Michael A. Fath

Retired Michael A. Fath Elastomer Technology, Inc.-Retired 16113 Rapids Rd Burton, OH USA 44021 Email: Fathm@nacs.net Biographical Sketch: Mike is currently retired after a 45 year career in the rubber industry. Most recently, he was founder and president of Elastomer Technology, Inc. (ETI), a consulting company specializing in rubber compound development and thermoplastic elastomer technology as well as in commercial development and marketing of new polymers and chemicals. He began his career as an electron microscopist at BFGoodrich Research Center in Brecksville, Ohio, but soon became involved with materials development at Goodrich tire and aerospace divisions. From there he moved to Goodyear Research where he was responsible for compound development assistance to many of Goodyear’s domestic and Canadian non-tire industri8al products plants. In this role, he formulated rubber compounds for a variety of end use applications using most of the commercial elastomers available at that time. After a brief stint with Burton Rubber Company, he joined Monsanto Company where he was responsible for (1) research and commercial development of new rubber chemicals and (2) technical service support for Monsanto’s U.S. and Asian customers. It was during this time that Monsanto began the initial research to develop a new class of thermoplastic elastomers and the invention of the complete dynamic vulcanization process was made. The first TPV products were intriguing, but they were not commercially satisfactory. Mike proposed a uni8que cure system which provided a complete and stable dynamic vulcanization of the rubber phase of the TPV which would overcome the shortcomings of the initial products, and the family of Santoprene Thermoplastic Vulcanizates was born. He is a long time member of the ACS Rubber Division, currently emeritus status, where he was the chairperson for several committees. He was a member, at one time or another, of six area Rubber Groups, Society of Plastics Engineers and Society of Automotive Engineers. He is the author or co-author of 19 technical papers and book chapters and three U.S. and several foreign patents. He co-developed technical courses on both Rubber Compounding and Thermoplastic Elastomers and taught these courses at many Rubber Division national meetings and symposia, and at the University of Wisconsin, Center of Engineering Education. He earned a BS and MS in Chemistry from Kent State University and currently lives with his wife, Joan, in a 155 year old farm house “out in the sticks” in rural Burton, Ohio.