Polymer Science Overview - ACS Publications - American Chemical

11 Polymer Education and the Mark Connection CHARLES E. CARRAHER, JR.

Downloaded by CORNELL UNIV on July 20, 2016 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: December 10, 1981 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1981-0175.ch011

Wright State University, Department of Chemistry, Dayton, OH 45435

Educators traditionally are expected to contribute to the areas of teaching, service and research - the academic trinity. Those kinder administrative souls have noted that contributions in two of these areas are acceptable. Even so, few make significant contributions to even one of these areas and only a small handful make significant contributions to a l l three areas. Professor Doctor Herman Francis Mark is one of these exceptional educators who has and continues to contribute significantly to a l l three areas. He continues to actively review research areas and to consult (research), to speak to learned and popular audiences (teaching) and to edit the Journal of Polymer Science and associated journals (service). The development of polymer education in the USA will be traced using specific examples to illustrate general trends, developing briefly Professor Mark's many contributions to the growth of polymer education. Many others have made significant contributions to polymer education, but in this brief paper only a few of these individuals or centers of learning can be noted. Polymers are i n t e g r a l p a r t s o f mankind as b u i l d i n g blocks o f himself ( p r o t e i n , n u c l e i c a c i d s ) , h i s c l o t h i n g (wool, cotton, p o l y e s t e r ) , b u i l d i n g m a t e r i a l s (wood, p o l y s t y r e n e ) , i n the accumul a t i o n o f knowledge (paper, i n k ) , e t c . The polymer i n d u s t r y today i s a t p a r i t y with the t o t a l metal-based i n d u s t r y and employs more chemists than a l l the other areas of chemistry combined.

0097-6156/81/0175-0123$5.00/0 © 1981 American Chemical Society

Stahl; Polymer Science Overview ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1981.


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POLYMER SCIENCE

OVERVIEW

Tomorrow o f f e r s new f r o n t i e r s i n a l l major areas of macromolecular science with new b u i l d i n g m a t e r i a l s , automobiles and other v e h i c l e s c o n s i s t i n g mostly of polymeric m a t e r i a l s , polymeric space ship wrappings, new s y n t h e t i c organs, f u r t h e r u n r a v e l i n g of biomacromolecules, e t c . A g r e a t e r focus w i l l be placed on the use of n a t u r a l , regenerable polymers as s t o c k p i l e s of nonregenerable feedstocks d i m i n i s h . Polymer chemistry i s a l s o important because (a) i t serves as a b a s i s of many r e l a t e d i n d u s t r i e s such as ceramics, t e x t i l e s and leather, (b) i t s p r i n c i p l e s are a p p l i c a b l e to m a t e r i a l s i n general, and (c) i t s p r i n c i p l e s are v i t a l to biochemistry and medicine. Polymers are l a r g e molecules, o f t e n c a l l e d macromolecules, bound by covalent bonds. The t r a n s m i t t a l of both the general and s p e c i f i c p r o p e r t i e s that c o n t r i b u t e e s p e c i a l l y to the understandi n g of l a r g e molecules and t h e i r s y n t h e s i s i s polymer education. I n f o r m a l l y , education occurs mainly through the w r i t t e n word-journ a l s , books; v i s u a l l y - l a b o r a t o r y demonstrations, movies, s l i d e p r e s e n t a t i o n s ; and the spoken work-classroom p r e s e n t a t i o n s , short courses, seminars, l e c t u r e s e r i e s , d i s c u s s i o n groups. Education occurs both i n f o r m a l l y by d i s c u s s i o n of research problems or s o l u t i o n s with f e l l o w workers, reading the l a t e s t monograph and forma l l y by a t t e n d i n g c l a s s e s , l e c t u r e s e r i e s , e t c . While elements of a l l of the above w i l l be considered, emphasis w i l l be placed on the academic aspects of polymer education. F i n a l l y , the importance of polymer education cannot be separated from i t s importance i n i n d u s t r y and the " r e a l world" - yet u n f o r t u n a t e l y t h i s i s what has and o f t e n continues to be done. P r i o r to 1940 there was l i t t l e or no education d i r e c t e d t o ward polymer chemistry. With the c o n t r i b u t i o n s of Carothers and others that transformed the p r a c t i c e of polymers i n t o a s c i e n c e , and with the l e a d e r s h i p of Herman Mark and others ( i n f o r m a l graduate and postgraduate), polymer education took root but r a p i d expansion and general acceptance by more t r a d i t i o n a l l y o r i e n t e d academic i n s t i t u t i o n s was slowed by many b a r r i e r s . Only s i n c e 197 * has there been a concerted e f f o r t to i n c l u d e education i n the b a s i c concepts of polymer chemistry i n t o the undergraduate c u r r i c u l u m . The development of polymer education w i l l be d i v i d e d i n t o three time frames. F i r s t , Age of Empiricism - to 1938» where the key word might be a r t . Second, The Mark Connection - 19^0 to 197 *, where the key word i s s c i e n c e . T h i r d , Recognition - 197 * to present. 2

1

1

The Age

of Empiricism - to

1938

The key word i n the e a r l y years of polymer science i s e m p i r i cism. Thus, Simon i n 1839 made polystyrene but i t was not u n t i l about 1937 with the r e c o g n i t i o n that high p u r i t y monomers were necessary to achieve d e s i r e d polymer s t r e n g t h that the s y n t h e s i s of i n d u s t r i a l l y " s a t i s f a c t o r y " polystyrene was achieved.


11.

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Polymer

125

Education

Much of the e a r l y development of s c i e n c e , i n c l u d i n g polymer chemistry i n the USA, focused on " a p p l i c a t i o n " of n a t u r a l materia l s to our needs - c o t t o n , wood, f l a x , rubber, cottonseed o i l , l i n s e e d o i l , and wool. Devoe and Raynolds (now a d i v i s i o n of the Celanese Corporat i o n ) has been making p a i n t i n New York s i n c e about 1754, the decades p r i o r to our independence. I t may have been the o l d e s t c o r p o r a t i o n i n the USA. The f i r s t s u c c e s s f u l f a c t o r y was a cotton m i l l , under Samuel S l a t e r , which began to produce on December 21, 1790. In 1814 the w o r l d s f i r s t f a c t o r y to convert raw cotton i n t o c l o t h by power machinery w i t h i n the w a l l s of one b u i l d i n g was erected i n Waltham, Massachusetts by the Boston Manufacturing Company. Lowell, Massachusetts, now the home of Lowell U n i v e r s i t y which i s a center o f polymer education, was the f i r s t American m i l l c i t y employing the Pawtucket F a l l s of the Merrimack R i v e r f o r power. Charles Goodyear's d i s c o v e r y of the v u l c a n i z a t i o n of rubber i n 1839 was one of the most p e r p l e x i n g and exasperating, yet important, t a l e s i n U.S. history. The f i r s t s y n t h e t i c polymer u t i l i z e d on a l a r g e commercial s c a l e was Bakélite produced by Leo Baekeland, one of many f o r e i g n born s c i e n t i s t s who helped c r e a t e American technology. By 1909 he had demonstrated a number of Bakélite a r t i c l e s to members of the r e c e n t l y formed Chemists Club of New York. The e a r l i e s t courses which considered polymeric m a t e r i a l s d e a l t with them on an e m p i r i c a l b a s i s , with r e c i p e s d i r e c t i n g a d d i t i o n s of s p e c i f i e d amounts or treatments of m a t e r i a l s being t y p i c a l r a t h e r than the exception. These e a r l y courses concent r a t e d on adhesives, o i l s and c o a t i n g s , r e s i n s , t e x t i l e s , paper and pulp and n a t u r a l rubber. S p e c i f i c examples are given i n the following sections.


1

The Mark Connection - 1930's to

1974

The vast m a j o r i t y of polymer education focused on graduate and postgraduate education from the l a t e 1930's to 1974. Early progress was delayed because of World War I I . For many chemists experimenting i n such d i v e r s e areas as perfumes, n a t u r a l products, drugs, s t e r o i d s , d y e s t u f f s , the end product i n c l u d e d some waxy, gooey "glop". Without r e c o g n i z i n g the p o t e n t i a l of t h i s " f i n d " , such s c i e n t i s t s o f t e n mumbled v i g o r o u s l y f o u r - l e t t e r e d words which d i d not i n c l u d e " l i k e " or " l o v e " . Even today t h i s "passion p l a y " i s reenacted i n l a b o r a t o r i e s throughout the " l e a r n e d " c o u n t r i e s . Yet t h i s "glop" and "gunk" has o f t e n been transformed i n t o today's p l a s t i c s , elastomers and f i b e r s - the b a s i s f o r the l a r g e s t , both money- and manpower-wise, s u b d i s c i p l i n e of science, t y p i c a l l y with a l a d l e turned by the Der Geheimrat, P r o f e s s o r Doctor Herman Mark, stuck w i t h i n the "brimming soup of d i s c o v e r y and a p p l i c a t i o n " .



