Daniel Fox
Encyclopedia
Lexan
Lexan is a registered trademark for SABIC Innovative Plastics' brand of polycarbonate resin thermoplastic. Polycarbonate polymer is produced by reacting bisphenol A with carbonyl dichloride, also known as phosgene. Lexan is the brand name for polycarbonate sheet and resin in a wide range of grades...
. LEXAN is the flagship product of GE Plastics (a division of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
) and is used in everything from CDs and DVDs to car bumpers and Nalgene
Nalgene
Thermo Scientific Nalgene is a brand of polyethylene plastic developed and manufactured by Nalge Nunc International originally developed for laboratory storage containers. It is now used in the manufacture of water containers, vials, bottles, bags and carboys for packaging, shipping, and storage...
products. Though Dr. Fox is often credited with the invention of LEXAN resin, the patent and agreement to share the plastic between Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
and General Electric is much more complicated than the simplistic "Father of LEXAN Polycarbonate" title bestowed upon Dr. Fox by many sources.
Education and employment
Dr. Fox began his academic career at Lebanon Valley CollegeLebanon Valley College
Lebanon Valley College is a small, liberal arts higher education institution situated in the heart of Annville in Lebanon County, east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
in Annville, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1948 with a degree in chemistry. He then continued his education at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
in Norman, obtaining both his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from this institution.
Upon his graduation, he was hired by General Electric in Schenectady, New York as the new manager of chemical development. It was there in 1953 that he invented LEXAN while working on a project to develop new wire insulation material. For the next 35 years, he produced ground breaking research in his field and eventually was the holder of 44 patents. He retired from GE in June 1988, but continued his polymer research until his death in February 1989.
At GE, his employees often referred to themselves as students of "Dan Fox University" because of Dr. Fox's impressive ability to recognize and promote young, talented scientists. Jack Welch, former CEO and chairman of GE, was one of the most notable students to graduate from Dan Fox University.
LEXAN patent
Even though Dr. Fox is often credited with the invention of this plastics product, he was not the first. In 1955, Fox applied for a patent, two years after his initial discovery of the material. In the same year, Bayer in Germany had also applied for a U.S. patent on a molecule invented by Dr. Hermann Schnell that was virtually identical to Fox's. So before it was decided who was to receive the patent, GE and Bayer entered into an agreement that stipulated whoever received the US patent would agree to allow the other to operate by paying a royalty to the patent holder. This worked out in GE's favor after the patent was awarded to Bayer because Schnell's date of invention preceded Fox's by only one week. Dr. Fox may be considered the father of LEXAN polycarbonate, but indeed he shares that honor with Dr. Schnell.Awards, honors, and achievements
- He was the recipient of GE's first Steinmetz Award in 1973, a recognition of their top scientists.
- He was the youngest living person to be inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame in 1976.
- He held 44 patents.
- He developed LEXAN, a strong and useful thermoplastic products, that is credited with kicking off the thermoplastics business.
- Dan Fox Drive in Pittsfield, MassachusettsPittsfield, MassachusettsPittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
is named after Dr. Fox. - His alma mater, Lebanon Valley College, created a summer program where students spend a week experiencing life at the college. It also gives students experiences in areas that they want to study after high school. The program, which lasts for 5 days in June, is known as the Daniel Fox Youth Scholars Institute.
Selected journal articles
- Fox, Daniel W., Peters, Edward N. (1985). Engineering thermoplastics: Chemistry and technology. ACS Symposium Series, 495-514.
- Fox, D.W., Gallucci, R.R., Peters, E.N., Smith, G.F. (1985). Polysulfone carbonate copolymers. Annual Technical Conference - Society of Plastics Engineers, 951-953.