Sidonie Désirée Le Beau (14 February 1907 - 20 January 1993[1]) was an Austro-Hungarian-American colloid chemist and inventor with extensive experience and expertise in the reprocessing and reuse of synthetic and natural rubber.
Her Polish mother gave birth while her father, a soldier in the Austrian Army, was serving in Dalmatia.
[2][3] After earning her Ph.D., Le Beau started her career as a researcher at the Austro-American Rubber Works in Vienna.
As director of research, Le Beau developed materials from scrap rubber, mostly old tires, to use in new products and applications.
[3] She became increasingly recognized as an expert in colloid chemistry, particularly as it pertained to the reuse of natural and synthetic rubber.
[1][10] Le Beau authored or co-authored dozens of papers in colloid chemistry and its application to the rubber industry.
[3] She earned 5 U.S. patents involving improvements in processing for recycled synthetic rubber, many of which were also granted in other countries.
[3] LeBeau received the Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award in 1959 in recognition of her significant contributions to the field of rubber reclamation.