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Many of us date P r o f e s s o r Mark's c o n t r i b u t i o n s to polymer education and s c i e n c e as beginning i n 1940 with h i s a r r i v a l a t Brooklyn P o l y t e c h n i c . T h i s i s only because we have not recognized the pages of s c i e n t i f i c d i s c o v e r y p r i o r to the coming of the Geheimrat to the USA. A f t e r r e a d i n g s e v e r a l accounts of P r o f e s s o r Mark's l i f e I am tempted to t a c k l e a b i o g r a p h i c a l sketch of h i s l i f e along with n e g o t i a t i n g f o r him, with the Geheimrat's permission, of course, a c o n t r a c t to have i t made i n t o a motion p i c t u r e . (I h i g h l y recommend t c you the two a r t i c l e s w r i t t e n by Morton M. Hunt f o r the New Yorker i n 1958. These are fast-moving, d e l i g h t f u l and even t r u e . ) Even so, my task permits me to b r i e f l y r e c a l l only glimpses of h i s "candle which continues to burn so b r i g h t l y on the stage of l i f e " . He was born Herman F r a n c i s Mark i n Vienna, A u s t r i a on May 3, 1895, the o l d e s t of three c h i l d r e n . His mother was a Viennese Lutheran and h i s f a t h e r a p h y s i c i a n of the o l d f a m i l y - d o c t o r v a r i e t y . Even as a c h i l d h i s z e a l f o r l i f e and z e s t f o r l i v i n g l i f e to i t s f u l l e s t was evident. He played t e n n i s and soccer as o f t e n and l o n g as h i s playmates could endure and then ran 2 to 3 miles about a c i n d e r t r a c k and then two m i l e s to reach home i n time f o r supper. He became i n f e c t e d with the l o v e of chemistry through a v i s i t to the chemistry l a b o r a t o r i e s at the U n i v e r s i t y of Vienna when he v i s i t e d i t with a c l o s e f r i e n d , Gerhard K i r s c h , whose f a t h e r was a p r o f e s s o r of chemical technology at the U n i v e r s i t y . Gerhard and Herman assembled a f a i r l y r e s p e c t a b l e assembly of glassware, chemi c a l s , Bunsen burners and chemistry books during the next few years. At eighteen, Mark decided to get h i s compulsory m i l i t a r y s e r v i c e term over before a t t e n d i n g c o l l e g e . He j o i n e d the e l i t e A l p i n e i n f a n t r y u n i t , the Kaiserschutzen Regiment and i n 1914 part i c i p a t e d i n the b i t t e r b a t t l e s of Lvov and Przemysl where he became h i g h l y decorated f o r bravery i n c l u d i n g a shrapnel wound i n the ankle which r e q u i r e d two months' t r a c t i o n . He then r e j o i n e d the Kaiserschutzen and served f o r three and a h a l f years on the I t a l i a n f r o n t , r i s i n g through the ranks to l i e u t e n a n t . In 1918 he was captured, l e a d i n g to a " s t r a n g e r - t h a n - f i c t i o n " escape i n 1919, coming home to h i s Vienna to l e a r n that he was the most decorated company-grade o f f i c e r i n the A u s t r i a n Army. I n a l i t t l e l e s s than two years he completed a t y p i c a l l y f o u r year task of a c h i e v i n g h i s doctorate with Wilhelm Schlenk, summa cum laude i n 1921, while simultaneously c o u r t i n g a t a l l , blond young woman named Maria Schramek, who became i n 1922 Mrs. Herman F r a n c i s Mark. He was i n s t r u c t o r at the U n i v e r s i t y of B e r l i n i n 1921 and one year l a t e r j o i n e d the K a i s e r Wilhelm I n s t i t u t f u e r F a s e r s t a f f - c h e m i e i n Berlin-Dahlem. During t h i s time he met and became f r i e n d s with von Laue who had discovered that when a narrow beam of X-rays was passed through a c r y s t a l l i n e m a t e r i a l , geometric p a t t e r n s formed on the X-ray f i l m s . His f i r s t two of w e l l over 600 p u b l i c a t i o n s appeared i n 1922 i n B e r i c h t e der Deutschen Chemischen G e s e l l s c h a f t on "Nature of the Carbon Bond", "Free Pentaphenylethyl" and "Analogs of Pentaphenylethyl", both coauthored with Schlenk.



11.

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Polymer

Education

127

In 1923 one of Mark's s u p e r i o r s handed him a piece of hemp and asked that he study i t s molecular s t r u c t u r e . Hemp was one of the many n a t u r a l m a t e r i a l s we now recognize as macromolecules which to then d e f i e d s t r u c t u r a l a n a l y s i s . A f t e r much thought and work, a l s o i n c l u d i n g X-ray s t u d i e s , he concluded that the hemp f i b e r contained c r y s t a l s . On examination, so a l s o d i d cotton, wood and flax. The acceptance of macromolecules was s t i l l h o t l y debated even though the work of Hermann Staudinger i n the 1910*s and the 1920's showed, a t l e a s t to some, that macromolecules d i d indeed e x i s t . Gradually Mark and h i s colleagues determined that the c e l l u l o s e molecules were, i n f a c t , long chains of thousands of atoms making up hundreds of glucose u n i t s connected to form s i n g l e p o l y meric molecules of c e l l u l o s e . The s i g n i f i c a n c e of t h i s work i s not to be overlooked. T h i s was one of only a few b a s i c cornerstones upon which the g i a n t of polymer science now r e s t s . In January 1927, the Marks were l u r e d by Kurt Meyer, d i r e c t o r of research f o r I . G. Farben, to be both a p r o f e s s o r and head of a l a b o r a t o r y s t a f f e d by 20 s c i e n t i s t s . He became a h i g h l y popular l e c t u r e r throughout Europe. While t h i s p o p u l a r i t y d e l i g h t e d Farben d i r e c t o r s , h i s research e f f o r t s had not f i l l e d the com pany's t i l l s . Within Mark's mind were p i c t u r e s of branched, e l o n gated, "zig-zagged", i n t e r l o c k e d c h a i r s and the p e r s i s t e n t taunt ing regarding p r o p e r t y - s t r u c t u r e r e l a t i o n s h i p s . During t h i s time, p u b l i c a t i o n number 50 came f o r t h , h i s f i r s t book "Die Verwendung der Roentgenstrahlen i n Chemie und Technik" was published. According to Maurice Huggins, "Mark c o n t r i b u t e d importantly to my own education ( i n X-ray science and i n the German language) i n the mid-1920's through t h i s e x c e l l e n t book". Thus, Mark began e a r l y to c o n t r i b u t e w i t h i n a l l three areas of polymer education-teaching, research and s e r v i c e , the l a t t e r i n c l u d i n g p u b l i c a t i o n of s i g n i f i c a n t works. Using i n s i g h t s c o n t r i b u t e d to by Mark, h i s l a b o r a t o r y group was s t e a d i l y concocting new polymers, t u r n i n g them over to the development department. Toward the end of 1929, word was rushed about the p l a n t that one of these showed great promise. This polymer was formed from the common l i q u i d styrene and could be transformed i n t o a c l e a r p l a s t i c from which c i g a r holders, toys, handles, e t c . could be constructed. About a month l a t e r the f i r s t order f o r polystyrene was placed. The c r i s i s was past. During the next f o u r years many a d d i t i o n a l new polymers were synthesized. Most proved of l i t t l e commercial value, but the l i s t i n c l u d e s three of the top-ranked popular p l a s t i c f a m i l i e s - the p o l y v i n y l s used f o r phonograph records and f l o o r t i l e s ; polya c r y l i c s (such as L u c i t e ) used i n p a i n t s , a i r p l a n e windows and buna Ν and buna S, two v e r s i o n s of s y n t h e t i c rubber. Thus few households are not a f f e c t e d by even h i s e a r l y c o n t r i b u t i o n s . In October of 1932 the Mark f a m i l y , which now i n c l u d e d Hans, then three, and Peter, then s i x months o l d , returned to Vienna to



