Carl Shipp "Speed" Marvel (September 11, 1894 – January 4, 1988) was an American chemist who specialized in polymer chemistry.
He made important contributions to U.S. synthetic rubber program during World War II, and later worked at developing polybenzimidazoles, temperature-resistant polymers that are used in the aerospace industry, in fire-fighting equipment, and as a replacement for asbestos.
He obtained the nickname "Speed" early on in his career as a chemist from his habit of rushing to breakfast after studying all night.
As the war cut off previous sources of supply, it became difficult to obtain many of the chemicals used in synthetic organic chemistry and related industrial processes.
[1][5] Students were required to take careful notebook records of each preparation, including the cost of chemicals, apparatus, and the time needed.
[1] Marvel received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1920,[3] working with department head William Albert Noyes.
Much of this research was carried out before techniques such as Infrared spectroscopy or Mass spectrometry were developed: for example, Marvel's exploration of intermolecular hydrogen bonding relied on studying solubilities and heats of mixing.
[5] Beginning in 1933, Marvel began studying olefin/sulfur dioxide polymers, determining their structure and examining the effects of initiators such as peroxide or ultraviolet light on polymerization reactions.
[10] For his work on SO2, α-olefins and vinyl polymers, Marvel received the William H. Nichols Medal from the American Chemical Society in 1944.
[13] He was a close friend as well as a consultant to Wallace Carothers, who was carrying out groundbreaking work on nylon and neoprene at Dupont.
Beginning in September 1940, Marvel worked with Section C-2, Synthetic Problems, of Division B of the National Defense Research Committee.
[10][16] His work at Illinois on the low-temperature copolymerization of butadiene and styrene was important to the successful commercial production of synthetic rubber.
[17] As a result of his wartime work, Marvel received the President's Certificate of Merit for Civilians in World War II.
[1][19] Marvel is credited, with Roger Adams and Reynold C. Fuson, with making the organic chemistry program at Illinois "preeminent in the United States".
[10] His students included H. E. Carter, Wallace Carothers, George Graves, William J. Sparks,[1] Samuel M. McElvain,[1] Arnold Beckman,[22] and future Nobel Laureates Vincent du Vigneaud[1] and Edwin G.
[28][29] Marvel had taken the first steps towards a process for creating ladder-type polymers as early as 1938, when he attempted the cyclization of poly(methyl vinyl ketone).
Marvel's approach contained the key elements of solutions which would not be developed for another thirty years: chain-growth polymerization of a cyclohexadiene monomer, and its subsequent aromatization.
[13] The University of Arizona named the "Carl S. Marvel Laboratories of Chemistry" at 1213 E South Campus, Tucson, AZ, in his honor.
Dr. Marvel published nearly 500 articles in scientific journals worldwide, and four books including Introduction to the Organic Chemistry of High Polymers.
[10] An avid birdwatcher throughout his life, Marvel's publications include papers on bird-watching,[4] such as "The Unusual Feeding Habits of the Cape May Warbler" (1948) and "The Blue Grosbeck in Western Ontario" (1950).