Industry Leaders

Professor Dr. Otto Bayer
Dr. Kurt C. Frisch (Sr.)
Dr. Jack M. Buist
Dr. Adnan A.R. Sayigh
Carlo Fiorentini

Nomination Information

In 1983 the Polyurethane Division of The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., now the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry of the American Chemistry Council, established a Polyurethane Hall of Fame.

Nominations are open year-round for the Polyurethane Hall of Fame and will be accepted from both members of CPI and non-members. Nominees will be screened and voted upon by the CPI Steering Committee.

Nominees should be responsible for outstanding contributions to the advancement of the polyurethane industry on the basis of such considerations as:

  • Leadership
  • Technical achievement
  • Marketing innovations
  • Research and development
  • Contributions in the field of education
  • Production or machinery processes
  • He/she could be from academia, government, or the fields of research or communications.

To submit your nomination contact:

Neeva-Gayle Candelori, Director of Industry Affairs
Center for the Polyurethanes Industry
1300 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22209
Tel: 703.741.5654
Fax: 703.741.5655

Hall of Fame Inductees

Professor Dr. Otto Bayer
This innovative and energetic organic chemist, the father of polyurethane chemistry, devoted his life to a wide range of important research. In his brillant 55-year career at Bayer AG Germany, he received 400 patients and won numerous honors from universities, industry and professional associations. He headed Bayer research for more than three decades, and served with distinction on the company’s board of management and as chairman of its supervisory board in the crowning work of his career, he invented diisoyanate polyaddition process, the base patent in the polyurethane industry and a development that has benefited almost every aspect of modern life. His dedication to discovery brought honor to the profession of scientific research.

Polyurethane Hall of Fame
San Diego, California
November 2, 1983
Polyurethane Division,
The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.
Dr. Kurt C. Frisch (Sr.)
This dedicated and imaginative scientist has demonstrated leadership in the field of polyurethane chemistry and applicatons for three decades. His work has covered a full spectrum of polyurethane science with a pioneering spirit and creative flair. Dr. Frisch has more than a score of US and foreign patents dealing with polyurethane chemistry. He has been a prolific author involved in the publication of more than 160 scientific papers and 24 books, most relating to polyurethane chemistry. Vienna-born, Dr. Frisch hold’s degrees from the Universities of Vienna, Brussels and Columbia and has provided outstanding service to industry and academia. He is former director of Polymer Research and Development at Wyandotte Chemicals Corp (now BASF Wyandotte) and is founder (in 1968) and current director of Detroit University’s Polymer Institute which is heavily focused on polyurethane research and education. Dr. Frisch has made a truly significant impact on the polyurethane industry on every continent.
Polyurethane Hall of Fame
San-Antonio, Texas
November 5, 1984
Polyurethane Division,
The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.
Dr. Jack M. Buist
With his exceptional vision for advancing the technological innovations of the polyurethane industry, and for pioneering work in the causes of variablility, jack m. Buist’s 50 years of scientific endeavors stand as a trust fund for today’s polymer chemists. From his early research on vulcaprene, the first U.K.. polyurethane rubber, through his brilliant 36-year career with ICI Polyurethanes, Mr. Buist achieved worldwide recognition. His singular knowledge and expertise of MDIi-based rigid foams defined their now standard worldwide use as insulating materials. Mr Buist’s achievements include 25 patents, 164 published technical papers, authorship of 3 books and lectured in 50 countries. He is the founding editor of the international journal Cellular Polymers and Progress and has received numerous honors from universities, trade industries and professional societies.
Polyurethane Hall of Fame
New Orleans, LA
October 22, 1992
Polyurethane Division
The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.
Dr. Adnan A.R. Sayigh (1922-1980)
An imaginative organic chemist who was a pioneer in polyurethane chemistry and technology, Sayigh was the father of PAPI PMI/MDI technology. Papi was produced all over the world and became a key product in polyurethanes. Sayigh was founder and the first director of upjohn’s donald s. Gilmore research laboratories. He assembled a team of creative scientists and engineers and many novel technologies were developed under his leadership at the Donald S. Gilmore Labs. Examples include liquid MDI based on carbodiimide technology, pellethane elastomers, urethane modified isocyanurate foams, structural rim, and recuycling of polyurethanes. Dr. Sayigh held more than 100 U.S. patents and his outstanding contributions to polyurtethanes have greatly contributed to the world-wide success of this industry.
Polyurethane Hall of Fame
New Orleans, LA
October 22, 1992
Polyurethane Division
The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.
Carlo Fiorentini
Carlo Fiorentini is a remarkable chemical engineer, teacher and business magnate, who during the past several decades, achieved notable innovations in polyurethane technology. He has earned more than sixty patents in polyurethane mixing and related technologies. He is the President and founder of The Cannon Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of equipment for polyurethane technology. Fiorentini received his degree in chemical engineering from Bologna University, where he then served as the assistant professor on the chemical plants faculty. Under his leadership, Cannon has been able to introduce a number of new technologies that have changed the way polyurethanes are processed. Today, The Cannon Group comprises numerous companies in more than forty countries.
Polyurethane Hall Of Fame
Salt Lake City, Utah
October 16, 2002
Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry

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