<PAGE>
 
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December __, 1996
                                                   Registration No. 333-________
________________________________________________________________________________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, DC  20549
                            
                            -----------------------

                                    FORM S-8
            REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                            -----------------------

                                FMC CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         Delaware                                   94-0479804
(State or other jurisdiction                      (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)              Identification Number)

                            200 East Randolph Drive
                            Chicago, Illinois  60601
                                  312/861-6000
                    (Address of principal executive offices)


                       FMC 1995 MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN
                                      AND
                           FMC 1995 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                           (Full title of the plans)


                                 Robert L. Day
                    Secretary and Assistant General Counsel
                                FMC Corporation
                            200 East Randolph Drive
                            Chicago, Illinois  60601
 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
                             of agent for service)

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Title of securities to be     Amount to be registered       Proposed maximum        Proposed maximum        Amount of registration
registered                                                 offering price per      aggregate offering               fee(1)
                                                                share(1)                price(1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                          <C>                           <C>                     <C>                      <C>
Common Shares $.10 par       3,000,000(2)                    $72.00                   $72.00                  $65,454.55
value
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

</TABLE>

(1)  Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of calculating the
     amount of the registration fee based upon the average of the high and low
     prices reported for the Common Shares on the NYSE on December 13, 1996.

(2)  This is the total number of shares which may be offered based on the shares
     reserved for the Plans on the filing date.  Pursuant to Rule 416, this
     Registration Statement shall also be deemed to cover any additional shares
     offered under the Plan in order to reflect share splits, share dividends,
     mergers and other capital changes.
<PAGE>
 
                                     PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

     The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8
will be sent or given to participating employees as specified by Rule 428(b)(1)
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").  Such
documents are not being filed with or included in this Form S-8 (by
incorporation by reference or otherwise) in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission").  These
documents and the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration
Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken
together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a)
of the Securities Act.


                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 3.  Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.
         ------------------------------------------------

     The following documents filed by FMC Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(the "Company") with the Commission are incorporated herein by reference except
to the extent that any statement or information therein is modified, superseded
or replaced by a statement or information contained in any other subsequently
filed document incorporated by reference:

1.   FMC Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
     December 31, 1995.

2.   All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
     Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), since
     December 31, 1995.

3.   The description of the Company's Common Shares contained in the Company's
     Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed pursuant to Section 12 of the
     Exchange Act dated May 12, 1986, relating to the Company's Plan of
     Recapitalization and the listing of the Common Stock on the New York,
     Midwest and Pacific Stock Exchanges.

4.   The description of the Company's Rights, with respect to Common Shares,
     contained in the "Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered"
     of the Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the
     Commission on March 18, 1986 as amended by the Company's Form 8 Amendment
     to Application filed with 
<PAGE>
 
     the Commission on February 27, 1988 and the Company's Form 8-A/A filed with
     the Commission on February 12, 1996.

5.   All documents filed by the Company or the Plan pursuant to Section 13(a),
     13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date hereof and prior to
     the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
     securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then
     remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein
     and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.


Item 4.  Description of Securities.
         --------------------------

         Not applicable.


Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
         ---------------------------------------

         Not applicable.


Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
         ------------------------------------------

     Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
("Section 145") empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a
party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or
completed action, suit or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative
or investigative by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the
request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation or enterprise.  Depending on the character of the proceeding, a
corporation may indemnify against expenses (including attorney's fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred
in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person indemnified
acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or
not opposed to the best interest of the corporation and, with respect to any
criminal action or proceeding, had no cause to believe such person's conduct was
unlawful.  In the case of an action by or in the right of the corporation, no
indemnification may be made in respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which
such person shall have been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct
in the performance of such person's duty to the corporation unless and only to
the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit
was brought shall determine that despite the adjudication of liability such
person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which
the court shall deem proper.  Section 145 further provides that 
<PAGE>
 
to the extent a director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation has been
successful in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above or
in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be
indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably
incurred by such person in connection therewith. Section 145 also states that
the indemnification provided for in such section shall not be deemed exclusive
of any other rights to which the indemnified party may be entitled and empowers
the corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of directors,
officers, employees and agents of the corporation against any liability asserted
against such person or incurred by such person in any such capacity or arising
out of such person's status as such whether or not the corporation would have
the power to indemnify such person against such liabilities under Section 145.

