Maynard C. Agens, 84, of Mount Dora, a retired chemist and an inventor of silicone rubber, died July 22 in Eustis, Fla.
He was born in Lowville, Lewis County, and majored in chemistry at Hamilton College, earning a bachelor's degree in 1930.
After college, he joined the General Electric Co.'s Chemical Products Department in Schenectady and worked on flexible types of alkyd resins. In 1932, he was transferred to the GE Research Laboratory to work on the development of permafils, special resins used in aircraft construction during World War II.
In the early 1940s at GE, he set out to formulate a flexible material similar to natural mica, widely used in high temperature electrical insulation. Instead, in 1942, coupled with discoveries by his colleagues, he produced a tough rubbery substance now called silicone rubber. He was awarded the first basic U.S. patent on the material, which has a wide variety of uses.
His work led to the development in 1947 of the General Electric Silicone Products Development in Waterford.
He also developed polyvinylchloride sealing caps used in the manufacture of refrigerators. Later, he developed a process to fix a photographic image in clear plastic. Pictures made by his process were exhibited at the National Chemical Exhibition held in Cleveland in 1956.
Mr. Agens also played an active part in the development of alkanex wire coating.
He retired from GE in 1971 and moved to Florida. He was a member of the American Chemical Society, the Mount Dora Shuffleboard Club and the Mount Dora Lawn Bowling Club.
Survivors include his wife, Catherine Agens; two daughters, Nancy Bisson of East Montpelier, Vt., and Marjorie Lynn Rogers of Toronto; a sister, Helen DeLaFleur of Loudonville; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Contributions may be made to narcolepsy research at the Sleep Laboratory, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, 3560 Bathurst St., Toronto, Ontario,M6A2E1, Canada.
Arrangements are by the Rehbaum-Harden Funeral Home, Mount Dora.
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