The Early Days of Polymer Science

Synopsis

A short review is given of the events which occurred between 1926 and 1947 and led ultimately to a consolidation of Staudinger’s view concerning the existence of macromolecules as he had postu­lated them.

Three conferences may be taken as characteristic for the early development of polymer science: The meeting of the Deutsche Naturforschergesellschaft in Duesseldorf in 1926 where Staudinger successfully upheld his concept of the existence of macromolecules against powerful opposition, the Faraday Society Meeting in Cambridge in 1935 where Carothers presented his classification of addition and condensation polymers, and the First Polymer Conference of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry in Liege in 1947 where polymer science established itself as an accepted and vigorous member of chemical disciplines.