Julius Nieuland
Neoprene - Garrett Guffey - 6th
He was the inventor of the first synthetic rubber, neoprene, manufactured by the DuPont company. due to his work with acetylene led to his partnership with DuPont. He found that if monovinylacetylene were treated with hydrogen chloride the result of chloroprene polymerized eventually resulting in the invention of neoprene
He taught botany for years at Notre Dame in 1908 he became a professor of organic chemistry leading him to start working with acetylene. early in his studies he discovered dichloroarsine but due to its poisonous properties he suspended the research of it. His discovery of a reaction between acetylene and arsenic trichloride lead to the discovery of lewisite a poison gas used in WW1
He configured the government developed gas "lewsite" into an oil type "divinyl acetylene" the material in which the rubber was synthesized from.
Nieuwland received the More head Medal for research in acetylene; in 1934. He was awarded the American Institute Medal, and in 1935, he received the Nichols Medal, the highest honor in the gift of the American Chemcial Society.
Julius Nieuland
lewsite
A poison gas made for WW1 as a chemical weapon causing immediate irritating and swelling but was never used
Neoprene
A synthetic rubber considered superior to rubber due to it's resistants to sunlight, abrasion, and temperature extremes,