Thomas, Robert McKee

In 1937 Robert McKee Thomas (1908-1986) and William Joseph Sparks (1904-1976) at the Standard Oil Development Company (now Exxon) synthesized butyl rubber via the copolymerization (polymerization of a mixture of monomers) of isobutylene (2-methylpropene (CHj)2C=CH2) with a small amount of isoprene. 

Robert McKee Thomas, the senior patentee of butyl rubber worked for Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey during his entire career. He was awarded over 75 patents by the US Patent Office and directed the research of several other notable polymer Scientists. 

If one were to list the ten most important developments in modem science, he would include (1) the discovery of the vulcanization process for rabber and (2) the development of polymerization techniques for converting small molecules into macromolecules. Hence, it is important to note that Robert McKee Thomas, in cooperation with Dr. William Sparks utilized both of these important concepts in their discovery of butyl rubber. 

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