The Thiokol Chemical Corporation was a United States company that initially produced synthetic rubber and related chemicals but later expanded into producing solid rocket fuel, rocket motors, and propulsion systems. Their motors were used in high-profile projects such as the Hermes A-2 rocket and the space shuttle Challenger.

In 1926, chemists Joseph Cecil Patrick (1892-1965) of Jefferson City, Missouri, and the Russian-born Nathan Mnookin (1901-1955) tried to invent an inexpensive antifreeze. In the course of their experiments involving ethylene dichloride and sodium polysulfide, they instead created a gummy substance that exhibited a horrible odor. The substance clogged the sink in the lab, and none of the solvents used to remove it were successful. Patrick and Mnookin accidentally invented synthetic rubber, which they named “Thiokol” after the Greek words for sulfur (theion) and glue (kolla). After several more years of experimentation, including finding a method to cheaply mass-produce the product, Patrick and Mnookin founded the Thiokol Chemical Corporation on December 5, 1929.

After failing to strike an agreement with Standard Oil to help develop their product, Patrick and Mnookin made a deal with Kansas salt merchant Bevis Longstreth (1893-1944) for financial support. They constructed the first Thiokol plant in Kansas City, Missouri, until nearby residents complained about its horrible odor, forcing the company in 1930 to move to a vacant rubber plant in Yardville, New Jersey, a few miles from Trenton. Their odors were tolerated due to the large abundance of rubber factories already located in the area. Thiokol survived the Great Depression by manufacturing solid polysulfide polymers applied to gaskets, sealants, lubricants, coatings, and adhesives that required resistance to solvents and harsh weather. In 1938, Thiokol established its company headquarters in Trenton.

At the start of the Second World War, Thiokol failed to capitalize on the wartime rubber shortage and only produced rubber hoses for specialized use. However, in 1942, the company developed the first liquid polymer that contained no volatile solvent and thus could be converted into a rubber-like solid. Demand for their product grew rapidly. The U.S. government asked the larger Dow Chemical Company to aid Thiokol in expanding its production, transferring the latter’s large-scale manufacturing to Midland, Michigan. In 1944, total sales of Thiokol amounted to a modest $1.2 million. Nonetheless, Wall Street speculators noted that Thiokol was not a promising choice as a takeover candidate by larger corporations, and the company continued to struggle.

In the late 1940s, however, company vice president and general manager John W. Crosby (d. March 10, 1992) began discussions with scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology regarding the use of Thiokol rubber. For years, the Institute purchased Thiokol’s polymer and found that it was the best solid rocket fuel when mixed with other chemicals. As a result, Thiokol Corp. entered into contracts with the military, which in turn agreed to finance a laboratory and facility for rocket production. Solid rocket fuel soon began to replace its liquid counterpart, and, in 1948, Thiokol commenced production of rocket engines and propulsion systems at a new plant in Elkton, Maryland. Between 1948 and 1958, Thiokol’s sales grew from $1.1 million to $190 million.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Thiokol continued experiments in solid propellant rocket motors, including high-profile projects such as the Hermes A-2 rocket and a surface-to-surface guided missile system. However, aerospace contracts from the government were undependable, and Thiokol began producing specialty chemicals, fibers, and off-road vehicles to ensure continual profits. In 1982, salt and chemical manufacturer Morton-Norwich purchased Thiokol out of necessity to repel other takeover bids and increase their significance in the growing defense industry. Shortly after, Morton-Thiokol won the contract to produce the rocket boosters for the space shuttle Challenger. The company was found responsible for the shuttle's January 28, 1986 explosion that killed its seven passengers. Safety concerns and defects in the company’s products resulted in Morton spinning off its Thiokol division on July 1, 1989, creating the Ogden, Utah-based Thiokol Corporation.

On May 5, 1998, Thiokol changed its name to Cordant Technologies to better serve its three major component companies: Thiokol Propulsion; Howmet International, which cast products for aerospace and commercial purposes; and Huck International, a manufacturer of aerospace and transportation fasteners. The American aerospace, defense, and sporting goods company, Alliant Techsystems (ATK), purchased Thiokol on April 23, 2001, thus controlling the majority of the United States’ solid rocket fuel industry. On February 9, 2015, ATK spun off its sporting goods group as Vista Outdoor and merged its aerospace and defense groups into ATK Orbital Inc.