From Rubber Science to Fuel Cell Membranes: A Forty-Nine Year Odyssey

My career began in 1959 when I joined the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company basic research program on synthetic rubber.  I was fortunate to work with excellent colleagues and mentors, e.g., Dr. Ken Scott and Dr. Joginder Lal.  During this time, I learned the basic issues of synthetic rubber design, synthesis, characterization and testing.  I began to work part-time on my MS with a superb advisor, Prof. Alan Gent. We studied ozone cracking of synthetic rubbers and were able to relate the fundamental behavior to viscoelastic parameters as well as the well-established unsaturated reaction process.  I then began my PhD studies with Prof. Maurice Morton in organolithium polymerizations, with a particular emphasis on the synthesis of triblocks styrene isoprene block copolymers.  I then joined Union Carbide in polyolefins and engineering thermoplastics, polyurethanes, siloxanes and other areas.  I entered the ranks of academia at Virginia Tech in 1975, and since that time we have worked on a variety of fundamental issues in polymerization and more recently in functional polymers—particularly membranes for fuel cells, reverse osmosis water purification, and gas separations.  This lecture will provide an overview of my work, with a focus on the latter efforts of my career.