ABSTRACT
A Nottingham chemist, F. S. Kipping, introduced the term ‘‘silicone’’ during the early 1900s, when he synthesized the crude precursors to the 60,000 silicone-containing compounds now available. Kipping was not much impressed with silicone’s potentiality, concluding that the materials were scientifically interesting, but had no practical applications. Modern processes for the synthesis of silicones followed the research carried out by Hyde, Warrick, and McGregor during the 1930s (1). In 1943, the exigencies of war lead to the production of Dow-Corning’s first silicone product, DC-4, a greasy material used to waterproof bomber electrical systems and permit flight at higher altitudes (1).
