▁of ▁Cape ▁Town ▁( 1 9 3 5 – 4 1 ). ▁ ▁Research ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁he ▁became ▁Professor ▁design ate ▁of ▁Chem istry ▁after ▁having ▁been ▁a ▁Senior ▁L ect urer . ▁He ▁did ▁pione ering ▁work ▁on ▁fruit ▁and ▁fish ▁resource ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Cape ▁region ▁which ▁became ▁the ▁foundation ▁for ▁South ▁Africa ' s ▁fish ▁oil ▁industry . ▁He ▁also ▁research ed ▁coal ▁li que f action ▁and ▁collabor ated ▁with ▁phys ic ists ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Cape ▁Town ▁on ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁X - ray ▁diff raction . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Chem ical ▁Research ▁Labor atory ▁of ▁the ▁Council ▁for ▁Scient ific ▁and ▁Indust rial ▁Research ▁( C SI R ) ▁in ▁P ret oria . ▁His ▁research ▁areas ▁included ▁South ▁African ▁water ▁and ▁min eral ▁resources . ▁In ▁particular , ▁de ac id ification ▁and ▁des al ination ▁methods ▁for ▁waste ▁d umps ▁and ▁rivers . ▁He ▁identified ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁grass ▁that ▁would ▁grow ▁in ▁the ▁acid ic ▁sand ▁of ▁gold ▁mine ▁tail ings ▁d umps ▁around ▁Johannes burg ▁to ▁assist ▁with ▁prevent ing ▁the ▁sand ▁from ▁poll uting ▁the ▁nearby ▁rivers . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁Vice - Pres ident ▁of ▁C SI R . ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁appointed ▁Research ▁Ad visor ▁to ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁and ▁Orange ▁Free ▁State ▁Chamber ▁of ▁M ines , ▁with ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁impro ving ▁production ▁and ▁reducing ▁waste .