Natta, Giulio, << NAHT tah, JOOL yoh >> (1903-1979), an Italian chemist, made important contributions to the understanding of polymers (chemical compounds made up of a string of simple molecules). Natta’s work helped the development of materials that are used to make films, synthetic rubber, plastics, and fibers. For this work, Natta shared the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1963 with Karl Ziegler of Germany.
In his early work, Natta explored polymers and catalysts (substances that speed up chemical reactions) and their use in industrial processes. In 1938, he proposed a way of producing artificial rubber. He also succeeded in producing polypropylene, a polymer of great strength and a high melting point, which has since become of great use in industry. Natta used X-ray investigations to determine the exact structure of the new polymers he discovered.
Natta was born in Imperia, near Genoa, Italy. He studied mathematics at the University of Genoa and then chemical engineering at the Milan Polytechnic Institute. He taught at the universities of Pavia, Rome, and Turin. In 1938, Natta returned to the Milan Polytechnic as a professor of industrial chemistry.