     The Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation provides that a current or
former director shall not be liable to the Registrant or its shareholders for
damages for any breach of fiduciary duty except under those circumstances set
forth in Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

         The Registrant's By-Laws provide for indemnification, to the fullest
extent permitted by applicable law, of any of its directors and officers who
are, or have been, or are threatened to be, made a party to an action or
proceeding, whether civil or criminal, by reason of the fact that such director
or officer is a director or officer of the Registrant, against any judgments,
fines, amounts paid in settlement and expenses, including attorneys' fees, or
any appeal therein.  The By-Laws also provide that additional indemnification
may be provided by the Registrant to any other person to the extent permitted by
applicable law.

         The Registrant has purchased directors' and officers' liability
insurance in the amounts and subject to the conditions set forth in such
policies covering certain liabilities incurred by its officers and directors in
connection with the performance of their respective duties.


Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.
         --------------------------------------

         Not Applicable.


Item 8.  Exhibits.
         ---------

         See Index to Exhibits.
<PAGE>
 
Item 9.  Undertakings.
         -------------

          1.   The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes
of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual
report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by
reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

          2.   The Registrant hereby undertakes:

               a.  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made of the securities registered hereby, a post-effective amendment to this
Registration Statement:

                    (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
     of the Securities Act;

                    (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
     arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the
     most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
     aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in
     this Registration Statement;

                    (iii) To include any material information with respect to
     the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration
     Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration
     Statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1))(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of
     this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3,
     Form S-8 or Form F-3, and the information required to be included in a 
     post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic
     reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant
     pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
     incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

               b.  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
<PAGE>
 
               c.  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

          3.  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.


                                  SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Company
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, and in the capacities indicated, in the City of Chicago, State of
Illinois, on the 20th day of December, 1996.


                                       FMC CORPORATION


                                       By:  /s/ MICHAEL J. CALLAHAN
                                            -----------------------
                                            Michael J. Callahan
                                            Executive Vice President-Finance
<PAGE>
 
          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration
statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities
indicated on the 20th day of December, 1996.

 
 
SIGNATURE                              TITLE
---------                              -----

ROBERT N. BURT*                        Chairman of the Board and Chief 
------------------------               Executive Officer
ROBERT N. BURT

MICHAEL J. CALLAHAN                    Executive Vice President-Finance
------------------------               (Principal Financial Officer)
MICHAEL J. CALLAHAN

RONALD D. MAMBU                        Controller
------------------------               (Principal Accounting Officer)
RONALD D. MAMBU

LARRY D. BRADY*                        Director
------------------------
LARRY D. BRADY

PATRICIA A. BUFFLER*                   Director
------------------------
PATRICIA A. BUFFLER

B.A. BRIDGEWATER, JR.*                 Director
------------------------
B.A. BRIDGEWATER, JR.

ALBERT J. COSTELLO*                    Director
------------------------
ALBERT J. COSTELLO

PAUL L. DAVIES, JR.*                   Director
------------------------
PAUL L. DAVIES, JR.