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OVERVIEW

escape the growing Nazi i n f l u e n c e i n Germany. Herman Mark took the post o f d i r e c t o r of the F i r s t Chemical I n s t i t u t e a t the U n i v e r s i t y of Vienna. With the pressures of f i l l i n g the Farben c o f f e r s r e moved, he began to assess the science behind the polymers p r e v i ously synthesized. During t h i s time he a l s o e x h i b i t e d a common Mark t r a i t of j u g g l i n g numbers of d i f f e r e n t t o p i c s and i n t e r e s t s seemingly simultaneously. He c o l l a b o r a t e d with Eugene Guth on a b a s i c study o f the nature o f rubber e l a s t i c i t y , r e s u l t i n g i n a book; made analyses f o r the u n i v e r s i t y ' s medical school of n a t u r a l polymers created by v a r i o u s i n f e c t i o n s ; served as a member o f A u s t r i a ' s Board of Education; and served as a member of the A g r i c u l t u r e M i n i s t r y ' s avalanche-warning commission, a post that permitted him to keep h i s muscles i n top form. He a l s o discovered that the g l a c i e r s contained higher percentages o f D^O than d i d newly-formed i c e . In March 1938 he was a r r e s t e d by the Gestapo and, a f t e r a n i g h t o f q u e s t i o n i n g , f r e e d without h i s passport. A f t e r b r i b i n g a Nazi lawyer to r e t r i e v e h i s passport and having i t i n s c r i b e d with an a u t h o r i z a t i o n f o r him to v i s i t Z u r i c h , he began l i q u i d a t i n g h i s savings by buying, piece-meal, s t r i p s of platinum wire which he bent i n t o coat hangers. S h o r t l y t h e r e a f t e r he, with h i s f a m i l y , escaped c a r r y i n g with them some f a m i l y belongings i n c l u d i n g s e v e r a l dresses n e a t l y hung from hangers. Now i n Z u r i c h , he began c o n t a c t i n g v a r i o u s chemical concerns e v e n t u a l l y a c c e p t i n g a p o s i t i o n with I n d u s t r i a l C e l l u l o s e Research, L t d . , Hawkesbury, Canada (60 miles west of Montreal) as research manager. He continued to p u b l i s h (now numbering over 200) i n c l u d i n g 8 books and 18 patents through 1938. DuPont was instrumental i n b r i n g i n g Mark to the USA by o f f e r i n g him a l i b e r a l c o n s u l t a n t s h i p , promising to get him permanent residence and an adjunct p r o f e s s o r s h i p at Brooklyn P o l y t e c h n i c . In May, 1940 he and h i s f a m i l y s e t t l e d i n t o a roomy apartment i n Brooklyn. I t was from t h i s home base that Herman Mark launched h i s a t t a c k s on b e h a l f of polymer s c i e n c e . As a s i d e note, h i s c o n t r i b u t i o n s to s o c i e t y have been q u i t e broad. During WWII, at the request of the O f f i c e of S c i e n t i f i c Research and Development, he a s s i s t e d the Army i n developing i t s DUKW, a sea-going truck, and Weasel, a snowmobile. He a l s o a s s i s ted i n the development of an unsinkable a i r c r a f t c a r r i e r made o f i c e which could heal torpedo wounds. He has been chairman of the w o o d - u t i l i z a t i o n committee f o r the UN and has been i n v o l v e d with numerous other s o c i a l l y - r e l a t e d programs, always b r i n g i n g along h i s great energies, keen i n t e l l e c t , c r e a t i v i t y and a d m i n i s t r a t i v e ability. S h o r t l y a f t e r h i s a r r i v a l a t Brooklyn P o l y t e c h n i c , he and a p h y s i c i s t on the s t a f f , I s i d o r Frankuchen, q u i e t l y hatched, unbeknownst to the higher echelons, a scheme to b r i n g i n money to the P o l y t e c h n i c to a s s i s t f a c u l t y to t r a v e l , e t c . They prepared an i n v i t a t i o n to many of the chemical i n d u s t r i a l personnel to attend, on the Brooklyn P o l y t e c h n i c campus, an i n t e n s i v e two-week summer



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course on polymer science and X-ray d i f f r a c t i o n a n a l y s i s , unhindered by the usual f o r m a l i t i e s of p r e r e q u i s i t e s and c r e d e n t i a l s . Twenty s c i e n t i s t s e n r o l l e d , l e a v i n g the two entrepreneurs with a p r o f i t which was u t i l i z e d to help other f a c u l t y to t r a v e l to schol a r l y meetings. Each summer the enrollment grew u n t i l , by 1 9 4 5 , t h e i r impromptu school was n e t t i n g s e v e r a l thousands of d o l l a r s . The higher a d m i n i s t r a t i o n was probably aware of the goings-on from the beginning, but by 1 9 4 5 P r e s i d e n t Harry Rogers summoned Mark and Frankuchen i n t o h i s o f f i c e to d i s c u s s t h i s venture. They t a l k e d of the t r a v e l i n g fund o p e r a t i o n and Rogers warmed to the idea. He not only encouraged f u r t h e r development of the operat i o n , but r e l i e v e d them of the r o u t i n e d e t a i l s i n c i d e n t to operat i o n of the summer program, making i t a part of the normal Univers i t y operation. During t h i s time the developing team of polymer s c i e n t i s t s at "Brooklyn Poly" began g i v i n g weekly seminars which a t t r a c t e d i n d u s t r i a l and academic chemists from the surrounding g r e a t e r New York C i t y M e t r o p o l i t a n area. The l e c t u r e s were given by graduate students, f a c u l t y and v i s i t i n g s c i e n t i s t s from many d i f f e r e n t coun t r i e s . The Saturday seminars were a welcome change of pace s i n c e , because of the war e f f o r t , most chemists had to work on Saturdays with the seminars being a recognized l e g i t i m a t e a l t e r n a t i v e by the i n d u s t r i a l s u p e r i o r s . A l s o they were f r e e and " a f t e r speech" interchanges were encouraged. A Thursday n i g h t s e r i e s a l s o emerged. Thus the c r i t i c a l bridge between academics and i n d u s t r y was being b u i l t - a bridge which has continued to grow but which i s c u r r e n t l y i n great need of r e p a i r and e n l a r g i n g to support the needed ongoing r e v i t a l i z a t i o n i n the growth of polymer s c i ence. Mark was a l s o proving to be q u i t e a magnet as an academic research a d v i s e r , adding f i v e p r o f e s s o r s and 6 0 graduate students to the P o l y t e c h f o l d . To Mark, i t became p l a i n that the polymer a c t i v i t y a t Brookl y n Poly needed to be h i g h l i g h t e d to gain the support and r e c o g n i t i o n i t deserved. T h i s time he approached P r e s i d e n t Rogers with his plan. On paper the establishment of an i n s t i t u t e to study polymers would cost about two hundred thousand d o l l a r s annually, but Mark eagerly contended that the s t a f f , equipment, e t c . were already present so the " s t a r t up" c o s t s would be l i m i t e d to orderi n g new l e t t e r h e a d s . Rogers was reported to have muttered f o r s e v e r a l days, a t i n t e r v a l s , "Genius! Sheer genius!" Thus the Polymer Research I n s t i t u t e o f f i c i a l l y came i n t o being with the p r i n t i n g of the l e t t e r h e a d s . Along with the need to "spread the news" of polymer s c i e n c e was the i n c r e a s i n g need to develop an adequate v e h i c l e which would focus on the dissemination of generated experimental r e s u l t s i n polymer chemistry. In 1 9 4 0 Drs. Maurits Dekker and E.S. Proskauer of I n t e r s c i e n c e P u b l i s h e r s consented to begin the p u b l i c a t i o n of a s e r i e s of Monographs on polymer chemistry, "High Polymers", with H. Mark and G.S. Whitby as e d i t o r s . The response was so p o s i t i v e



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that i n 1946 the p u b l i c a t i o n o f the J o u r n a l o f Polymer Science under the e d i t o r s h i p o f H. Mark and P.M. Doty began. The c o n t r i b u t i o n by Herman Mark to polymer education i s c l e a r l y seen i n the growth o f both l i t e r a r y s e r i e s as the backbones o f the c u r r e n t polymer l i t e r a t u r e . The J o u r n a l o f Polymer Science i s the most popular j o u r n a l o f polymer s c i e n c e today. I t has subdivided many times and " f a t h e r e d " such J o u r n a l s as the J o u r n a l of A p p l i e d Polymer Science and Polymer L e t t e r s . (Today there e x i s t two a d d i t i o n a l primary US based polymer j o u r n a l groupings - Macromolecules - ACS and the J o u r n a l o f Macromolecular Science and a s s o c i a t e d j o u r n a l s - M. Dekker and two major ACS d i v i s i o n a l l y sponsored volumes - Polymer P r e p r i n t s and Organic Coatings and P l a s t i c s Chemistry. A d d i t i o n a l l y there are numerous other polymer r e l a t e d j o u r n a l s such as Polymer News, P l a s t i c s Technology, Plastics, P l a s t i c s Industry, T e x t i l e s , Modern Coatings, Polymer Engineering, SPE, P l a s t i c s World, Modern P l a s t i c s , e t c . which a l s o c o n t r i b u t e to a healthy c o n t r i b u t i o n by the USA to the polymer l i t e r a t u r e . ) I t i s of note t h a t the a r r i v a l o f Mark i n t o the Du Pont sphere of i n f l u e n c e c o i n c i d e d with the emergence o f a midwestern bred and t r a i n e d chemist, Wallace H. Carothers, as d i r e c t o r o f Du Pont*s polymer research. The work a s s o c i a t e d with Mark and Carothers s i g n a l e d the break from the e m p i r i c a l p r a c t i c e o f polymer chemist r y and the b i r t h o f the s c i e n c e o f polymers. Carothers d i r e c t e d the research group which on October 27, 1938 p u b l i c l y announced the s y n t h e s i s o f a s y n t h e t i c polymer which, f o r the f i r s t time i n h i s t o r y , had p r o p e r t i e s s u p e r i o r t o n a t u r a l f i b e r s . The polymer was nylon. The science of polymer chemistry was born, an i n f a n t , when most of i t s brother and s i s t e r s c i e n t i f i c d i s c i p l i n e s were a l r e a d y adults. The beginnings o f academic polymer education i n the USA are unclear a t best because, as with most s c i e n c e s , polymer chemistry emerged, grew from a number o f s c i e n c e s - s c i e n c e and a r t a s s o c i a t ed with f a b r i c s and t e x t i l e s (making o f boat s a i l s , sheets, c l o t h ing), c o a t i n g s ( o i l based), adhesives ( r o s i n s , glues) and rubbers. For i n s t a n c e a course i n p a i n t technology was s t a r t e d i n 1906 a t North Dakota S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y . Other courses i n t e x t i l e s , coatings and c e l l u l o s i c m a t e r i a l s were a l s o being taught p r i o r t o 1920. These e a r l y courses were q u i t e a p p l i e d and might be r e f e r r e d to as courses i n technology and not s c i e n c e i f such a d i s t i n c t i o n can i n f a c t be made (technology i s a p p l i e d s c i e n c e ) . Considerable subject matter now termed polymer chemistry was contained i n a course designated as " C o l l o i d Chemistry" a t the U n i v e r s i t y o f Delaware by E.O. Kraemer as e a r l y as 1941. T h i s was followed by the f i r s t courses taught under t i t l e s i n v o l v i n g polymer chemistry taught i n 1944 by G.E. Landt i n the chemical department. John Delmonte taught courses i n p l a s t i c s a t the Armour I n s t i t u t e o f Technology i n 1937-39 and expanded these e f f o r t s to courses i n the P l a s t i c s I n d u s t r i e s T e c h n i c a l I n s t i t u t e (1940-50). Paul 0. Powers taught courses i n p l a s t i c s under the auspices o f Pennsylvania



