Waldo Semon:
Waldo Semon was an American chemical engineer and inventor of vinyl.
Birth:
September 10, 1898 in Demopolis, Alabama
Death:
May 26, 1999 in Hudson, Ohio
Claim to Fame:
Semon was an American chemical engineer who discovered the method to make the plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into a useful material. PVC was considered a trash compound since it was extremely rigid and brittle. Semon was attempting to find a use for the material as an adhesive to bond rubber to metal but instead produced a flexible and durable plastic. PVC is widely used in flooring, hoses, plumbing, wire insulation, and siding. It is the most produced plastic after polyethelene.