ROBERT H. MALOTT*                      Director
------------------------
ROBERT H. MALOTT

EDWARD C. MEYER*                       Director
------------------------
EDWARD C. MEYER

WILLIAM F. REILLY*                     Director
------------------------
WILLIAM F. REILLY

JAMES R. THOMPSON*                     Director
------------------------
JAMES R. THOMPSON

CLAYTON YEUTTER*                       Director
------------------------
CLAYTON YEUTTER

*By: /s/ ROBERT L. DAY
     -----------------
     ROBERT L. DAY
     (Attorney-in-Fact)
<PAGE>
 
                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS
                               -----------------
                                        
 
 
Exhibit                      Description of Exhibit
  No.
-------                      ----------------------


4.1             Restated Certificate of Incorporation
                of the Company as filed on July 11,
                1986 (incorporated by reference from 
                Exhibit 3.1 to the Form SE filed on
                March 25, 1993)              

4.2             Amendment to Restated Certificate of 
                Incorporation filed on April 30, 1987
                (incorporated by reference from Exhibit
                3.2 to the Form SE filed on March 25,
                1993)

4.3             Amended and Restated By-Laws of the 
                Company, as amended

4.4             Amended and Restated Rights Agreement
                dated as of February 19, 1988, between
                the Company and Harris Trust and
                Savings Bank (incorporated by reference
                from Exhibit 4 to the Form SE filed on
                March 25, 1993)

4.5             Amendment to Amended and Restated
                Rights Agreement, dated February 9,
                1996, between the Company and Harris
                Trust and Savings Bank (incorporated by
                reference from Exhibit 1 to the Form
                8-K filed on February 9, 1996)

4.6             FMC 1995 Management Incentive Plan
                (incorporated by reference from Exhibit
                10.9 to the Form 10-K filed on March
                15, 1996)

4.7             FMC 1995 Stock Option Plan as amended
                (incorporated by reference from Exhibit
                10.10 to the Form 10-K filed on March
                15, 1996)

5               Opinion of Robert L. Day on the 
                legality of the Common Shares

15.1            Letter from KPMG Peat Marwick LLP re
                unaudited interim financial information
                about the Company

15.2            Letter from Ernst & Young LLP re
                unaudited interim financial information
                about United Defense, L.P.

23.1            Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

23.2            Consent of Robert L. Day (included in
                the Opinion filed as Exhibit 5)

23.3            Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

24              Powers of Attorney of certain officers
                and directors of the Company
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 19524}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "FMC CORP", "cik": "0000037785", "assigned-sic": "2800", "irs-number": "940479804", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-18383", "film-number": "96683971"}, "business-address": {"street1": "200 E RANDOLPH DR", "city": "CHICAGO", "state": "IL", "zip": "60601", "phone": "3128616000"}, "former-company": [{"former-conformed-name": "BEAN SPRAY PUMP CO", "date-changed": "19670706"}, {"former-conformed-name": "FOOD MACHINERY & CHEMICAL CORP", "date-changed": "19670706"}]}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December __, 1996
                                                   Registration No. 333-________
________________________________________________________________________________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, DC  20549
                            
                            -----------------------

                                    FORM S-8
            REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                            -----------------------

                                FMC CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         Delaware                                   94-0479804
(State or other jurisdiction                      (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)              Identification Number)

                            200 East Randolph Drive
                            Chicago, Illinois  60601
                                  312/861-6000
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                       FMC 1995 MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN
                                      AND
                           FMC 1995 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                           (Full title of the plans)

                                 Robert L. Day
                    Secretary and Assistant General Counsel
                                FMC Corporation
                            200 East Randolph Drive
                            Chicago, Illinois  60601
 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
                             of agent for service)

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of securities to be     Amount to be registered       Proposed maximum        Proposed maximum        Amount of registration
registered                                                 offering price per      aggregate offering               fee(1)
                                                                share(1)                price(1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Shares $.10 par       3,000,000(2)                    $72.00                   $72.00                  $65,454.55
value
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)  Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of calculating the
     amount of the registration fee based upon the average of the high and low
     prices reported for the Common Shares on the NYSE on December 13, 1996.

(2)  This is the total number of shares which may be offered based on the shares
     reserved for the Plans on the filing date.  Pursuant to Rule 416, this
     Registration Statement shall also be deemed to cover any additional shares
     offered under the Plan in order to reflect share splits, share dividends,
     mergers and other capital changes.
PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

     The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8
will be sent or given to participating employees as specified by Rule 428(b)(1)
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").  Such
documents are not being filed with or included in this Form S-8 (by
incorporation by reference or otherwise) in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission").  These
documents and the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration
Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken
together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a)
of the Securities Act.