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S t a t e C o l l e g e of F r a n k l i n and M a r s h a l l C o l l e g e (1939-44) and publ i s h e d the f i r s t book f o r use i n c o l l e g e s ( S y n t h e t i c Resins and Rubbers, John Wiley, 1943). The e a r l y focus of polymer r e l a t e d education was then a l s o largely empirical. The f i r s t formal course i n polymer chemistry which balanced theory with p r a c t i c e was probably one a s s o c i a t e d with Herman Mark given at the P o l y t e c h n i c s h o r t l y a f t e r h i s a r r i val. Ray Seymour o f f e r e d such a course at the U n i v e r s i t y of Chattanooga i n 1945. By the middle 1940's the P o l y t e c h n i c had a t t r a c t e d a number of outstanding "polymer" chemists (Herbert Morawitz, Turner A l f r e y , Paul Doty, Bruno Zimm, Kurt S t e r n , A. McLaren, Fred E i r i c h and Charles Overberger) under the d i r e c t o r s h i p of Herman Mark. A program of graduate study l e a d i n g to a M.S. and Ph.D. degree with a major i n polymer chemistry was developed, undoubtedly the f i r s t such program i n the USA. Course o f f e r i n g s were: I n t r o d u c t i o n o f Polymer Chemistry (Mark) Polymerization K i n e t i c s (Alfrey) S o l u t i o n P r o p e r t i e s of High Polymers ( E i r i c h ) Organic Polymer Chemistry (Overberger) and Chemistry of P r o t e i n s (McLaren) Compared to more c l a s s i c a l areas of chemistry there was l i t t l e formal education and academic based research r e l a t e d to p o l y mer chemistry through the l a t e 1950 s although there e x i s t e d a small number of i n d i v i d u a l s and groups who were conducting important p i o n e e r i n g work i n c l u d i n g C a r l Marvel and F.T. Wall at the U n i v e r s i t y of I l l i n o i s , Peter Debye and Paul F l o r y at C o r n e l l , Ray Seymour at the U n i v e r s i t y of Houston and elsewhere, Malcolm Dole at Northwestern University, James Long, Ray Myers and A l Zettlemoyer at Lehigh U n i v e r s i t y , Walter Stockmayer at M.I.T., R. Guoss at Yale U n i v e r s i t y , A.V. Tobolsky i n P r i n c e t o n ; F. d ' A l e l i o and E. Guthin at Notre Dame, Richard S t e i n at the U n i v e r s i t y of Massachusetts, Charles P r i c e , U n i v e r s i t y o f Pennsylvania; John F e r r y , U n i v e r s i t y of Wisconsin; George B u t l e r , U n i v e r s i t y of F l o r i d a ; Leo Mandelkern, F l o r i d a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , e t c . In the mid to l a t e 1940's polymer chemistry was " r a i s e d " to the s t a t u s of o p t i o n a l m a t e r i a l f o r c e r t a i n academic courses i n chemistry. Polymer chemistry was g e n e r a l l y considered to be withi n the realm of organic chemistry and only a few ventured the i n c l u s i o n of polymer t o p i c s i n p h y s i c a l chemistry and fewer s t i l l considered i t beyond these two areas. A few "staunch b e l i e v e r s " d i d g i v e polymer chemistry a r e a l i s t i c p o r t i o n of c l a s s time and these "adventurers" were genera l l y w e l l rewarded with a stream of good, i n t e r e s t e d graduate students. C a r l Marvel r e l a t e s , "At I l l i n o i s I d i d work i n polymer chemistry and I always spent approximately f o u r to s i x weeks on s y n t h e t i c polymer chemistry as p a r t of the second semester of organic chemistry which I taught, and that was s t a r t e d along about 1940..." f


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Industry, seeing a need f o r t r a i n i n g those employed by them i n the a r t and s c i e n c e of polymer chemistry, began to experiment. C e r t a i n groups with common research i n t e r e s t s and needs j o i n e d together to form s o c i e t i e s which i n t u r n o f f e r e d short courses t y p i c a l l y i n areas of very s p e c i a l i z e d a p p l i c a t i o n s . Societies a c t i v e i n these ventures i n c l u d e SPE, PRI, ACS, APS and SPI. Sev e r a l companies such as Hercules, Monsanto, and DuPont sponsored or permitted i n f o r m a l courses i n polymer r e l a t e d t o p i c s to be presented during company time and/or using company f a c i l i t i e s . The "teachers" or d i s c u s s i o n l e a d e r s could be e i t h e r one of the p a r t i c i p a n t s or an i n v i t e d academic or i n d u s t r i a l "expert". These "in-house" courses have i n c r e a s e d i n p o p u l a r i t y and today are p a r t of many companies' schedules of a c t i v i t y . These " s o r t i e s " i n t o polymer chemistry continue today with a g r e a t e r number of academic i n s t i t u t i o n s a c t i n g as n u c l e a t i n g agents around which s e r i e s of short courses on r e l a t e d t o p i c s are offered. While a number of i n t r o d u c t o r y or comprehensive t e x t s d e a l i n g with polymer chemistry were w r i t t e n , the most i n f l u e n t i a l was probably Paul J . F l o r y ' s textbook " P r i n c i p l e s of Polymer Chemist r y " , published i n 1954. No p r i o r knowledge of polymers was assumed with p a r t i c u l a r chapters d i r e c t e d at the beginner. It a l s o contained much i n f o r m a t i o n u s e f u l to the experienced i n v e s t i gator. A wealth of experimental data was i n c l u d e d to i l l u s t r a t e the a p p l i c a b i l i t y of the presented concepts and c o n c l u s i o n s . Admittedly missing are t o p i c s r e l a t e d to the mechanical p r o p e r t i e s of polymers and to the a p p l i c a t i o n of polymers i n i n d u s t r y - i . e . f a b r i c a t i o n , s y n t h e s i s , e t c . Even so F l o r y ' s t e x t i s a landmark book i n s c i e n c e . A dominant textbook of the 1960 s, and one which even today i s p o s s i b l y the most u t i l i z e d i n t r o d u c t o r y polymer chemistry t e x t book, was Fred B i l l m e y e r ' s "Textbook of Polymer Chemistry" (the 1961 and subsequent e d i t i o n s were named "Textbook of Polymer S c i ence"). B i l l m e y e r ' s t e x t contains p o r t i o n s on most aspects of polymer chemistry from s y n t h e s i s , to c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n , to f a b r i c a tion. Other s i g n i f i c a n t t e x t s i n c l u d e " I n t r o d u c t i o n to Polymer Science" by Raymond Seymour, 1971 (McGraw-Hill) which was superseded by "Polymer Chemistry" by Ray Seymour and Charles Carraher, 1980 (Marcel Dekker), "Polymer Chemistry" by Bruno Vollmert, 1973 ( S p r i n g e r - V e r i a g ) ; " I n t r o d u c t i o n to Macromolecules" by Leo Mandelkern, 1972 ( E n g l i s h u n i v e r s i t i e s P r e s s ) ; " I n t r o d u c t i o n to Polymer Chemistry", John S t i l l e , 1962 (John W i l e y ) ; "Organic Polymers" by Turner A l f r e y and Edward Gurnee, 1967 ( P r e n t i c e - H a l l ) ; "Organic Chemistry of S y n t h e t i c High Polymers" by Robert Lenz, 1967 (John W i l e y ) ; "Polymer Chemistry" by Malcolm Stevens, 1975 (AddisonWesley); " P r i n c i p l e s of Polymer Systems", by F. Rodriguez, 1970 (McGraw-Hill); Polymers: "Chemistry and Physics of Modern M a t e r i a l s " , by J.M. Cowle 1974 (In T e x t ) ; and " P r i n c i p l e s of Polymeriz a t i o n " by G. Odian, 1970 (McGraw-Hill). f



