Monday, January 26, 2026-Edith Marie Flanigen, a pioneering American research chemist whose discoveries reshaped industrial chemistry and materials science, has died at the age of 96.
Flanigen died on January 6, 2026, in Buffalo, New York, leaving behind a legacy of innovation that touched sectors from energy to environmental technology. She was widely celebrated for her work on molecular sieves and synthetic materials that made complex industrial processes more efficient and environmentally sound.
Flanigen’s career at Union Carbide and its successor UOP spanned more than four decades, during which she developed and refined zeolites porous crystalline materials used to separate and catalyze chemical compounds that became essential in refining crude oil into gasoline and in pollution control applications.
Her inventive work also included creating synthetic emeralds used in early laser technologies and other advanced applications. Over the course of her career, she was named the first woman corporate research fellow at Union Carbide and earned more than 100 patents for her groundbreaking contributions to chemistry and materials science.
Throughout her life, Flanigen received some of the highest honors in science and technology, recognizing both her technical achievements and her role as a trailblazer for women in STEM fields. She was a recipient of the Perkin Medal, inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Her work not only advanced industrial chemistry but also helped pave the way for future generations of scientists, particularly women pursuing careers in science and engineering.
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