Edwin J. Vandenberg
Edwin J. Vandenberg (born September 13, 1918 ; † 2005 ) was an American chemist ( polymer chemistry ).
Vandenberg grew up in Hawthorne, New Jersey . He wanted to study chemistry, but only got a degree in mechanical engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology during the Great Depression. In 1939 he obtained his degree as a mechanical engineer, but had also studied in part in private lessons with the chemistry professor at the University of Francis J. Pond. Through the agency of Pond, he joined the Hercules Power Company in Wilmington (Delaware) as a research chemist after completing his studies .
Vandenberg was an industrial chemist at Hercules Inc. In 1982, he retired there and did research at Arizona State University .
He is known for independently developing isotactic polypropylene and Ziegler-Natta type catalysts for their manufacture. He also developed the hydrogen chain transfer method to control the molar mass of polyolefins and alkylaluminoxane catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization of epoxides and oxetanes to form polyether elastomers .
In 2003 he received the Priestley Medal and in 1991 the Charles Goodyear Medal. In 1981 he received the ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry and in 1992 the Herman F. Mark Award from ACS.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Vandenberg, Edwin J. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American chemist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 13, 1918 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2005 |