Records of the American Chemical Society Division of Paint, Varnish, and Plastics Chemistry

The Division of Paint, Varnish, and Plastics Chemistry was a division of the American Chemical Society. Its origins go back to 1924, when chemists and materials scientists in the paint and varnish industries founded the Paint and Varnish Section within the American Chemical Society. In 1928, this section was awarded division status and was named the Paint and Varnish Division. Although the division initially focused on paints and varnishes, division members soon became interested in plastics, which prompted the division to expand its jurisdiction to include plastic chemistry. To reflect this change, the division was renamed the Division of Paint, Varnish, and Plastics Chemistry in 1941.

Over the next several decades, the division’s members became interested in numerous other materials, including, but not limited to, adhesives, polymers, and composites. As its membership’s interests evolved, so did the focus of the division, which led to it being renamed several more times. To accommodate a growing interest in printing inks, the division was renamed the Division of Paint, Plastics, and Printing Ink Chemistry in 1952. From 1960 to 1983, the division was known as the Division of Organic Coatings and Plastics Chemistry. In 1983, the division was renamed the Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering Division.

Sources

Records of the American Chemical Society Division of Paint, Varnish, and Plastics Chemistry, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.