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Much i n f o r m a l postgraduate education i n v o l v e d reading books w r i t t e n by those w i t h i n a p a r t i c u l a r research area. Such e a r l y (pre-1953) books i n c l u d e T. A l f r e y , J . Bohrer and H. Mark, "Cop o l y m e r i z a t i o n " , I n t e r s c i e n c e , 1952; C. E l l i s , "The Chemistry of S y n t h e t i c Resins"; T. A l f r e y , "Mechanical Behavior of High P o l y mers", I n t e r s c i e n c e , 1948; R. Boundy and R. Boyer " S t y r e n e - I t s Polymers, Copolymers, and D e r i v a t i v e s " , Reinhold, 1952; H. Mark and H. Tobolsky, " P h y s i c a l Chemistry of High Polymeric Systems", I n t e r s c i e n c e , 1950; C. Bawn, "The Chemistry of High Polymers", I n t e r s c i e n c e , 1948; G. d ' A l e l i o , "Fundamental P r i n c i p l e s of P o l y m e r i z a t i o n " , John Wiley, 1952; R. Houwink (Ed), "Elastomers and Plastomers", E l s e v i e r , 1948; R. Burk and 0. Grummitt (Eds), "High Molecular Weight Organic Compounds", I n t e r s c i e n c e , 1949; and A. Schmidt and C. M a r l i e s , " P r i n c i p l e s of High-Polymer Theory and P r a c t i c e " , McGraw-Hill, 1948. Many of the e d i t o r s and authors of these books and numerous research and review j o u r n a l a r t i c l e s were from i n d u s t r y and r e p r e sent a continued, c r i t i c a l commitment and investment by i n d u s t r y i n postgraduate education. Others are from o u t s i d e the USA emphas i z i n g the necessary c r o s s - f e r t i l i z a t i o n of s c i e n t i s t and s c i e n t i f i c knowledge c r i t i c a l i n the development of a s c i e n c e . The American Chemical S o c i e t y has had a great deal to do with f o s t e r i n g polymer education through s e v e r a l of i t s D i v i s i o n s and the J o u r n a l of Chemical Education. In 1919 the D i v i s i o n of Rubber Chemistry (then c l a s s i f i e d as a S e c t i o n ) was organized as the ACS s n i n t h D i v i s i o n . In the e a r l y 1920's the S c i e n t i f i c S e c t i o n of the Paint Manufacturers of the United S t a t e s and the N a t i o n a l V a r n i s h Manufacturers A s s o c i a t i o n provided the impetus f o r b r i n g ing p a i n t chemists together to d i s c u s s mutual problems and to provide a forum where papers could be presented and d i s c u s s e d . The f i r s t of these meetings occurred i n June 1922 i n Washington, D.C. and was organized by Henry Gardner. A f t e r a second meeting (1923) the subject of a f f i l i a t i o n with the ACS was considered with H.A. Gardner appointed as a committee of one to confer with ACS o f f i c e r s . On October 20, 1923, W.T. Pearce sent to the ACS S e c r e t a r y Parsons a p e t i t i o n with about 100 s i g n a t u r e s . On December 21, 1923 Pearce was n o t i f i e d that he had been appointed s e c r e t a r y and Gardner was chairman of the S e c t i o n , e v e n t u a l l y c a l l e d the Paint and V a r n i s h D i v i s i o n , c u r r e n t l y known as the D i v i s i o n of Organic Coatings and P l a s t i c s Chemistry. Other polymer r e l a t e d D i v i s i o n s formed i n c l u d i n g the D i v i s i o n s of C o l l o i d and Surface Chemistry; B i o l o g i c a l Chemistry; and C e l l u l o s e , Paper and T e x t i l e . 1

The ACS High Polymer Forum, s i m i l a r to today's Macromolecular S e c r e t a r i a t , with the help of C.S. F u l l e r and A.C. Elm, began meeting at the 1946 A t l a n t i c C i t y ACS meeting. Through the e f f o r t s of the Polymer Forum, the D i v i s i o n of P a i n t , V a r n i s h and P l a s t i c s Chemistry and others i n 1948 a group of u n i v e r s i t y and i n d u s t r y chemists p e t i t i o n e d the American Chemical S o c i e t y to e s t a b l i s h a separate d i v i s i o n o f Polymer Chemistry. A f t e r a p r o b a t i o n p e r i o d


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of three years the D i v i s i o n of Polymer Chemistry was formed, which today i s the second l a r g e s t d i v i s i o n i n the ACS. Through 1959 there e x i s t e d only one l a r g e c o n c e n t r a t i o n of polymer chemists i n academia (at the P o l y t e c h n i c I n s t i t u t e o f Brooklyn) with s e v e r a l smaller academic centers f e a t u r i n g concent r a t i o n s i n t e x t i l e s , c e l l u l o s e s and wood, rubber and c o a t i n g s . S e r i e s of short courses, seminars, j o u r n a l s , monograms and t e x t books had been e s t a b l i s h e d and were to grow through the 60 s to the present. The I960 s saw an i n c r e a s e i n the number of f o r m a l l y d e s i g nated polymer or macromolecular i n s t i t u t i o n s . What I b e l i e v e t o be an unhealthy trend of i n c l u d i n g polymer chemists and polymer chemistry i n engineering c o l l e g e s and departments of chemical engineering r a t h e r than i n t e g r a t i n g w i t h i n departments of chemist r y had begun. For example, the comprehensive programs a t CaseWestern Reserve, The U n i v e r s i t y of New York a t B u f f a l o , Washington S t a t e U n i v e r s i y , U n i v e r s i t y of Massachusetts, North C a r o l i n a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y a l l began i n the I960 s and a l l were headquartered w i t h i n engineering c o l l e g e s . The danger i s that i f the academic i n s t i t u t i o n s sense they can hide, segregate or ignore polymer chemistry with s e l e c t e d token i n s t i t u t i o n s , then i t w i l l be f a r more d i f f i c u l t to i n t e g r a t e polymer science i n t o the c u r r i c u l u m o f our academically t r a i n e d chemists - most of whom w i l l e v e n t u a l l y end up i n polymer r e l a t e d research. Some of the o l d e r polymer i n s t i t u t i o n s grew, such as the rubber and polymer based i n s t i t u t e a t the U n i v e r s i t y o f Akron, which was formed i n the 1940 s, and where Maurice Morton took the D i r e c t o r s h i p i n 1954. Others remained e s s e n t i a l l y the same and s t i l l others s l i p p e d . "Brooklyn Poly", the center of academic polymer chemistry i n the USA i n the 1940 s and 1950's remained as such but became l e s s dominant because a number of t h e i r e x c e l l e n t s t a f f l e f t to found other i n s t i t u t e s . For i n s t a n c e , Charles Overberger, who rose to Dean of Science and D i r e c t o r of the Polymer Research I n s t i t u t e , l e f t i n 1967 to take the chairmanship of the Department of Chemistry a t the U n i v e r s i t y of Michigan where he helped found t h e i r macromolecular based i n s t i t u t e . The beginning of the 1970 s saw a c o n t i n u a t i o n of the academic apathy towards formal t r a i n i n g i n polymers which marked the 1950 s and 1960 s. T h i s t o p i c was h o t l y debated by ACS p r e s i d e n t s at ACS meetings ( f o r i n s t a n c e 1-3), w i t h i n workshops ( f o r i n s t a n c e 4) and w i t h i n the inner c i r c l e of the ACS ( f o r instance 5 ) . S t i l l s i g n i f i c a n t steps towards a c t u a l l y a c h i e v i n g advances i n the f o r mal i n c l u s i o n of polymers i n the academic t r a i n i n g of chemists had to wait f o r a beginning u n t i l 1974. In summary, the p e r i o d from the 1940 s through 1973 saw a steady, healthy i n c r e a s e i n postgraduate education spearheaded by academics, i n d u s t r y and government and a slower, steady i n c r e a s e i n the number of schools o f f e r i n g graduate education i n polymer chemistry, but the l a t t e r was c l e a r l y undernourished i n comparison with the r e l a t i v e importance o f polymer chemistry i n i n d u s t r y . By 1


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the 1950 s, polymer chemistry had l a r g e l y made the t r a n s i t i o n from a l a r g e l y e m p i r i c a l l y - b a s e d branch o f endeavor t o a strong, w e l l developed s c i e n t i f i c a l l y - b a s e d major branch o f s c i e n c e .


