AKRON—The ACS Rubber Division is accepting nominations for its 2020 Science & Technology Awards, and the technical association is adding a new Bioelastomer Award.
The new award will honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of biomaterials in the field of rubber science and technology. It will recognize the contributions of scientists in the field of biotechnology and biomaterials as these relate to elastomers and rubbery materials. The award is sponsored by Versalis Americas Inc.
Nomination for the 2020 awards are due by June 30. Winners will be announced during the International Elastomer Conference in October, and the awards presented at the Rubber Division's spring technical meeting in 2020.
The other awards given by the Rubber Division are:
• The Charles Goodyear Medal, the association's most prestigious award, perpetuates the memory of Charles Goodyear as the discoverer of the vulcanization of rubber by honoring individuals for outstanding invention, innovation or development which has resulted in a significant change or contribution to the nature of the rubber industry. The Akron-based Rubber Division sponsors this award.
• The Melvin Mooney Distinguished Technology Award honors the memory of Melvin Mooney, the developer of the Mooney Viscometer and other testing equipment. Sponsored by Lion Elastomers, it is for individuals who have exhibited exceptional technical competency by making significant and repeated contributions to rubber science and technology.
• The George Stafford Whitby Award for Distinguished Teaching & Research, sponsored by Cabot Corp., perpetuates the memory of George S. Whitby, head of the rubber laboratory at the University of Akron, who for years was the only individual who taught rubber chemistry in the U.S. The award honors outstanding international teachers of chemistry and polymer science, and recognizing innovative research.
• The Sparks-Thomas Award is to honor the memory of William J. Sparks and Robert M. Thomas, chemists who developed butyl. Sponsored by ExxonMobil, the award recognizes and encourages outstanding scientific contributions and innovations in the field of elastomers by younger scientists, technologists and engineers.
• The Chemistry of Thermoplastic Elastomers Award, sponsored by Renkert Oil L.L.C., honors significant contributions to the advancement of the chemistry of TPEs. Particular emphasis is placed on innovations that have yielded significant new commercial or patentable materials.
• The Fernley H. Banbury Award, sponsored by Endurica L.L.C., perpetuates the memory of Fernley H. Banbury, the inventor and developer of the internal mixer that bears his name, by honoring innovations of production equipment, instrumentation and control systems, or developed improved processing technologies that are widely used in the manufacture of rubber or rubber-like goods.
To get more information or submit a nomination, visit rubber.org/s-t-awards.