Carl Shipp Marvel
Encyclopedia
Carl Shipp "Speed" Marvel (born September 11, 1894, Waynesville, Ill., U.S. died January 4, 1988, Tucson, Ariz.) was an American
polymer
chemist
who worked at developing polybenzimidazoles, which are temperature-resistant polymers that are used in the aerospace industry and as a replacement for asbestos
.
He obtained the nickname "Speed" early on in his career as a chemist from his habit of rushing to breakfast after studying all night when he was a graduate student at the University of Illinois
. However, his studies were interrupted by World War I
and during the war he worked under Roger Adams
in a lab set up at the university to make fine chemicals that had, until then, been imported from Germany, which at the time was the centre of fine chemical production.
Also at this time Marvel became a close associate of Wallace Carothers
, who was a fellow student at Illinois, and whom he later worked with as a consultant for DuPont
when Carothers was carrying out his groundbreaking work on nylon
and step-growth polymerization
. He was a consultant for DuPont Central Research
for over fifty years.
Marvel's early research was in classical organic chemistry, but he soon moved into polymer chemistry for which he is best known. He showed that vinyl monomers tend to add to the growing polymer in a head-to-head fashion and his work on the low-temperature copolymerization of butadiene and styrene was important to the commercial production of synthetic rubber
. This meant that he participated heavily in the U.S. synthetic rubber program when supplies of natural rubber were disrupted during World War II.
His work went on to develop high temperature polymers. He made these by incorporating rigid ring structures into the backbone, as in polyimides, polybenzimidazoles and ladder polymers. Almost no area of polymer chemistry escaped his interest, either at Illinois (from graduate school days until 1961), or at Arizona.
Marvel received many honors, including the first ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry in 1964, the Priestley Medal
in 1956, and the Perkin Medal
in 1965. An avid birdwatcher, his over 500 publications include one entitled "Unusual Feeding Habits of the Cape May Warbler".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
who worked at developing polybenzimidazoles, which are temperature-resistant polymers that are used in the aerospace industry and as a replacement for asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
.
He obtained the nickname "Speed" early on in his career as a chemist from his habit of rushing to breakfast after studying all night when he was a graduate student at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. However, his studies were interrupted by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and during the war he worked under Roger Adams
Roger Adams
Roger Adams was an American organic chemist. He is best-known for the eponymous Adams' catalyst, and his work did much to determine the composition of naturally occurring substances such as complex vegetable oils and plant alkaloids...
in a lab set up at the university to make fine chemicals that had, until then, been imported from Germany, which at the time was the centre of fine chemical production.
Also at this time Marvel became a close associate of Wallace Carothers
Wallace Carothers
Wallace Hume Carothers was an American chemist, inventor and the leader of organic chemistry at DuPont, credited with the invention of nylon....
, who was a fellow student at Illinois, and whom he later worked with as a consultant for DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
when Carothers was carrying out his groundbreaking work on nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
and step-growth polymerization
Step-growth polymerization
Step-growth polymerization refers to a type of polymerization mechanism in which bi-functional or multifunctional monomers react to form first dimers, then trimers, longer oligomers and eventually long chain polymers. Many naturally occurring and some synthetic polymers are produced by step-growth...
. He was a consultant for DuPont Central Research
DuPont Central Research
In 1957, the research organization of the Chemicals Department of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company was renamed Central Research Department, beginning the history of the premier scientific organization within DuPont and one of the foremost industrial laboratories devoted to basic science...
for over fifty years.
Marvel's early research was in classical organic chemistry, but he soon moved into polymer chemistry for which he is best known. He showed that vinyl monomers tend to add to the growing polymer in a head-to-head fashion and his work on the low-temperature copolymerization of butadiene and styrene was important to the commercial production of synthetic rubber
Synthetic rubber
Synthetic rubber is is any type of artificial elastomer, invariably a polymer. An elastomer is a material with the mechanical property that it can undergo much more elastic deformation under stress than most materials and still return to its previous size without permanent deformation...
. This meant that he participated heavily in the U.S. synthetic rubber program when supplies of natural rubber were disrupted during World War II.
His work went on to develop high temperature polymers. He made these by incorporating rigid ring structures into the backbone, as in polyimides, polybenzimidazoles and ladder polymers. Almost no area of polymer chemistry escaped his interest, either at Illinois (from graduate school days until 1961), or at Arizona.
Marvel received many honors, including the first ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry in 1964, the Priestley Medal
Priestley Medal
The Priestley Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society and is awarded for distinguished service in the field of chemistry. Established in 1922, the award is named after Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen who immigrated to the United States of America in 1794...
in 1956, and the Perkin Medal
Perkin Medal
The Perkin Medal is an award given annually by the American section of the Society of Chemical Industry to a scientist residing in America for an "innovation in applied chemistry resulting in outstanding commercial development." It is considered the highest honor given in the US industrial chemical...
in 1965. An avid birdwatcher, his over 500 publications include one entitled "Unusual Feeding Habits of the Cape May Warbler".