                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.
         ------------------------------------------------

     The following documents filed by FMC Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(the "Company") with the Commission are incorporated herein by reference except
to the extent that any statement or information therein is modified, superseded
or replaced by a statement or information contained in any other subsequently
filed document incorporated by reference:

1.   FMC Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
     December 31, 1995.

2.   All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
     Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), since
     December 31, 1995.

3.   The description of the Company's Common Shares contained in the Company's
     Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed pursuant to Section 12 of the
     Exchange Act dated May 12, 1986, relating to the Company's Plan of
     Recapitalization and the listing of the Common Stock on the New York,
     Midwest and Pacific Stock Exchanges.

4.   The description of the Company's Rights, with respect to Common Shares,
     contained in the "Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered"
     of the Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the
     Commission on March 18, 1986 as amended by the Company's Form 8 Amendment
     to Application filed with
the Commission on February 27, 1988 and the Company's Form 8-A/A filed with
     the Commission on February 12, 1996.

5.   All documents filed by the Company or the Plan pursuant to Section 13(a),
     13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date hereof and prior to
     the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
     securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then
     remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein
     and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.
         --------------------------

         Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
         ---------------------------------------

         Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
         ------------------------------------------

     Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
("Section 145") empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a
party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or
completed action, suit or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative
or investigative by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the
request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation or enterprise.  Depending on the character of the proceeding, a
corporation may indemnify against expenses (including attorney's fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred
in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person indemnified
acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or
not opposed to the best interest of the corporation and, with respect to any
criminal action or proceeding, had no cause to believe such person's conduct was
unlawful.  In the case of an action by or in the right of the corporation, no
indemnification may be made in respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which
such person shall have been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct
in the performance of such person's duty to the corporation unless and only to
the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit
was brought shall determine that despite the adjudication of liability such
person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which
the court shall deem proper.  Section 145 further provides that
to the extent a director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation has been
successful in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above or
in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be
indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably
incurred by such person in connection therewith. Section 145 also states that
the indemnification provided for in such section shall not be deemed exclusive
of any other rights to which the indemnified party may be entitled and empowers
the corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of directors,
officers, employees and agents of the corporation against any liability asserted
against such person or incurred by such person in any such capacity or arising
out of such person's status as such whether or not the corporation would have
the power to indemnify such person against such liabilities under Section 145.

     The Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation provides that a current or
former director shall not be liable to the Registrant or its shareholders for
damages for any breach of fiduciary duty except under those circumstances set
forth in Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

         The Registrant's By-Laws provide for indemnification, to the fullest
extent permitted by applicable law, of any of its directors and officers who
are, or have been, or are threatened to be, made a party to an action or
proceeding, whether civil or criminal, by reason of the fact that such director
or officer is a director or officer of the Registrant, against any judgments,
fines, amounts paid in settlement and expenses, including attorneys' fees, or
any appeal therein.  The By-Laws also provide that additional indemnification
may be provided by the Registrant to any other person to the extent permitted by
applicable law.

         The Registrant has purchased directors' and officers' liability
insurance in the amounts and subject to the conditions set forth in such
policies covering certain liabilities incurred by its officers and directors in
connection with the performance of their respective duties.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.
         --------------------------------------

         Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.
         ---------

         See Index to Exhibits.
Item 9.  Undertakings.
         -------------

          1.   The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes
of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual
report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by
reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

          2.   The Registrant hereby undertakes:

               a.  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made of the securities registered hereby, a post-effective amendment to this
Registration Statement:

                    (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
     of the Securities Act;

                    (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
     arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the
     most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
     aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in
     this Registration Statement;

                    (iii) To include any material information with respect to
     the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration
     Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration
     Statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1))(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of
     this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3,
     Form S-8 or Form F-3, and the information required to be included in a 
     post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic
     reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant
     pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
     incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

               b.  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
c.  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

          3.  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                                  SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Company
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, and in the capacities indicated, in the City of Chicago, State of
Illinois, on the 20th day of December, 1996.

