Donald Witenhafer

Witenhafer pioneered technical achievements at B.F. Goodrich Co. that helped save the PVC industry after it was discovered that vinyl chloride monomer causes cancer.

In 1969, Goodrich’s plant physician at its Louisville, Ky., plant called a news conference to announce that several workers had acquired a rare form of liver cancer. These were workers who entred the PVC suspension polymerization reactors after each batch and scraped polymer buildup off the walls. The doctor announced the VCM was a likely human carcinogen.

Goodrich’s board of directors created an emergency project to solve the problem. The team included Witenhafer, a scientist in the PVC polymerization research and development group.

The team thoroughly studied PVC production, looking at ways to eliminate emissions and reduce the residual, un-reacted VCM to very low concentrations before it left the plant.

Witenhafer made the key innovations to solve both of those problems.

He worked for Goodrich for 20 years and SC Johnson & Son Inc. as manager of polymer research for five years before starting a consulting business in 1992.