Robert S. Roth (August 21, 1926 – July 16, 2012) was an American materials scientist known for his comprehensive research into the
phase diagrams of
ceramic materials and the structures of
nonstoichiometric compounds.
Education and career
Roth studied
geology at
Coe College and
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he obtained his PhD in 1951. He worked at the
United States Geological Survey as a field assistant, and after his PhD, he joined the
National Bureau of Standards (later
NIST
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical sci ...
), where he remained for most of his career. Since 1981, he was a senior editor of the book series ''
Phase Diagrams for Ceramists'', a major set of reference books in the field of ceramic materials.
While visiting
CSIRO
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentar ...
in
Melbourne,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in the 1960s, Roth collaborated with the Australian materials scientist
Arthur D. Wadsley to understand the structures of
transition metal oxides, which led to a series of publications. The ordered phases of transition metal oxides exhibiting
shear structures are now referred to as the
Wadsley-Roth phases.
Honors and awards
Roth received the United States
Department of Commerce Gold Medal
The Department of Commerce Gold Medal is the highest honor award of the United States Department of Commerce. Since 1949, the Department of Commerce Gold Medal is presented by the Secretary of Commerce for distinguished performance. The award may b ...
in 1986. He received the Sosman Award in 1991, the John Jeppson Award in 1995, the Spriggs Phase Equilibria Award in 2003, all from the
American Ceramic Society. He received the Buessem Award from the Center for Dielectric Studies in 2001.
Bibliography
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roth, Robert S.
1926 births
2012 deaths
Coe College alumni
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni
National Institute of Standards and Technology people
American materials scientists
Solid state chemists
Materials scientists and engineers