                                       FMC CORPORATION

                                       By:  /s/ MICHAEL J. CALLAHAN
                                            -----------------------
                                            Michael J. Callahan
                                            Executive Vice President-Finance
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration
statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities
indicated on the 20th day of December, 1996.

 
 
SIGNATURE                              TITLE
---------                              -----

ROBERT N. BURT*                        Chairman of the Board and Chief 
------------------------               Executive Officer
ROBERT N. BURT

MICHAEL J. CALLAHAN                    Executive Vice President-Finance
------------------------               (Principal Financial Officer)
MICHAEL J. CALLAHAN

RONALD D. MAMBU                        Controller
------------------------               (Principal Accounting Officer)
RONALD D. MAMBU

LARRY D. BRADY*                        Director
------------------------
LARRY D. BRADY

PATRICIA A. BUFFLER*                   Director
------------------------
PATRICIA A. BUFFLER

B.A. BRIDGEWATER, JR.*                 Director
------------------------
B.A. BRIDGEWATER, JR.

ALBERT J. COSTELLO*                    Director
------------------------
ALBERT J. COSTELLO

PAUL L. DAVIES, JR.*                   Director
------------------------
PAUL L. DAVIES, JR.

ROBERT H. MALOTT*                      Director
------------------------
ROBERT H. MALOTT

EDWARD C. MEYER*                       Director
------------------------
EDWARD C. MEYER

WILLIAM F. REILLY*                     Director
------------------------
WILLIAM F. REILLY

JAMES R. THOMPSON*                     Director
------------------------
JAMES R. THOMPSON

CLAYTON YEUTTER*                       Director
------------------------
CLAYTON YEUTTER

*By: /s/ ROBERT L. DAY
     -----------------
     ROBERT L. DAY
     (Attorney-in-Fact)
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
                               -----------------
                                        
 
 
Exhibit                      Description of Exhibit
  No.
-------                      ----------------------

4.1             Restated Certificate of Incorporation
                of the Company as filed on July 11,
                1986 (incorporated by reference from 
                Exhibit 3.1 to the Form SE filed on
                March 25, 1993)              

4.2             Amendment to Restated Certificate of 
                Incorporation filed on April 30, 1987
                (incorporated by reference from Exhibit
                3.2 to the Form SE filed on March 25,
                1993)

4.3             Amended and Restated By-Laws of the 
                Company, as amended

4.4             Amended and Restated Rights Agreement
                dated as of February 19, 1988, between
                the Company and Harris Trust and
                Savings Bank (incorporated by reference
                from Exhibit 4 to the Form SE filed on
                March 25, 1993)

4.5             Amendment to Amended and Restated
                Rights Agreement, dated February 9,
                1996, between the Company and Harris
                Trust and Savings Bank (incorporated by
                reference from Exhibit 1 to the Form
                8-K filed on February 9, 1996)

4.6             FMC 1995 Management Incentive Plan
                (incorporated by reference from Exhibit
                10.9 to the Form 10-K filed on March
                15, 1996)

4.7             FMC 1995 Stock Option Plan as amended
                (incorporated by reference from Exhibit
                10.10 to the Form 10-K filed on March
                15, 1996)

5               Opinion of Robert L. Day on the 
                legality of the Common Shares

15.1            Letter from KPMG Peat Marwick LLP re
                unaudited interim financial information
                about the Company

15.2            Letter from Ernst & Young LLP re
                unaudited interim financial information
                about United Defense, L.P.

23.1            Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

23.2            Consent of Robert L. Day (included in
                the Opinion filed as Exhibit 5)

23.3            Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

24              Powers of Attorney of certain officers
                and directors of the Company