Dr. Frederick J. Karol
Union Carbide
Inducted 1997
Frederick J. Karol (1933 – 2018), an authority in polyolefin polymerization, played a central role in developing and commercializing the Unipol® process for producing polyethylene and other polyolefin polymerization processes. This Unipol® process is widely used in dozens of countries, accounting for millions of metric tons of polyethylene production capacity.
Born in Norton, Massachusetts, he received his B.A. from Boston University and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Karol began his pioneering work in the 1960s by developing organotransition metal catalysis systems to produce high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in a gas-phase, fluidized bed reactor. This involved directing the scale-up of the process to the pilot plant scale and eventually to full-scale production.
In the early 1970s, Karol identified the catalyst technology required to produce the first family of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) products, initially used for wire and cable insulation. He subsequently invented and developed a second family of catalysts for producing LLDPE film grades as alternatives to conventional high-pressure, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) products.
The third generation of catalysts was developed in the early 1980s to produce LLDPE grades with broader molecular weight distributions of improved processability. Karol has been instrumental in other programs to develop improved polymerization routes, including the Unipol® process for producing polypropylene (PP). He was also involved in the development of low-modulus Flexomer polyethylene products.
Karol is the author or co-author of 30 publications and 80 United States patents. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) for his outstanding contributions to the plastics industry. He also received the SPE Engineering/Technology Award, and in 1990 he received the SPE’s highest honor, the International Award. Karol was also awarded the Perkin Medal for outstanding achievement in applied chemistry. He has also been an active member of the American Chemical Society, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Institute of Chemists.
Areas of Expertise:
Plastic materials