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The International Rubber Science Hall of Fame recognizes the careers of notable professionals in rubber technology. [1] It is jointly sponsored by the Maurice Morton Institute of Polymer Science at The University of Akron and the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society.
The Goodyear Polymer Center at the University of Akron houses the Hall of Fame's portrait gallery. [2]
The following are members of the International Rubber Hall of Fame:
Melvin Mooney (1893–1968) was an American physicist and rheologist.
William Joseph Sparks was a chemist at Exxon. As an inventor, his most important contribution was the development of butyl rubber.
The Charles Goodyear Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society, Rubber Division. Established in 1941, the award is named after Charles Goodyear, the discoverer of vulcanization, and consists of a gold medal, a framed certificate and prize money. The medal honors individuals for "outstanding invention, innovation, or development which has resulted in a significant change or contribution to the nature of the rubber industry". Awardees give a lecture at an ACS Rubber Division meeting, and publish a review of their work in the society's scientific journal Rubber Chemistry and Technology.
The Melvin Mooney Distinguished Technology Award is a professional award conferred by the ACS Rubber Division. Established in 1983, the award is named after Melvin Mooney, developer of the Mooney viscometer and of the Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic law. The award consists of an engraved plaque and prize money. The medal honors individuals "who have exhibited exceptional technical competency by making significant and repeated contributions to rubber science and technology".
George Stafford Whitby (1887–1972) was the head of the University of Akron rubber laboratory and for many years was the only person in the United States who taught rubber chemistry. Whitby received the Charles Goodyear Medal in 1954 and in 1972, he was inducted into the International Rubber Science Hall of Fame. In 1986 the Rubber Division established the George Stafford Whitby Award in his honor.
Robert McKee Thomas was a co-inventor of butyl rubber, along with William J. Sparks. Thomas held 75 patents, and directed the work of several notable polymer scientists including Francis P. Baldwin. He worked at the Standard Oil Company, in New Jersey, starting work in 1929 after obtaining a bachelor's degree in chemistry. He retired in 1965.
Rubber Chemistry and Technology is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering fundamental research and technical developments relating to chemistry, materials science, and engineering of rubber, elastomers, and related materials. It was established in 1928, with Carroll C. Davis as its first editor-in-chief. The current editor-in-chief is Christopher G. Robertson. The journal is published by the ACS Rubber Division. The journal currently publishes four issues per year containing original research contributions and review articles.
Maurice Morton was a polymer author, educator, and researcher. He was the first director of the University of Akron's Institute of Rubber Research, which in 1993 was renamed the Maurice Morton Institute of Polymer Science.
Russell A. Livigni is a rubber industry scientist and executive noted for his discovery and development of high trans styrene-butadiene rubber, a crystallizing rubber that provides superior oxidation resistance relative to natural rubber.
Charles Michael Roland was Head of the Polymer Physics Section at the Naval Research Lab in Washington DC from 1989 to 2015. His research was concerned primarily with the dynamics of condensed matter, including polymers and liquid crystals, with applications to military armor and infrastructure protection. He is noted for his development of elastomeric coatings for blast protection, and for diverse accomplishments in the field of elastomer science. From 1991-1999, he served as the 8th editor of the scientific journal Rubber Chemistry and Technology, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (UK).
Edward N. Kresge is a retired Exxon scientist, noted for his development of ethylene-propylene viscosity index modifiers, polyolefin thermoplastic elastomers, and tailored molecular weight density EPDM elastomers.
Aubert Y. Coran (1932-2020) was an American scientist noted for his contributions to thermoplastic elastomers and vulcanization chemistry of rubber. In 1983, he won the Melvin Mooney Distinguished Technology Award, bestowed by the American Chemical Society to individuals "who have exhibited exceptional technical competency by making significant and repeated contributions to rubber science and technology". In 1995, the rubber division of the American Chemical Society bestowed on Coran the Charles Goodyear Medal in honor of his international contributions to polymer science and development.
The purpose of the Sparks–Thomas Award, given by the ACS Rubber Division, is to recognize and encourage outstanding contributions and innovations in the field of elastomers by younger scientists, technologists, and engineers. The award is named for Exxon scientists William J. Sparks and Robert M. Thomas, co-inventors of Butyl rubber.
Walter H. Waddell is a retired ExxonMobil Chemical senior research associate and consultant to the tire and rubber industry with expertise in silica technology, rubber compounding, butyl polymer applications and tire aging. Since 2015 he has served on the technical committee of the International Tire Exhibition & Conference (ITEC) for Tire Manufacturing.
Shingo Futamura is a rubber industry materials scientist noted for his concept of the deformation index.
Avraam I. Isayev University of Akron Distinguished Professor of Polymer Engineering known for widely used texts on rheology and polymer molding technology, as well as for development of technology for ultrasonic devulcanization of tire rubber.
Joginder Lal was a Goodyear Polymer Research Manager and expert in the synthesis and mechanism of the formation of high polymers.
Noboru Tokita was a Uniroyal and later Cabot scientist known for his work on the processing of elastomers.
Henry L. Hsieh was a Phillips Petroleum scientist known for contributions to polymerization chemistry, specifically anionic polymerization
Maria D. Ellul is a retired ExxonMobil materials scientist known for her contributions to and development of commercial polyolefin and polyamide specialty thermoplastic elastomers, and recognized as one of the first prominent women scientists in the rubber industry.