Hydrocarbon Processing - March 2022 - 62

100th Anniversary
Industry Pioneers
SUMEDHA SHARMA, Technical Editor
Polymer science, catalytic cracking,
petrochemicals and EPC
WALDO SEMON
Waldo Semon was an American chemist
whose detour with assigned laboratory research
at B. F. Goodrich led to the development
of vinyl-the second best-selling
plastic in the world. Dr. Semon's original
research project was to coat metal with
synthetic rubber. However, having exhausted
his possibilities with rubber, he
began experimenting with synthetic polymers,
including polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Dr. Semon heated
the stiff polymer in a high boiling solvent, obtaining a jelly-like
substance that was elastic but not adhesive. PVC was more durable
than crude rubber and Semon continued experimenting
with it until he finally succeeded, in his first breakthrough, in
plasticizing the substance and making it highly resilient. In his
second breakthrough, he succeeded in making the material
moldable into different shapes, giving the world its secondmost
employed plastic. Goodrich commercialized this product
under the trademark Koroseal,1
making shock-absorber seals,
electric-wire insulation and coated-cloth products.
Semon's success with vinyl did not deter his original research.
By 1934, he had invented over 100 methods of affixing synthetic
rubber to metal. He continued to lead teams of researchers to
invent other families of plastics, which earned him 116 U.S. patents2
and
the Charles Goodyear medal in 1944.3
Throughout
his career, he was known for his devotion and support of science
education in schools.
FREDERIC STANLEY KIPPING
Frederic Stanley Kipping was a
British chemist whose pioneering
work in the chemistry of silicones
formed the basis of 40 yr of
continued research at the interface
of organic and inorganic
chemistry and the commercial
development and application of
silicones. He was the chief demonstrator
in chemistry at the City and Guilds of London Institute
and later became a professor of chemistry at University
College, Nottingham. Kipping's research on optically active
compounds resulted in his interest and study of organic silicon
62 MARCH 2022 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
compounds at Nottingham during the early 1900s. His work
was published in a series of 51 journal papers and formed the
basis for pioneering research that led to the development of synthetic
rubber and silicone-based industries.4
With exceptional
water resistance, high-temperature stability silicones found a
variety of early applications as synthetic rubber, hydrophobic
coatings, greases and lubricants.5
JAMES FRANKLIN HYDE
Dr. James Franklin Hyde, an American
chemist and inventor, is credited
with the commercialization of the silicone
industry. His research combines
organic and inorganic chemistry and
the advantages of plastics and glass to
create silicones, as an advanced commercial
product.
Glass is siliconbased,
temperature and moisture-resistant,
chemically inert and dielectric, while plastics are
carbon-based, strong, durable and moldable. Dr. Hyde's silicone
resins exhibit a combination of resistance to water, ultraviolet
light, microbial growth and thermal conductivity, while being
strong and stable. The substance instantly became applicable in
a variety of applications like greases, lubricants, insulators, sealants,
waxes and rubbers, among others.
Dr. Hyde's research built upon Dr. Eugene Sullivan's radical
idea of producing a hybrid material by combining the advantages
of glass with those of organic plastics to create an array of
organosilicon compounds. Dr. Hyde recognized the commercial
importance of some of Kipping's observations and applied
them to forge his hybrid technology. His work led to the formation
of Dow Corning, an alliance between the Dow Chemical
Co. and Corning Glass Works that was specifically created to
produce silicone products in 1943.6
At Dow Corning, Dr. Hyde
led numerous innovations throughout the mid-20th century,
with applications in industries such as automobiles, construction,
aerospace, cookware and pharmaceuticals.
Besides silicone compounds, his other notable contributions
include a flame hydrolysis method of making fused silica, a
high-quality glass employed initially in telescopes and later used
in aeronautics, advanced telecommunications, and computer
chips. Dr. Hyde was honored with the Perkin Medal, finished
his career credited with around 120 patents and was inducted
into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.7
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