Kraton Performance Polymers Inc. recently announced that the American Chemical Society (ACS) has selected Carl Willis, Ph.D., of Kraton Polymers and Professor Timothy Long of Virginia Tech as recipients of the 2011 Cooperative Research Award in Polymer Science and Engineering. The award, sponsored by the Eastman Kodak Co. (endowed by Eastman Kodak in 1992; an ACS Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering Division award), was presented at the 2011 ACS Conference in Anaheim on March 30.

“This prestigious award recognizes and encourages sustained cooperative research between industrial and academic or industrial and national laboratory scientists,” said Kurt Wiegel, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, chairman, PMSE Cooperative Research Award Committee. “Both Dr. Willis and Prof. Long have a documented record of sustained, intensive, cooperative and collaborative research across the university-industry interface, with research that has demonstrated significant importance to polymer science and technology.”

“We are very proud of Dr. Carl Willis and recognize the magnitude of his contributions to Kraton Polymers, academia, and the advancements in polymer technology and innovation,” said Lothar Freund, Ph.D., vice president of Technology for Kraton Polymers. “Kraton Polymers has a proven track record of supporting and collaborating with academia to further research and development. For the past 10 years, we have firmly supported the efforts between Dr. Willis, Prof. Long and the students from Virginia Tech.”

This collaboration paved the way for the development of two new Kraton product families, including sulfonated block copolymers trademarked as NEXARTM polymers, and led to the discovery of a new line of products known today as Kraton A polymers.

For more information, visit www.kraton.com.