Waldo Semon
Waldo Semon took a detour in his assigned laboratory research one day and ended up inventing the world’s second-best-selling plastic: polyvinyl chloride, a.k.a. PVC, a.k.a. vinyl.
Semon was born on September 10, in Demopolis, Alabama, but moved with his family when he was seven to Washington State. In , he entered one of the two institutions where he would spend most of his career: the University of Washington, in Seattle. Semon planned to become a chemist and did. In , he graduated cum laude with a BS in Chemistry. Just three years later, he earned his PhD (). He taught as an Instructor for a few more years, until he was lured away by the company that became his second professional home, BFGoodrich ().
Semon’s recruiter was a former mentor at UW, Harry Trumbull. Trumbull had become BFG’s Head of Chemical Research since , and in the mids was working on a process to coat metal with rubber. Trumbull believed this could best be accomplished with a synthetic, rather than natural, rubber, and he hired Semon to solve the problem.
Semon arrived in Akron, Ohio, in the summer of His fir
Waldo Semon
| American chemist, inventor Date of Birth: Country: USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Development of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Synthetic Rubber and Koroseal
- Recognition and Awards
- Later Life and Legacy
Early Life and Education
Waldo Semon was born in Demopolis, Alabama, on September 10, He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a doctorate in chemical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.
Development of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Semon's most significant contribution was his development of a method to enhance the properties of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in By blending various synthetic polymers, he created a material that was flexible yet non-tacky. PVC's physiological harmlessness, moisture resistance, and durability made it widely applicable, becoming the second most popular plastic globally.
Synthetic Rubber and Koroseal
Semon also worked on improving rubber formulations and eventually developed a synthetic substitute. On December 11, , he created Koroseal, a polymer that could be manufactured with varying densities. He also developed over 5, other synthetic rubber mixtures, culminating in the successful Ameripol
Waldo Semon
waldo Semon (born Sept. 10, , Demopolis, Ala., U.S.—died May 26, , Hudson, Ohio), American chemist known principally for his discovery of plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
He obtained a doctorate from the University of Washington and subsequently worked for the B.F. Goodrich Company in Akron, Ohio. PVC had been prepared as early as , but commercial application of the polymer was limited by its extreme rigidity. Then in Semon, while trying to dehydrohalogenate PVC in a high-boiling solvent in order to obtain a rubbery polymer that might bond to metal, produced what is now called plasticized PVC. The discovery of this flexible inert product was responsible for the commercial success of PVC. Under the trademark Koroseal, Goodrich made the plastic into shock-absorber seals, electric-wire insulation, and coated-cloth products.
Semon made other pioneering contributions to polymer science, and during World War II his technical leadership resulted in the development of styrene-butadiene rubber, a synthetic substitute for natural rubber that is still widely used in automobile tires.
Who was Waldo Semon?
Waldo Lonsbury Semon was a renowned American inventor born in Demopolis, Alabama. He is credited with inventing methods for making polyvinyl chloride useful.
Semon put his name into the history books for inventing vinyl, the world's second most used plastic. He found the formula for vinyl by mixing a few synthetic polymers, and the result was a substance that was elastic, but wasn't adhesive. Semon worked on methods of improving rubber, and eventually developed a synthetic substitute. On December 11, , he created Koreosol from salt, coke and limestone, a polymer that could be made in any consistency. Semon made more than 5, other synthetic rubber compounds, achieving success with Ameripol in for the B.F. Goodrich company. In all, Semon held patents, and was inducted into the Invention Hall of Fame in at age
While at B.F. Goodrich, Semon supervised another notable chemist: Benjamin S. Garvey, who also later received the Charles Goodyear Medal.
Semon is sometimes credited with inventing bubble gum, but this is inaccurate. He did invent an indigestible synthetic rubber substance that could be used as a bubble gum, but the product remained a curiosity and w
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