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Paul J. Flory
1910–1985 · United States · Born 1900–1939
Nobel Chemistry 1974
Founded the physical chemistry of polymers, explaining chain statistics, solutions and gels.
Nobel-winning work
Flory built a statistical-mechanical theory of polymer chains, solutions and networks: the random-flight description of chain dimensions, the Flory–Huggins theory of polymer solutions, the theta point, and the gelation criterion for crosslinking. His work converted polymer science from empiricism into a quantitative physical chemistry of macromolecules. The prize cited both his theoretical and experimental achievements in that field.