The Rise of Polymer Physics

We [Staudinger and Mark] both favored the concept of long-chained molecules. He [Staudinger] did, on the basis of organic chemistry and I did, on the basis of X-ray diffraction. He only trusted organic chemistry. I said trust both (techniques) we have two methods which do not contradict. My God, they could have contradicted [21] 

Mark s use of the word science not only arose from his own personal taste but also reflected the emergence of polymer physics as a new subdiscipline. By the late 1930s, the limitations of Staudinger s organic-chemical approach were recognized by physical chemists and physicists alike. Organic chemistry alone could not solve the whole problem of macromolecules. Clearly, the organic chemists static views of 

Mark may reasonably be called the initiator of polymer physics. With his long- 

By the 1960s, polymer physics had increasingly grown to be a vital part of polymer research. From its inauguration in 1960, the British journal Polymer had a subtitle, namely, The Chemistry, Physics and Technology of High Polymers. In 1966, Mark s journal was split into three sections Polymer Chemistry , Polymer Physics , and Polymer Letters , a further indication of the independence of polymer physics. The 1966 editorial explained  

Certainly one of the notable developments of the past few years, as far as the Journal of Polymer Science is concerned, has been the great success we have achieved in attracting an increasing number of papers in the area of polymer physics. In the April, 1964, issue of the Journal we indicated editorially our plan to give stronger identification to the growing field of polymer physics. .. Since then the influx of manuscripts in polymer physics has gained such momentum that the Editors and publisher of the Journal decided that the physical separation of such papers from the bulk of the material was both practical and desirable. [29] 

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