Jack Koenig
Case Western Reserve University
Inducted 2006
Dr. Jack Koenig (1934 – 2021) has had a long and distinguished career as an educator and researcher in the characterization of macromolecular materials. He is a Professor Emeritus at The Donnell Institute of the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Koenig received his B.A. in Chemistry and Mathematics from Yankton College. He then attended the University of Nebraska, receiving his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in theoretical chemistry.
Upon completing his studies, he worked as a scientist at DuPont, specializing in polymer characterization and spectroscopy. He then joined the faculty at Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve University) as an educator and researcher in the same field.
Koenig is credited with many advances related to spectroscopic methods and polymer characterization that have helped the polymer and plastics industry better understand these macromolecular materials’ structure–property relations ships. Some of his more commercially important developments include the development of a spectroscopic method to quantify the branching in polyethylene (PE) and a method to determine the molecular weight of (insoluble) polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). He has also developed methods to determine the degree of crystallinity for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and a method to determine the degree of crosslinking or crosslink density of thermosetting rubbers. Many of the characterization techniques he has developed have been adopted as standards by industry.
Dr. Koenig is the author of many publications, including a text on the Spectroscopy of Polymers. He received many awards and honors during his career. In 1970, he became a fellow of the American Physical Society. He received the Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award in 1984. In 1986, he won the Alexander Von Humboldt Award for Senior U.S. Scientists. In 2000, he received the Charles Goodyear Medal and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Areas of Expertise:
Plastics characterization, Plastics education