Today in Technology History

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February 16

Today is the anniversary of the first patent for nylon, an important man-made fiber.

An American chemist, Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937), was enticed in 1928 to leave a prestigious teaching position and instead head a new research group at the DuPont company.

In 1930, his researchers discovered that it was possible to make a strong new synthetic fiber out of chains of large molecules called polymers. The next year, Carothers applied for the first of many patents related to these "linear condensation polymers." On February 16, 1937 he was granted patent number 2,071,250. The DuPont company coined the name "nylon," mimicking the words "cotton" and "rayon."

Carothers noted in his patent application that the strands of his artificial fiber were "pliable, strong and elastic" and that they resembled silk. Nylon has proven itself important as a cheap alternative for silk, and it has been used in countless products, from tennis rackets to toothbrushes.

Sadly, Carothers did not live to see his invention put to good use. Like many other brilliant creators, Carothers was prone to severe attacks of depression. He became obsessed with the notion that his scientific career was a failure, and on April 29, 1937, he committed suicide with cyanide, two days after his 41st birthday.

Despite his worries, Carothers's reputation for genius had been well established in the scientific community. He led the way in showing the usefulness of polymer chemistry, an area of research which engages over half the industrial scientists in the U.S. to this day.

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