Melvin Mooney Distinguished Technology Award

Recent Recipients

Dr. Robert P. Lattimer -- 2008

Dr. Robert P. Lattimer, an R&D Technical Fellow at Lubrizol Advanced Materials, has been supervisor of mass spectrometry at Lubrizol (formerly a division of the BFGoodrich Co.), since 1974. Dr. Lattimer has a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Kansas. He was a postdoctoral associate at the University of Michigan prior to coming to BFGoodrich.

He is an internationally recognized authority on the analytical characterization and degradation of polymeric materials. His research interests include mechanisms of crosslinking and pyrolysis of polymers, and the mass spectral characterization of polymeric systems. He is a past editor of the International Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis and a past associate editor of Rubber Chemistry and Technology. He has authored about 100 journal articles in his field, and he is co-author of the book Mass Spectrometry of Polymers (2002).

During his career with BFGoodrich (1974-2001), Lattimer and coworkers developed powerful mass spectral methods for the analytical characterization of polymeric materials. His group was the first to make extensive use of modern mass spectral methods (e.g., field desorption, laser desorption, chemical ionization, pyrolysis MS, tandem MS and high resolution MS) for elastomer compound analysis, i.e., identifying various additives and polymer components in formulated materials. Lattimer’s group published numerous papers on the mechanism of antiozonant protection of rubber, concentrating on the protective film and scavenger models. The group also investigated crosslinking mechanisms in rubber, including sulfur-donor and phenolic resin curing systems. Extensive work was carried out on the development of thermal decomposition mechanisms for a number of synthetic polymers, including diene rubbers and polyurethanes.

Lattimer is past chairman of the Gordon Research Conference on Analytical Pyrolysis, and he received the ACS Rubber Division’s Sparks-Thomas Award in 1990. He has won two Rubber Division Best Paper Awards, as well as three Honorable Mentions.

Lattimer is a member of the American Chemical Society and its Rubber, Polymer, and Analytical Divisions. He is a past Councilor and Chairman of the Akron Section ACS. He is a member and past Vice President of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry.

Daniel L. Hertz Jr. - 2007

Mr. Hertz is Founder, President and Technical Director of Seals Eastern, Inc., a company specializing in precision rubber molding and engineered sealing concepts. Dan is a Stevens Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineer, ex-“52” honorary-1982. He is an active member of Rubber Division (1996 Chair), the New York Rubber Group (1983 Chair), Energy Rubber Group and Polymer Technology Consortium-Texas A&M. He is concerned with the polymer industry’s dilemma as articulated by the late Dr. Carl "Speed" Marvel’s speech at the August 1984 ACS symposium honoring his work. Dr. Marvel commented, “Essentially the knowledge of polymers consists of understanding both the physical aspect--as articulated by the late Paul Flory--and their synthesis, ordinary organic chemistry. Not surprisingly, neither expert, i.e., physical and synthesis, is good in the other’s field. Since the majority of the industry are chemists or chemical engineers, the physical aspect is generally ignored.” Dan is the author of numerous papers, multiple chapters, organizer of a range of technical symposia, and holds five patents. He has previously served on the advisory boards of several magazines.

Past Recipients

2008 - Robert P. Lattimer
2007 - Daniel L. Hertz Jr. - Elastomers: An Engineering Material
2006 - Meng-Jiao Wang
2005 - Kenneth F. Castner
2004 - Oon Hock Yeoh
2003 - Walter H. Waddell - RC&T Vol. 76 (2) 348
2002 - C. Michael Roland
2000 - Joseph Kuczkowski
1999 - Avraam I. Isayev
1998 - Henry Hsieh
1997 - Russell A. Livigni
1995 - Edward N. Kresge
1994 - Noboru Tokita
1993 - John R. Dunn
1992 - Robert W. Layer
1991 - Charles S. Schollenberger
1990 - Gerard Kraus
1989 - Joginder Lal
1988 - John G. Sommer
1987 - Avrom I. Medalia
1986 - Albert M. Gessler
1985 - William M. Hess
1984 - Eli M. Dannenberg
1983 - Aubert Y. Coran
1982 - J. Roger Beatty