Joseph L. Zuckerman

Joseph L. Zuckerman, 77, a retired industrial chemist, died of pancreatic cancer on Nov. 5, 2009, in Livingston, N.J.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Zuckerman received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Brooklyn College in 1955.

During his 55-year career as an industrial polymer chemist, Zuckerman worked for numerous companies, focusing his research on adhesives, coatings, textiles, and elastomers. In the 1960s and '70s, Zuckerman worked as a technical director for polymer product development at Allied Chemical in Morristown, N.J., before moving to J.P. Stevens in Garfield, N.J. During the 1980s and '90s, he was employed by two Carlstadt, N.J., firms, first Stanbee and then Elektromek, before joining Craig Adhesives in Newark, N.J. He received 13 patents and published 12 professional papers.

In the 1970s, Zuckerman received patents for developing ethylene propylene diene rubber/ethylene vinyl acetate and polyolefin blends, which are widely used in automotive carpet backings. Along with David A. Skrivanek, Zuckerman invented and patented a system for printing plastic "tactile graphics" that allow the blind to view—in the tactile sense—art, maps, sketches, and images. Zuckerman was a member of ACS, joining in 1956.

Zuckerman is survived by his wife, Elaine; son, Dan; and two grandchildren.