The Invention of Thiokol

The next major project for the Industrial Testing Laboratory was an attempt to improve the process of making ethylene glycol from ethylene via the hydrolysis of ethylene chlorohydrin. In his attempt to produce this anti-freeze by hydrolysis of ethylene dichloride with sodium polysulfide, Doc Patrick obtained a gummy gunk which he named Thiokol based on the greek word theion (sulfur) and kommi (gum). 

Unlike many early twentieth century organic chemists, Doc Patrick did not discard the undesired gummy product. Instead, he registered the trade name Thiokol, made patent applications and wrote the equation for the formation of thiokol as follows  

It is important to note that the discovery of the first American synthetic rubber was in the mid 1920 s when few scientists besides Hermann Staudinger and Herman Mark recognized the existence of polymers. Patrick demonstrated his inventive ability further by using rubber compounding recipes to cure (vulcanize) and reinforce this vile smelling, solvent-resistant, brown gum. 

Patrick worked on other research contracts, such as the development of smoke flavored salt, for the Western Salt Laboratory in 1928. He also analyzed some bootleg scotch whiskey for Mr. Bevis Longstreth who was president of the salt company. Later, Longstreth arranged for further funding of the Thiokol project 1 a New York firm of Case, Pomeroy, and Co. 

Subsequently, Patrick, solved the production problem by using a novel suspension polymerization technique. The Thiokol suspension based on a magnesium hydroxide slurry was readily purified and coagulated by acidification in the same manner as the coagulation of natural rubber latex. Since the Prohibition Act had not been repealed, it was easy to obtain glass lined tanks from an abandoned Kansas City brewery and to start the large scale production of Thiokol in 1929. 

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