Howard Colvin (chemist)

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Howard A. Colvin is an organic chemist and consultant to the tire and rubber industries noted for developments in rubber chemicals and polymers, and for his DOE-funded work on using guayule rubber in tires. [1] [2]

Contents

Education

Colvin earned his BS in chemistry from the University of Houston in 1975. He completed a doctorate in chemistry at Georgia Institute of Technology in 1979. [3]

Career

Colvin began his career at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in 1979 in the Chemical Division. In 2001, he joined Solvay Engineered Polymers, where he worked on thermoplastic polyolefins for automotive applications. [4] In 2005 he joined Cooper Tire and Rubber Company working on tread compounds as an advanced chemist. From 2007 to 2011 he was a professor of chemistry at Florida College. [5] He returned to Cooper in 2011 to lead a successful $6.9 million DOE-funded Biomass R&D Initiative grant to produce and test an all-guayule tire. [6] [7] Following his retirement from Cooper Tire in 2017, he has taken consulting roles with the USTMA, [8] Silpara, [9] Kengos, [10] and Smithers. [11]

Awards

Related Research Articles

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<i>Parthenium argentatum</i> Species of plant in the Asteraceae family native to the southwestern United States and Mexico

Parthenium argentatum, commonly known as the guayule, is a perennial woody shrub in the family Asteraceae that is native to the rangeland area of the Chihuahuan Desert; including the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It was first documented by J.M. Bigelow in 1852 through the Mexican Boundary Survey and was first described by Asa Gray. Natural rubber, ethanol, non-toxic adhesives, and other specialty chemicals can be extracted from guayule. An alternative source of latex that is hypoallergenic, unlike the normal Hevea rubber, can also be extracted. While Castilla elastica was the most widely used rubber source of Mesoamericans in pre-Columbian times, guayule was also used, though less frequently. The name "guayule" derives from the Nahuatl word ulli/olli, "rubber".

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References

  1. "Rubber Division to honor 6 with Science & Technology Awards". Rubber and Plastics News. Crain. 20 Oct 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  2. "SECURING THE FUTURE OF NATURAL RUBBER - AN AMERICAN TIRE AND BIOENERGY PLATFORM FROM GUAYULE". usda.gov. USDA. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  3. "Howard Colvin, PhD". rubber.confex.com. ACS Rubber Division. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  4. Cai, Kevin; Colvin, Howard; Reid, Charles G.; Tran, Hoan. "US6890990 Co-agents for the preparation of thermoplastic elastomeric blends of rubber and polyolefins". patents.justia.com. US Patent Office. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  5. "Florida College Catalogue - Faculty 2008-2009" (PDF). floridacollege.edu. Florida College. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  6. "Cooper's Guayule Tire Could Soon Be Reality". AMN - aftermarketnews. Babcox. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  7. "Cooper scientist will talk about guayule". Modern Tire Dealer. Endeavor Business Media LLC. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  8. "Antioxidants and Antiozonants role in manufacturing safe tires" (PDF). ustires.org. US Tire Manufacturers Association. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  9. "ADVISORS". silparatech.com. Silpara. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  10. "About Us". Kengos.com. Kengos. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  11. "Q&A with tires expert Howard Colvin". smithers.com. Smithers Scientific. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  12. "Rubber Division honours leading materials science & technology experts". European Rubber Journal. ERJ. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2023.