Recognition - 1974 t o Present While previous ACS p r e s i d e n t s had c a l l e d f o r g r e a t e r emphasis i n the academic t r a i n i n g o f chemists, i t was during W i l l i a m B a i l e y ' s presidency that the c a l l was heeded. S i g n i f i c a n t inner committee assignments were being f i l l e d by those sympathetic with the cause. Further, the Polymer D i v i s i o n ' s Education and P u b l i c R e l a t i o n s Committees were primed f o r a c t i o n . The formulation o f an o v e r a l l plan to achieve the needed g r e a t e r emphasis o f polymer education was begun a t a meeting a t A t l a n t i c C i t y o f the ACS i n 1974 a t the d i r e c t i o n o f E l i Pearce and Joe Salamone who c a l l e d myself and others under the auspices o f the D i v i s i o n o f Polymer Chemistry's Committees on Education and P u b l i c R e l a t i o n s . I t was agreed that not only was graduate education i n polymer chemistry l a c k i n g the emphasis i t deserved and that p r e v i ous attempts aimed a t i n c r e a s i n g the emphasis o f polymers i n graduate education had r e c e i v e d only minimal success, but t h a t there was almost no emphasis on undergraduate education r e l a t e d t o polymer chemistry. Rather than r e p e a t i n g the same programs that had r e c e i v e d minimal success aimed a t graduate education, we were convinced that the s o l u t i o n to the problem o f polymer education throughout the e d u c a t i o n a l l e v e l s would b e t t e r be solved i f we focused our e f f o r t s on undergraduate education which would r e s u l t i n a much e a s i e r upward flow o f i n t e r e s t i n polymer chemistry i f we were s u c c e s s f u l a t the undergraduate l e v e l . F u r t h e r , we r e a l i z e d that we needed a l a r g e - s c a l e , w e l l - o r c h e s t r a t e d approach with the cooperation o f a l l o f the sub-polymer d i s c i p l i n e s and t h e i r many members. That week I contacted Lieng-Huang (Sam) Lee, C l a r a Carver and George Brewer concerning our proposed emphasis. T h e i r support was q u i t e p o s i t i v e asking me to serve as Education L i a i s o n and to compose an Education Committee f o r the D i v i s i o n o f Organic Coatings and P l a s t i c s Chemistry. Of note was (and continues to be) the e f f o r t s o f the J o i n t Education Committees of the D i v i s i o n s o f Polymer Chemistry (chaired by E l i Pearce; p r e s e n t l y c h a i r e d by Guy Donaruma) and Organic Coatings and P l a s t i c s Chemistry ( c h a i r e d by Charles C a r r a h e r ) . Most o f the accomplishments noted f o l l o w i n g c o u l d not have been accomplished without the j o i n t cooperation o f these two committees which acted as one "super" committee. The p e r i o d between the A t l a n t i c C i t y meeting and the P h i l a d e l p h i a meeting was very a c t i v e and d i r e c t i o n s f o r a c h i e v i n g our goal were cemented. The major steps were (a) p r e l i m i n a r y i n v e s t i g a t i o n aimed a t o b t a i n i n g NSF support f o r summer short courses i n polymer chemistry f o r c o l l e g e teachers o f undergraduate g e n e r a l , organic, a n a l y t i c a l and p h y s i c a l chemistry; (b) generation o f a l a b o r a t o r y manual f o r use i n undergraduate courses o f g e n e r a l ,



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organic and p h y s i c a l chemistry - u s i n g polymer e x e r c i s e s to i l l u s t r a t e chemical p r i n c i p l e s u s u a l l y i l l u s t r a t e d u t i l i z i n g nonpolymers, (c) c o n t a c t i n g S t a n l e y K i r s c h n e r and the ACS Committee on Education concerning support f o r the g r e a t e r emphasis of p o l y mer chemistry i n undergraduate curriculum, (d) c o n t a c t i n g Theo Ashford and the Examinations Committee o f f e r i n g the s e r v i c e s o f polymer chemists to serve on examination committees (Les S p e r l i n g has served admirably as our L i a i s o n i n t h i s b e h a l f ) , (e) working with John Howard and the Committee on P r o f e s s i o n a l T r a i n i n g (ACS) to i n c l u d e a course i n i n t r o d u c t o r y polymer chemistry as a recommended advanced course f o r the ACS - Approved Major, and ( f ) worki n g with "popular" chemistry j o u r n a l s toward g r e a t e r i n c l u s i o n o f polymer r e l a t e d t o p i c s . A p r e l i m i n a r y proposal r e l a t e d to the summer short courses was d r a f t e d by E l i Pearce and myself. T h i s was submitted to the NSF Education O f f i c e of Experimental P r o j e c t s and Programs i n November of 1974. Papers were a l s o prepared and presented to members of the ACS Committee on P r o f e s s i o n a l T r a i n i n g and the Committee on Education. During t h i s time, B i l l B a i l e y and others were a c t i v e i n our support. In December 1974, we r e c e i v e d from NSF a request f o r a formal p r o p o s a l . The C o u n c i l Committee on Chemical Education went on r e c o r d a t the P h i l a d e l p h i a meeting f a v o r i n g g r e a t e r emphasis of polymer chemistry i n the undergraduate t r a i n i n g of chemists. Through the e f f o r t s of many, the Committee on P r o f e s s i o n a l T r a i n i n g voted to i n c l u d e a course i n polymer chemistry i n the ACS approved major i n the 1978 p u b l i c a t i o n . T h i s t o p i c w i l l be considered l a t e r i n greater d e t a i l . At the P h i l a d e l p h i a meeting, Ray Seymour and I met with the ACS Examination's Committee. We were asked to generate answers to a number of questions i n p r e p a r a t i o n f o r a d e c i s i o n by them to support or not support an ACS standardized t e s t i n polymer chemistry. To gather i n f o r m a t i o n needed f o r t h i s and other p r o j e c t s , Rudy Deanin surveyed over 110 departments o f f e r i n g courses i n polymer chemistry a s s e s s i n g the p o t e n t i a l need and use of a s t a n dardized t e s t i n polymer chemistry and e v a l u a t i n g t o p i c s which should be i n c l u d e d w i t h i n an i n t r o d u c t o r y polymer course. Shalaby Shalaby and E l i Pearce were asked to e d i t an i s s u e of CHEMISTRY devoted to polymer chemistry. During t h i s time the f i r s t ACS I n t e r a c t i o n S e r i e s - "Polymer Science and Technology - An I n t e r d i s c i p l i n a r y Approach" - under the d i r e c t i o n of E l i Pearce, Shalaby Shalaby and Garth Wilkes was under p r e p a r a t i o n . I met with the ACS Examinations Committee at the Chicago ACS meeting and presented the r e s u l t s of Deanin's survey. I was asked to formulate and c h a i r a t e s t i n g committee f o r the purpose of generating a standardized t e s t . The r e s u l t s of the Deanin-Carraher survey are of i n t e r e s t because they were used to help " d r i v e " the p r o p o r t i o n o f questions w i t h i n given polymer areas. They a l s o show a f a i r l y good com-



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monality of d e s i r e d course content f o r an i n t r o d u c t o r y course i n polymer chemistry, something that was hoped f o r but something that was not known. The Ninth B i e n n i a l Education Conference of the ACS met on October 16-18, 1975 and s t r o n g l y endorsed the need f o r i n c r e a s e d emphasis of polymer education. At the ACS meeting i n New York C i t y , two p r e t e s t s were cons t r u c t e d f o r use. This was done with the considerable help of Charles Gebelein, Les S p e r l i n g and Angelo Volpe u t i l i z i n g Deanin's survey of t o p i c s as a guide. The ACS, through the a c t i v e support of the D i v i s i o n s of Polymer Chemistry and Organic Coatings and P l a s t i c s Chemistry, helped i n the generation of t h i s examination. Over 60 c o n t r i b u t o r s from schools and i n d u s t r y d i r e c t l y helped i n such areas as p r e t e s t i n g and submission o f questions. Thus, the generation of the f i r s t ACS Standardized Examination i n polymer chemistry was accomplished with help from a wide base. The examin a t i o n has s o l d about 2,000 copies during the f i r s t year s i n c e i t s p u b l i c a t i o n i n 1978. Considerable i n t e r e s t has been shown by chemical s o c i e t i e s from other nations i n the examination and the ACS Committee on Examinations i s c u r r e n t l y c o n s i d e r i n g p e r m i t t i n g i t s use outside of the USA. This examination should a s s i s t i n generating a d d i t i o n a l commonality i n i n t r o d u c t o r y courses. Some d i v e r s i t y i s important to r e f l e c t the breadth of polymer science t e x t i l e s , n a t u r a l m a t e r i a l s , rubbers, p l a s t i c s , m a t e r i a l s e n g i neering and processing, e t c . Thus, while there i s an aim towards s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n o f content and t o p i c s , i t i s g e n e r a l l y accepted that the amount of t h i s " s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n " should only be i n the 70? to 80% range. The NSF proposed Short Course i n Polymer Chemistry died a death of o l d age s i n c e by the time i t emerged from CEPACC i n 1977, the climate at NSF had changed so that teacher r e t r a i n i n g programs were no longer i n f a s h i o n even though a strong case was made that t h i s was of such a strong need and of s u f f i c i e n t worth to the USA that an exception should be made. The D i v i s i o n s of Polymer Chemist r y and Organic Coatings and P l a s t i c s Chemistry s t i l l b e l i e v e i n t h i s program and are c u r r e n t l y l o o k i n g towards i n d u s t r y to help finance s e v e r a l mini-short course p r o j e c t s . Two short courses on Polymer C r y s t a l l i n i t y and Rubber E l a s t i c i t y w i l l be o f f e r e d at the New York ACS i n 1981. The short course on Rubber E l a s t i c i t y w i l l be held j u s t p r i o r to a symposium covering the same t o p i c . T h i s i s d i r e c t e d by Frank H a r r i s and i s f r e e . In the f a l l of 1979, the Columbus S e c t i o n of the ACS o f f e r e d a short course s e r i e s , s i m i l a r to that o u t l i n e d i n our proposal, i l l u s t r a t i n g that such programs can be conducted l o c a l l y , using l o c a l " t a l e n t " . Probably the most s i g n i f i c a n t s i n g l e event i n polymer educat i o n occurrred i n 1978. The l a t e s t e d i t i o n of "Undergraduate P r o f e s s i o n a l Education i n Chemistry: C r i t e r i a and E v a l u a t i o n Procedures" by the ACS Committee on P r o f e s s i o n a l T r a i n i n g contains "In view of the current importance of i n o r g a n i c chemistry, b i o chemistry, and polymer chemistry, advanced courses i n these areas



