1863-1949

English Chemist

Frederic Stanley Kipping is best known for his pioneering work on the organic chemistry of silicon. Kipping's success in the preparation of silicone in 1904 led to 40 years of work at the fascinating frontier between organic and inorganic chemistry. This work provided the basis for the development of silicone compounds that fulfill a wide variety of industrial applications.

Kipping was one of seven children born into the family of a Manchester bank official. After attending Manchester Grammar School, he enrolled in Owens College, Manchester (now Manchester University) in 1879. He received a London University external degree in 1882 and took a position as a chemist for the Manchester Gas Department. He went to Munich in 1886 to work with William Henry Perkin, Jr. (1860-1929), who was known for his studies of the structure and synthesis of natural products. This work was carried out in the...