Louis George Morin (18 February 1922 – 3 May 2003) was an American
chemist
A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe t ...
and
inventor.
Biography
Morin was born in Saint-Paul-de-Montminy,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
and immigrated to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
as a child. He began experimenting with the use of crystals in
radio transmitter design
A radio transmitter or just ''transmitter'' is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves with frequencies between about 30 Hz and 300 GHz. The transmitter itself generates ...
while serving in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
and later operated several commercial electroplating facilities in
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...
. In 1969, Morin produced the gold-plated mesh used on the
Apollo Lunar Module’s erectable
S-band antenna. He held numerous patents in the field of
electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between electrical potential difference, as a measurable and quantitative phenomenon, and identifiable chemical change, with the potential difference as an outco ...
and developed a number of original methods for the
electroplating of non-metallic filaments. In 1980, Morin used the latter methods to produce the
dielectric composite in the
stealth technology airframe of the
B-2 Spirit
The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. A subsonic flying ...
. Morin lived in
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North ...
and spent the later years of his life working in experimental
crystallography. He also recorded a series of audio lectures that were widely disseminated throughout the metal
finishing industry. He died of
heart failure in the
Bronx, New York.
External links
Finishing.com PodcastsObituary for Louis Morin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morin, Louis George
20th-century American chemists
1922 births
2003 deaths
United States Army personnel of World War II