, created the 'Derivatograph' the first simultaneously operating equipment in thermal analysis. Between 1958 and 1992 more than 4000 apparatuses were created in Hungary.

The Analytical Division of the Hungarian Chemical Society holds its domestic conference in every four years. The conference venue this year was Balatonföldvár, in the Southern Cost of the Lake Balaton. The Thermoanalytical Branch of the Hungarian Chemical Society represented itself with an independent session, where mainly young researchers and PhD students delivered some excellent lectures.

The last issue of ICTAC News included an introduction to the 'Who is Who in the Thermal Analysis' publication. We are now glad to share the good news with the readers that this book will be published and available soon. (Congratulations to the Editors.)

Finally, with regard to the time of publication, what can I say to all readers in mid-Summer? Nothing ... except Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and a Prosperous 2005 to everybody.