Solomon joined British Australian Lead Manufacturers Pty Ltd (BALM, which later became Dulux Australia Ltd) as a trainee chemist in 1946 at the age of 16. It was here that he developed his lifelong interest in polymers, and made important observations that the current theories on polymers did not match with what was actually happening in the industrial processes.
Solomon's strong interest in polymer research drew him to join CSIRO as a senior research scientist in the Division of Applied Mineralogy in 1963. In 1970 Solomon transferred to the Division of Applied Chemistry where he established the Polymer Research Group, before going on to become chief of the Division of Applied Organic Chemistry during a reorganisation in 1974, a position he held for the next 17 years.
In 1990 he accepted an invitation to become the ICI Australia – Masson Professor and head of the School of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne. Here he started the Polymer Science Group, his third internationally acclaimed polymer research group. After ‘retirement’ in 1995 David took up the position of honorary professorial fellow in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the university, moving the Polymer Science Group, to which he still acts as senior advisor. In 2015 he was awarded the title of professor emeritus at the University of Melbourne.
Solomon is often referred to as the father of polymer research in Australia, having established three internationally acclaimed polymer research groups in industry (Dulux, 1960), in Australia's peak scientific research organisation, CSIRO (1970) and at the University of Melbourne (1990).