description Waldo Semon Overview
Waldo Lonsbury Semon was an American chemist who made significant contributions to polymer science while working at the B.F. Goodrich Company. In 1926, he successfully plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC), transforming the previously rigid and brittle material into the flexible, versatile product known as vinyl. This breakthrough allowed PVC to become a foundational material in modern manufacturing, used in everything from electrical insulation to medical devices.
Semon was granted over 100 patents during his career.
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What did Waldo Semon discover at B.F. Goodrich in 1926?
In 1926, Waldo Semon developed a way to plasticize polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, while working at B.F. Goodrich in Akron, Ohio. The process helped turn brittle PVC into flexible vinyl. [Lemelson-MIT](https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/waldo-semon)
Why was plasticized PVC such an important invention?
Plasticizers made PVC flexible, resilient, and easier to mold instead of leaving it rigid and brittle. That change opened the way for products such as wire coatings, raincoats, shower curtains, and vinyl flooring.
What problem was Semon originally trying to solve?
B.F. Goodrich had asked Semon to find a better way to bond rubber to metal. His experiments with PVC did not solve that original problem, but they produced the commercially useful flexible material known as vinyl.
How large was Waldo Semon's broader patent record?
Semon held 116 US patents during his career, covering PVC and other synthetic materials. He retired from B.F. Goodrich in 1963 and later worked as a research professor at Kent State University.
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