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are e s p e c i a l l l y recommended and students should be s t r o n g l y encouraged to take one or more of them. Furthermore, the b a s i c aspects of these three important areas should be i n c l u d e d at some place i n the core m a t e r i a l . " A f t e r almost t h i r t y years as a k i n g of the s c i e n c e s , polymer chemistry has been recognized as essent i a l core m a t e r i a l i n the t r a i n i n g o f a l l ACS a c c r e d i t e d undergraduate majors. The f u l l impact of these new p r o v i s i o n s i s yet to be f u l l y recognized. What i s being advocated i s both that polymer chemist r y i s being recommended as advanced work but p o s s i b l y of g r e a t e r importance, that " b a s i c a s p e c t s " o f polymer chemistry be i n c l u d e d i n the core m a t e r i a l . The education committees of a number of d i v i s i o n s and s o c i e t i e s a s s o c i a t e d with polymer science are working towards adopting recommendations i n v o l v e d with these two major related points. The e s t a b l i s h i n g o f a suggested s y l l a b u s has been undertaken with the l e a d e r s h i p of Ray Seymour. The form i s to note the t o p i c and suggest percentages of course time suggested f o r t h i s broad topic. The content, l e v e l and d u r a t i o n of the i n t r o d u c t o r y course i s a c t i v e l y being evolved and e v o l u t i o n w i l l continue, h o p e f u l l y with the a c t i v e a s s i s t a n c e of those teaching i n t r o d u c t o r y courses. There i s a strong f e e l i n g among those i n many of the education committees that the i n t r o d u c t o r y course should c o n t a i n a l a b o r a tory p o r t i o n which may i n c l u d e both s y n t h e s i s and c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n of a polymer. T h i s l a b o r a t o r y p o r t i o n should emphasize t o p i c s covered i n the l e c t u r e p o r t i o n g i v i n g students f i r s t - h a n d e x p e r i ence i n the "Joy and trauma" o f polymer science (such as polymers t y p i c a l l y t a k i n g s e v e r a l days before becoming d i s s o l v e d ) . Seven committees have been named to (1) e s t a b l i s h t o p i c s which would be u s e f u l , a p p l i c a b l e and s u i t a b l e f o r i n t r o d u c t i o n w i t h i n each of the t r a d i t i o n a l undergraduate core courses of General Chemistry (Art Campbell), Inorganic Chemistry (Norm M i l l e r ) , Organic (Charles Gebelein), A n a l y t i c a l (Roger Hester), Biochemistry (Raphael O t t e n b r i t e ) , P h y s i c a l (Les S p e r l i n g ) , and Chemical Engineering (F. Rodriguez); (2) e s t a b l i s h i n g g e n e r a l g u i d e l i n e s as to the l e v e l and depth of coverage of these t o p i c s ; (3) generation of s p e c i f i c i l l u s t r a t i o n s which could be d i r e c t l y used by teachers of a s p e c i f i c course; (4) suggesting g e n e r a l , broad g u i d e l i n e s regarding p r o p o r t i o n s of time to be spent i n polymer r e l a t e d t o p i c s w i t h i n a given course. To be emphasized i s " s u b s t i t u t i v e " type of i n f o r m a t i o n - i . e . replacement of examples, etc. which t y p i c a l l y u t i l i z e nonpolymer r e l a t e d m a t e r i a l with polymer r e l a t e d m a t e r i a l which w i l l "enhance" the "covered" t o p i c . Results of these s t u d i e s are being coordinated through a c e n t r a l committee made up of the core course committee chairmen, Guy Donaruma, E l i Pearce and Charles Carraher. R e s u l t s should become a v a i l a b l e i n 1982. Thus every e f f o r t i s being made to permit the f u l f i l l m e n t of the newest ACS g u i d e l i n e s with regard to the upgrading of polymer



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t o p i c s to core m a t e r i a l w i t h i n the academic t r a i n i n g of chemists i n ACS a c c r e d i t e d programs. A b i y e a r l y polymer newsletter which w i l l go to every academic c o l l e g e w i t h i n the USA w i l l s h o r t l y be published under the e d i t o r ship of Charles Carraher, Shalaby Shalaby, Guy Donaruma and E l i Pearce. A number of timely surveys have been completed. The Indust r i a l R e l a t i o n s Committee under Charles Gebelein r e c e n t l y completed a survey of 60 of the top (president, chairman of the board, etc.) o f f i c i a l s w i t h i n chemical r e l a t e d i n d u s t r i e s regarding what courses they would l i k e to see undergraduate students take above the present core courses. The survey showed a s u r p r i s i n g l y s t r o n g trend toward the f e e l i n g that more polymer science should be i n cluded i n the academic t r a i n i n g of chemists and chemical e n g i neers. Twenty courses were l i s t e d on the o r i g i n a l survey along with the category "other". E s s e n t i a l l y a l l the respondents (59 out of 60) recommended that students should take a general course i n polymer chemistry. Six of the top seven top rated courses d e a l t with polymers (Polymer Laboratory - 72%; Polymer Processing - 72%; Engineering Polymers - 60%) with only Advanced Organic (63%) breaking i n t o the top 5. The second f i v e were Emulsion Polymeriz a t i o n - 50%, Elastomer Chemistry - 48%, Advanced P h y s i c a l - 45%, Instrumental A n a l y s i s - 42% and P a i n t s & Coatings - 38%. A second question asked i n the survey measured p o s s i b l e ways the a d m i n i s t r a t o r s b e l i e v e d t h e i r companies could best promote closer academic-industrial relationships. F o l l o w i n g are r e s u l t s r e l a t i n g t o p i c , % - u s e f u l and, l a s t l y , %-which would a c t i v e l y support that mode: I n d u s t r i a l Speakers f o r Academic Seminars - 88%, 45%; Academic Speakers f o r I n d u s t r i a l Seminars - 53%, 28%; Indust r i a l - A c a d e m i c Workshops - 40%, 12%; A d d i t i o n a l ACS Symposia -22%, 8%; Short Courses i n I n d u s t r i a l L o c a t i o n - 43%, 15%; Short Courses at a C o l l e g e - 42%, 17%; Short Courses a t N a t i o n a l ACS Meeting 22%, 5%; S a b b a t i c a l and/or Summer Research Programs -38%, 18%; J o i n t Research P r o j e c t s - 43%, 18%; Grants or Contracts f o r A p p l i e d Research - 35%, 13% and Grants or Contracts f o r B a s i c Research - 27%, 10%. An updating of the Salamone, Deanin, Young and Pearce 1972(6) survey to determine trends with academics regarding polymer t r a i n ing has r e c e n t l y been completed under Rudy Deanin. The previous study showed about 110 schools o f f e r i n g some polymer s c i e n c e . The recent survey shows about 135 now o f f e r i n g polymer science, an i n c r e a s e o f about 25% over e i g h t years. Further, the trend towards o f f e r i n g polymer s c i e n c e has g r e a t l y i n c r e a s e d s i n c e 1978 and i t i s expected that a doubling to about 350 schools w i l l occur by 1985. Thus the work begun by Herman Mark and others i n the l a t e 1930's and e a r l y 1940 s i s g r e a t l y a c c e l e r a t i n g and every i n d i c a t i o n i s t h a t t h i s growth toward almost u n i v e r s a l acceptance o f polymer t o p i c s w i t h i n the core academic t r a i n i n g of chemists and chemical engineering w i l l continue, but even a t a f a s t e r pace. 1



