Nylon is a material used in everyday life, often overlooked, but non-the-less important. Before it was invented, there were no completely synthetic fibers. At the time, the world needed a cotton that wouldn't wrinkle, a silk that didn't require such delicate handling, and wool that didn't shrink, irritate, or get eaten by moths. In early 1934 a man named
Wallace Carothers was on his second attempt at creating such a fabric in a lab at the DuPont Experimental Station. After trouble with the first experiment, he decided to use
amines instead of glycol's to produce poly amides (synthetic proteins more stable than polyester) rather than polyesters. They soon discovered an outstanding poly amide fiber, later named nylon. In all, science and engineering were needed together: science to have the knowledge of what materials to use and engineering to know how to produce fibers. The
invention of nylon was revolutionary because it was the first truly synthetic fiber and came just in time to help our military during WWII. It was durable, highly resilient, had a high insect resistance, and was resistant to abrasion. It was originally needed to replace the Asian silk used in parachutes, but soon was used in a plethora of things including tires, clothes, ropes, and tents. It was anti-fungal, anti-corrosive, and protected ammunition and food well.
When Dr.Stine, a vice president at DuPont, decided to sell it commercially, they named it nylon. It is controversial as to where the name was derived, but it is the name that stuck. Dr.Stine made this famous quote at the unveiling of nylon at the World's Fair 1938, "Man's very first synthetic fiber, stronger than steel, fine as a spider's web, more elastic than any of the common natural fibers, splendidly shiny and due to be marketed with the commercial name of nylon." Women loved the thought of
nylon pantyhose, more resistant to rips and snags. Today, nylon is used in many materials. It is in plastics and rubbers, clothes, ropes and straps, carpets, guitar strings,fishing lines and nets, washers and screws, and many more things.
Synthetic materials have changed the products available today because they are usually cheaper, more durable, and more reliable. Just today, I came in contact with many synthetic materials: my pencil bag, water bottle, notebook covers, in the lining of my coat. It is in my book bag, and in my car. If synthetic materials didn't exist, my book bag and coat might be made from leather and wool, my notebooks might be leather-bound, and my water bottle might be made from something disgusting like animal intestine or bladder. Synthetic materials have made life easier and less expensive. They have given us more durable, resistant fabrics and materials, usually easier to wash as well. Nylon is one of the greatest inventions and has made life easier and more efficient.
