SPE names Don Hylton 2025 Thermoformer of the Year

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Thermoforming Division (Danbury, Conn., U.S.) has named Donald (Don) Hylton the 2025 Thermoformer of the Year. Hylton will be presented the award during the the Thermoforming Awards Dinner, held in conjunction with the 30^th SPE Thermoforming Conference May 19-21, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Hylton received his BS in chemistry and biology from Kentucky State University and pursued graduate studies in physical chemistry at the University of Louisville. He began his career in GE’s Plastics Application Center, tasked with developing test procedures on a new commercial instrument called a Rheometrics Mechanical Spectrometer (now part of TA Instruments). Hylton developed the first dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) test on this instrument which is now standard ASTM test method D7028. 

In his time at GE, the company also developed a program to replace metal refrigerator liners with a thermoformed plastic liner. The inflation instrument Hylton developed showed the differences in the materials, reducing the need to conduct expensive and time-consuming trials. Moreover, it proved useful in other thermoforming applications and blow molding. GE’s trade secret was eventually published in the Journal of Polymer Engineering and Science in 1980 and was later revered by Chemical Week magazine as the most significant contribution of the year. 

In 1980, Hylton joined ExxonMobil’s Polymers Division and received two assignments: to determine the cause of premature failure of a fiber-grade polypropylene (PP), and to develop a thermoformable grade of PP, a polymer that was not used in thermoforming at the time.

His experience with GE’s ABS liner program became useful in this effort. Hylton quantified the viscoelastic properties a material needed to be successfully and consistently thermoformed, and the final product became known as “high melt strength” (HMS PP), a term used today to describe thermoformable PP. Several commercial trials were conducted with the novel melt-phase forming PP. This was the first time PP was thermoformed on conventional vacuum forming equipment.

Hylton has also been involved in the development of a co-extruded, multilayer food packaging in collaboration with Campbell Soup, Hormel and Ball Plastics, resulting in the development of thermoformed, shelf-stable plastic food packages commonly seen today. He also worked with Millikin Co. to develop a clear PP for food packaging now known as clarified PP.

Hylton attended one of Bill McConnell’s thermoforming workshops and met Stan Rosen, Charlie Hovesapien, Jim Throne, John Griep and numerous other thermoforming pioneers. They encouraged him to join the SPE Thermoforming Division and become a member of its board of directors. McConnell soon invited Hylton to present at his next workshop — an invitation that led to Hylton’s employment with McConnell Co. to this day.

In 1995, Hylton also joined Clark Atlanta University as associate director of the New Science and Technology Center where he conducted research and pursued new ways of characterizing materials for thermoforming. He also mentored students and influenced their decisions to pursue careers in plastics. Over the years, Hylton has advised more than 20 Ph.D. chemistry and chemical engineering students at Clark Atlanta, University of Louisville and Georgia Tech. 

At Clark Atlanta, he developed a novel technology and testing equipment for evaluating materials for thermoformability called the Thermoforming Index.  Hylton was able to isolate critical material properties that give a material its “melt strength.” This technology has been used to solve many material-related problems in thermoforming production and is used as a quality control tool.

A member of the SPE since 1985, Hylton was named an Emeritus Member in 2018, and in 1997, one of just three thermoforming Fellows of the Society. An active SPE Thermoforming Division board member, he served as the Division’s ANTEC Technical Program chair from 2000-2010 and was the first chair of the Division’s Student Affairs Scholarship Program. Hylton was presented with the Division’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 2000 and its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 when he was also named an Emeritus Member of the Division. He also served as ASTM Plastics Sheeting and Films Subcommittee Chair and reviewed and updated all ASTM standards and test methods for sheeting and films. Hylton received the ASTM Outstanding Achievement Award for his work in sheeting and films.  He is the author of numerous technical papers and the book, “Understanding Plastics Testing.”

“Each of Don Hylton’s achievements is more impressive than the last,” says Paul Uphaus, SPE Thermoforming Division chair. “The SPE Thermoforming Division Board is honored to name Don Hylton as the 2025 SPE Thermoformer of the Year.”

Past recipients of the Thermoformer of the Year Award can be found on the SPE Thermoforming Division website.