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This is the fascinating, first-hand story of the groundbreaking invention by Nobel prizewinner Karl Ziegler and the patent fights between his research team at the Max Planck Institute of Carbon Research in Germany and the "giants" of the petrochemicals industry, such as Du Pont and Esso. The author joined Ziegler's group throughout the entire period, providing an entertaining case study of an innovative chemical discovery, presenting interesting historical as well as scientific information.An impressive example of the fights between academia and industry concerning patent rights and the economic utilization of academic research innovations.
List of contents
PREFACEINTRODUCTIONTHE INVENTIONFirst Observations 1950/1953Standard Oil of IndiaPhilips Petroleum CompanyDu PontMax-Planck-Institute, Mühlheim on the RuhrK.Ziegler, H.Breil, E.Holzkamp and h.MartinExperiments between May and December, 1953Experiments December 1953 to April 1954Letter from Ziegler to his Patent Attorney von KreislerMontecatini, Milano/G. Natta and CoworkersFirst Experiments with Ziegler-CatalystsNatta, Orsoni and DeVarda´s Visit to Ziegler at Mühlheim on May 19,1954K.Ziegler and CoworkersH.Martin-Experiments May-July 6, 1954, H.Breil - Masters ThesisH.Martin - July 1954: Polypropylene1952 to 1954 Polypropylene (Review)Appraising the Historical Course of the Invention from a Year 2000 Vantage PointTHE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CONNECTIONFarbwerke HoechstPetrochemicals LimitedSteinkohlenberbauverein (Hard Coal Mining Society) / Bergwerksverband (Mine Association)/ Ruhr Area Coal IndustryThe "Run" of Prospective U.S. LicenseesGulf Oil, Koppers, Dow, Union Carbide und MonsantoEsso, the StragglerDu PontMitsui Chemical, the First Japanese LicenseeSummationBack to the Ruhr: Ruhrcoal and BergwerksverbandAugust through December 1954: Montecatini steps up its own developmentsThe first Ziegler/Montecatini Pool-AgreementsPolydieneKarl Ziegler and H.Martin/ Max-Planck-Institut für KohlenforschungS.E. Horne/Goodrich Gulf Chemicals Inc.Giulio Natta and Coworkers/MontecatiniD.R.Smith and R.P. Zelinski/Phillips Petroleum CoPATENT RIGHTS WORLDWIDE, PATENT APPLICATIONS-PROSECUTION, OPOSITION, PRIORITIESThe Package of the First Six German Patent ApplicationsForeign Patent Protection for the Inventions of Ziegler and CoworkersThe Situation in the United StatesPolypropylene: Ziegler/Natta, Conflict as to the PriorityContentions ProceedingsMontecatiniDu PontCompromise and ConcessionsDu Pont Sought Further AdvantagesThe History of Patent Issuance from a Year 2000 Vantage PointINNOVATION, MARKET DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTIONThe Market SituationThe Rush for Licenses 1953-1972, Lucrative Second Half 1970-1990The Marketing of Ziegler PolyolefinsMontecatini´s Poll Polyolefin LicensesResearch and ProductionFirst "new" so-called independent CatalystsThe Split between Montecatini and Ziegler in United StatesReviewTHE AMERICAN CHALLENGEHercules, Esso, Phillips, Dart Seek AdvantagesInfringement Action Ziegler versus Phillips PetroleumHercules forces Ziegler, into legal action against DartBetween Dallas and New OrleansEastman KodakMax Fischer, Over and OverAmoco, Arco and Novamont Launch New Attacks18 Years of Feud with DartLiability DeterminationDecision Concerning the Amount of DamagesA Tentative Record of the ´115 PatentLex ZieglerProduct Patent Protection for "Polypropylene""High-Speed-" or "High Mileage-" or "Ziegler-Catalysts of the Second and Third GenerationNippons Export of Automobiles in the United States"The last Chapter"EpilogINDEX
About the author
Heinz Martin has been a close colleague of Prof. Ziegler at the Max-Planck-Institute of Carbon Research in Mühlheim/Ruhr (Germany) and played an important key role in the invention of Ziegler´s Polyolefine catalysts in 1953/54. In 1970 he became Co-director of the Studien- und Verwertungs GmbH (founded in 1925), which became the Studiengesellschaft Kohle GmbH in 1955, a trustee of the MPI in Mühlheim, with H. Martin as director.
Summary
This is the fascinating, first-hand story of the groundbreaking invention by Nobel prizewinner Karl Ziegler and the patent fights between his research team at the Max Planck Institute of Carbon Research in Germany and the "giants" of the petrochemicals industry, such as Du Pont and Esso. The author joined Ziegler's group throughout the entire period, providing an entertaining case study of an innovative chemical discovery, presenting interesting historical as well as scientific information.
An impressive example of the fights between academia and industry concerning patent rights and the economic utilization of academic research innovations.
Report
"The text is set out in five chapters and includes several hundred references, so is very comprehensive.... This volume has something for the historian of the modern chemical industry, and also for the specialist interested on how the patent system works." ( Materials World , February 2009)
"The book offers eloquent testimony of how difficult and costly it is to convert research results into commercial success stories." ( RFP , 1/2008)
