5th International Specialist Conference in Düsseldorf
Dr. phil. nat. Alfred Curs, born on 8 December 1895 in Hildesheim, studied mathematics, physics and chemistry at the University of Göttingen from 1914 with a break due to the war, among others under Nobel Prize winner Professor Adolf Windaus. He completed his studies in 1922 with a doctorate as Dr. phil. nat. In 1923 he joined the then IG Farbenindustrie, Ludwigshafen plant, as a chemist, where he worked until 1947, interrupted by military service. Here, in 1932, Curs invented the first technically usable foam plastic based on urea-formaldehyde (“Iporka”). After leaving BASF in 1947, he founded his own company in Ludwigshafen, which he managed until 1967.
The pioneering achievement of the award-winning scientist is that he invented the first technically usable foam plastic and developed the process for foaming urea-formaldehyde resins.