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F o l l o w i n g are other current and recent-past ventures r e l a t e d to polymer education. A s e r i e s o f experiments appeared i n the 1978 J o u r n a l of Chemical Education which i s aimed a t i n t r o d u c i n g p o l y mer r e l a t e d experiments i n t o t r a d i t i o n a l courses (7). More o f t h i s type o f p r e s e n t a t i o n must be forthcoming. A v i s i t a t i o n program to help support v i s i t s by those a l r e a d y i n v o l v e d i n polymer education to c o l l e g e s that are not i n v o l v e d but which d e s i r e to l e a r n about polymer education r e l a t e d programs has begun. Lon Mathias c h a i r s t h i s committee. NSF funded polymer s c i e n c e modular experiments are now a v a i l able from E l i Pearce. There are 15 o f these modules f o r use with an i n t r o d u c t o r y polymer s c i e n c e course or f o r use with a separate beginning polymer l a b o r a t o r y course. There i s an increased awareness o f the p l a c e i n h i s t o r y o f science, p a r t i c u l a r l y polymer science where many o f those who cont r i b u t e d the b a s i c b u i l d i n g blocks are s t i l l a l i v e . Ray Seymour i s doing a s e r i e s on the Pioneers o f Polymer Science f o r Polymer News. Fred E i r i c h has been asked by the J o u r n a l o f Chemical Education t o write a h i s t o r y o f the development o f the "macromolecular concept." (As a s i d e comment, those a s s o c i a t e d with the J o u r n a l o f Chemical Education such as Tom L i p p i n c o t t , have been " f r i e n d l y " towards polymer chemistry and have a s s i s t e d i n the attempt to b r i n g polymer chemistry i n t o the mainstream o f m a t e r i a l presented to both the teaching s t a f f and chemistry students a l i k e ) . Recently, the Education Committees o f the Polymer and Organic Coatings and P l a s t i c s Chemistry D i v i s i o n s i n i t i a t e d a tape cass e t t e program asking a number o f pioneers o f polymer science t o r e c i t e t h e i r thoughts, p h i l o s o p h i e s , r e c o l l e c t i o n s , e t c . not to form an o r a l h i s t o r y , but r a t h e r so i n years to come teachers can play p o r t i o n s o f the tapes to t h e i r students and say, "This i s what C a r l Marvel says about . . . i n h i s own words." T h i s program i s ongoing. V. Harry DuBois has a l s o compiled a s e r i e s o f c a s s e t t e s by p l a s t i c s pioneers and these are d i s p l a y e d i n the Smithsonian I n s t i t u t e i n Washington. Polymer News, e d i t e d by Gerry Kirshenbaum has as a l o n g standing s e r i e s f e a t u r i n g academic polymer c e n t e r s . Those a s s o c i ated with the p a r t i c u l a r i n s t i t u t i o n are asked to present t h e i r programs, a s p i r a t i o n s , i n t e n t s , e t c . These are t y p i c a l l y w e l l done. Polymer News a l s o f e a t u r e s a column on Polymer Education which o f f e r s a wide v a r i e t y o f i n f o r m a t i o n i n c l u d i n g booklets, tapes and f i l m s r e l a t e d to polymer science, s p e c i a l education (academic and i n s e r v i c e ) experiments, polymer science education o u t s i d e o f the USA, recent a c t i v i t y i n education committees, f e a tured polymer chemists i n academics, r e p o r t s on education r e l a t e d conferences, e t c . Under the l e a d e r s h i p o f E l i Pearce and Shalaby Shalaby, and the sponsorship o f the D i v i s i o n s o f Polymer Chemistry and Organic Coatings and P l a s t i c s Chemistry, an e n t i r e i s s u e of CHEMISTRY was devoted t o polymer chemistry ( V o l . 51, No. 5, June o f 1978). S e v e r a l thousand e x t r a copies were purchased f o r a wide v a r i e t y o f



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Education

uses by academic and i n d u s t r i a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s f o r d i s t r i b u t i o n to youth and the general p u b l i c . Two n a t i o n a l ACS r e l a t e d symposia with polymer education were conducted i n 1979. Both were co-chaired by E l i Pearce and Charles Carraher. The f i r s t occurred during the Hawaii ACS meeting and was i n i t i a t e d a t the i n v i t a t i o n o f Robert Brasted on behalf o f the D i v i s i o n o f Chemical Education and j o i n t l y sponsored by the D i v i sions o f Organic Coatings and P l a s t i c s Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry. T o p i c s were centered about helps and i n t r o d u c t o r y course contents. The second symposium occurred a t the Washington, D.C. meeting co-sponsored by the same three D i v i s i o n s . T h i s was a f u l l symposium with about 20 t a l k s given v a r y i n g from how t o i n t r o duce polymer t o p i c s i n t o undergraduate courses o f i n o r g a n i c , organ i c and p h y s i c a l chemistry, to those n o t i n g the importance o f polymers to s o c i e t y and to the proper education o f chemists and to s p e c i a l p r o j e c t s r e l a t e d t o polymer education. A summer s c h o l a r s h i p program has begun under the sponsorship of P r o c t o r & Gamble. The program r e s u l t e d i n about 500 i n q u i r i e s with e v e n t u a l l y s i x summer s c h o l a r s h i p s awarded to support work on polymer r e l a t e d research p r o j e c t s . F l y e r s were mailed t o about 1200 departments o f chemistry. Such propagation i s worthwhile i n a d v e r t i s i n g the prospects that await those who d e s i r e t o enter i n d u s t r y i n polymer-related ventures. I t i s hoped that t h i s program w i l l grow. S e v e r a l awards r e l a t e d to polymer education are i n the "wings". Thus the present a c t i v i t y w i t h i n the v a r i o u s polymer educat i o n committees i s broad, f a r - r e a c h i n g , t i m e l y and p r o g r e s s i v e . In summary, the 1970 s began with the same academic p a s s i v e ness toward polymer education that marked the 1950 s and 1960's, but i n 1974 major developments aimed a t the g r e a t e r i n c l u s i o n o f polymer chemistry i n t o the c u r r i c u l u m o f chemists began and f o r the f i r s t time emphasized the undergraduate t r a i n i n g o f chemists. The most s i g n i f i c a n t s i n g l e event was the ACS pronouncement that aspects o f polymer chemistry were to be core m a t e r i a l i n the t r a i n ing o f ACS a c c r e d i t e d chemistry majors. 1

1

Summary Polymer education i n the USA can be d i v i d e d i n t o three p e r i ods - E m p i r i c a l , Mark Connection and Recognition with the l a t t e r p e r i o d s t i l l i n e f f e c t . We must continue to be a c t i v e a t promoting the g r e a t e r i n c l u s i o n o f polymer t o p i c s , i l l u s t r a t i o n s and concepts i n t o the formal education o f our chemists and chemical engineers not j u s t because we are polymer chemists but because i t i s c r i t i c a l to the growth o f our i n d u s t r i e s , our nation, as w e l l as many r e l a t e d branches o f s c i e n c e , h e a l t h and technology. The Geheimrat continues to be a c t i v e i n a l l the aspects o f an educator - teaching, s e r v i c e and r e s e a r c h . He has been a constant source o f help and support during the present p e r i o d , working behind the scenes i n our behalf, counseling and prodding.



142

POLYMER SCIENCE

OVERVIEW

Polymer education has grown from a seed a t "Brooklyn Poly" t o a young g i a n t redwood which i s t a k i n g i t s r i g h t f u l p l a c e as a g i a n t among g i a n t s . T h i s growth has been c a t a l y z e d by the Geheimrat, not only from h i s ivy-covered w a l l s i n Brooklyn, but from a constant preaching, as a possessed e v a n g e l i s t o f the "polymer g o s p e l " a t almost any school or i n s t i t u t i o n which would i n v i t e him. I n the e a r l i e r years he would a r r i v e by bus, d e l i v e r h i s message o f "hope and l i g h t " and a f t e r an a p p r o p r i a t e v i s i t a t i o n with those present, leave - h i s apppearance c o s t i n g no more than bus f a r e . H i s g u i d ance continues as he continues h i s "camp meetings" t r y i n g to "save the l o s t " and "comfort the saved" o f t e n speaking o f f u t u r e needs, f u t u r e s o l u t i o n s - the f u t u r e - indeed a man f o r ALL seasons. A teacher, servant o f mankind, e d i t o r , chemist, student, f a t h e r , husband, author, a d m i n i s t r a t o r , o r g a n i z e r - a f u t u r i s t , helper and friend. We thank you f o r your help, guidance

and f r i e n d s h i p .

Acknowledgments I thank the f o l l o w i n g f o r t h e i r d i r e c t c o n t r i b u t i o n s i n the p r e p a r a t i o n o f t h i s paper: Charles Overberger, Ray Seymour, Paul F l o r y , James S c o t t Long, Zeno Wicks, Maurice Huggins, A l Z e t t l e moyer, Walter Stockmayer, Fred E i r i c h , Fred B i l l m e y e r , Malcolm Renfrew, C a r l Marvel and Malcolm Dole; and Edgar Hardy f o r suggest i o n s as to how to develop the presented m a t e r i a l . I p a r t i c u l a r l y thank E l i Pearce f o r being my "comrade-inarms" f o r the past s i x years without whose energies much o f what has been accomplished w i t h i n those s i x years i n polymer education would not have been accomplished. F i n a l l y , I thank those many pioneers o f polymer s c i e n c e on whose shoulders we proudly and f i r m l y stand and those c u r r e n t l y i n v o l v e d i n polymer education f o r c l o s i n g ranks and o f f e r i n g the needed s o l i d i f i e d stance f o r the r e c o g n i t i o n and development o f polymer education.

Literature Cited 1. 2. 3. 4.

J. Chemical Education, 45(8), 498-506 (1968). J. Chemical Education, 42(1), 2-27 (1965). M. Morton, J. Chemical Education, 50(11), 731 (1973). F. Eirich and M. Williams, Eds., "Polymer Engineering and Its Relevance to National Materials Development, A National Science Foundation Workshop," Washington, D.C., Sec. 5, 6, 1972; Salt Lake City, University of Utah Press Page 1x. 5. Chemical and Engineering News, August 14, 37(1972). 6. J. Salamone, R. Deanin, M. Young and E. Pearce, J. Chemical Education, 50(11), 768(1973). 7. C. Carraher, J. Chemical Education, 55, 51, 269, 473 and 668(1978). RECEIVED

February 5, 1981.


Polymer Science Overview - ACS Publications - American Chemical

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