Donald Holmes

This article is about the American inventor. For the American football player, see Don Holmes (American football). For the Australian rules football player, see Don Holmes.
Donald Fletcher Holmes
Born 29 September 1910
Woodbury, New Jersey
Died 13 October 1980 (aged 70)
Nationality United States
Fields Chemistry
Alma mater Amherst College (1931)
University of Illinois
Known for Co-inventor of the process to develop multipurpose material polyurethane
Notable awards National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee (1991)

Dr. Donald Fletcher Holmes (September 29, 1910 – October 13, 1980) was an American inventor. Holmes, along with Dr. William Edward Hanford, invented the process for making the multipurpose material polyurethane.[1] He received the polyurethane patent in 1942.[1] Mixing polyols and hydroxyl compounds with di-isocyanates is the basis today for the manufacture of all polyurethanes. Polyurethane can be used in, but is not limited to, life-saving artificial hearts, safety padding in modern automobiles, and in carpeting.

Holmes was born in Woodbury, New Jersey.[1] In 1931, he earned a B.S. in Organic Chemistry from Amherst College in Massachusetts. He would later earn a master's and doctorate from the University of Illinois.[1] Holmes was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1991.[1]

Key patent

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Invent Now Hall of Fame – Donald Fletcher Holmes. Retrieved July 16, 2008.