Engineering with Rubber

First I must thank you Mr. Chairman for your most generous introduction. I understand that there will be another opportunity later today to thank the Executive Committee of the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society for nominating me as the Charles Goodyear Medalist for 1986, for the pleasure of being here today, and for the privilege of addressing you. But I would wish to say, at this stage, how deeply honored I am to receive this most distinguished award. It is a tradition that this address should reflect the author's special interests and his own contribution to rubber science and technology, and they have tended to be autobiographical in nature. However the title which I have chosen, “Engineering with Rubber,” covers a broad field of activity, but in the relatively short time at my disposal I will perforce have to restrict myself to those areas in which I have been personally involved. Like so many recent Charles Goodyear Medalists it was my good fortune to be active during the period of almost explosive growth of polymer science and technology which occurred during the 1940's and 1950's and which provided a proper scientific basis for the polymer industries created during this period. The rubber industry is, of course, much older, but hitherto it had relied upon an essentially empirical approach to provide practical answers to most of its problems. It was also my good fortune to work with and alongside many outstanding individuals both at the Research Association of British Rubber Manufacturers (now the Rubber and Plastics Research Association) and at the Malaysian Rubber Producers' Research Association (formerly the British Rubber Producers' Research Association). To these I owe much and I would wish to share this recognition with my colleagues.