Louis H. Barnett is an American inventor and holder of many patents in plastics processing and machinery. He was the first to practice rotational molding and casting, and helped design the first pre-plasticizing injection molding machine.

Barnett graduated from the College of Business Administration at Northeastern University in 1944. The Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, a center for advanced interdisciplinary research in the molecular sciences at Northeastern University, was established in 1973 and named in his honor. After college Barnett worked briefly at General Electric Plastic Division as a Project Engineer working on Thermoset Molding, Laminated Textolite Plastic, Phenolics, Ureas, and Melamine Molding. He helped develop the first fiberglass, 14 foot rowboat for Winter Boat, New Jersey and laminated rocket launchers for the United States Air Force. He then moved to York Research in New York City where he designed plastic fiberglass mannequins. After eleven months he moved to United Mineral & Chemical in New York where he was Chief Engineer.

In 1947 Barnett founded Loma Plastics in Fort Worth, Texas and was an innovator in large injection moldings, blow molding, material compounding, rotational molding and casting. Loma created new products in the 50’s and 60’s from the 4 oz. creamer to 32-gallon trashcans. Barnett and Loma pioneered molding and casting of polyethylene and other olefins, including rotary blow molding of milk bottles. He later sold the Loma to Standard Oil of Ohio.

Barnett created an international sales organization (Loma sold in Paris and Europe department stores as early as 1950s) and advertised to promote plastic products. He exhibited his products at major exhibition, gave speeches and wrote articles about plastic products, technology, preplasticizing and pingating or about large moldings like refrigerator bodies, automobile parts, and containers for the future.

In 1969 Barnett became a part-time consultant on plastic materials, design, engineering, and management problems for people recommended by S.P.I. Barnett was Chairman of the Board for Originala Petroleum Corporation and Petrochemicals Company, Inc., both based in Fort Worth, as well as Arnon Investment Corporation in Israel. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of Overton Bank and Trust in Fort Worth, Chattem Drug and Chemical, Inc., of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and A/F Protein Inc. of Waltham, Massachusetts, and has served as a consultant for chemical, plastics, and management service corporations around the globe.

Barnett was active in the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), the Plastics Academy, the Plastics Pioneers, and the National Plastics Center and Museum.

Barnett’s many custom molding accomplishments include the Admiral clear round T.V. escutcheons molded in polystyrene – from 10 inch to 19 inch, refrigerator crispers of styrene, car air conditioner housing and fronts, the first polyethylene ice cube trays, stadium chairs, lawn mower housings (rotational), and odd shaped ducts (rotational).

See:

"Loma's Barnett: a flair for 'firsts,'" Modern Plastics, 39 (May 1962), 48