Neoprene, discovery

As nylon and the plastics revolution became a part of modern life, the figure of Carothers receded tragically into the shadows. The horror of his death, the social stigma attached to mental illness and suicide, and prevailing social codes that discouraged the discussion of personal tragedies contributed to an atmosphere of secrecy that surrounded his life. As late as 1979, the Encyclopaedia Britannica credited Father Nieuwland with the discovery of Neoprene. 

Julius Arthur Nieuwland. Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. 7, pp. 336-337. Chicago Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 1979. Source for his discovery of poison gas and getting credit for neoprene. 

John K. Smith. The Ten-Year Invention Neoprene and DuPont Research, 1930-1939. Technology and Culture. 26 (Jan. 1985) 34-55. Source for discovery of superpolymer in molecular still rubber as addition polymer others condensation Nieuwland Collins assigned DVA problem marketing Neoprene and new products in Depression. 

Wallace Carothers and coworkers at DuPont synthesized aliphatic polyesters in the 1930s [Furukawa, 1998 Hounshell and Smith, 1988]. These had melting points below 100°C, which made them unsuitable for firber use. Carothers then turned successfully to polyamides, based on the theoretical consideration that amides melt higher than esters. Polyamides were the first synthetic fibers to be produced commercially. The polyester and polyamide research at DuPont had a major impact on all of polymer science. Carothers laid the foundation for much of our understanding of how to synthesize polymeric materials. Out of that work came other discoveries in the late 1930s, including neoprene, an elastomer produced from chloro-prene, and Teflon, produced from tetrafluoroethylene. The initial commercial application for nylon 6/6 was women s hosiery, but this was short-lived with the intrusion of World War II. The entire nylon 6/6 production was allocated to the war effort in applications for parachutes, tire cord, sewing thread, and rope. The civilian applications for nylon products burst forth and expanded rapidly after the war. 

First study of co-polymerisation by Wagner-Jauregg Early theories of rubber-elasticity (Mark, Meyer, Guth, Kuhn and others) Carothers famous work proves by means of organic synthesis that polymers are giant, stable molecules. He first proves it by the discovery of neoprene (polychloro-butadiene), then by the condensation polymerisation of amino acids and esters. As a consequence the first fully synthetic textile fibre, nylon, is developed. In Carothers group Flory elucidates the mechanisms of radical and condensation polymerisation... 

Figure 4, This complex of buildings, just north of the BrandyvAne Creek near Wilmington, Del., is Du PonPs Experimental Station, one of the world s largest and most diverse research laboratories. With its establishment in 1903, Du Pont embarked on a wide-ranging research program which, with the discovery of neoprene and nylon, introduced a new era in polymer chemistry. Today about 1,400 scientists and engineers work at the station on projects ranging from theoretical investigation and the research for new structures to applied studies and new-product support.

Nylon 66 was first made by Wallace Carothers, a scientist working at DuPont , on February 28, 1935. Dr. Carothers also contributed to the discovery of neoprene, which is used to make suits used for scuba diving. 

In 1927 the management of Du Pont initiated a basic research programme that led to the discovery of neoprene synthetic rubber and nylon. The programme encompassed colloid chemistry, catalysis, the gathering of physical and chemical data, organic... 

US industrial chemist, who joined the Du Pont company where he worked on polymers. In 1931 he produced neoprene, a synthetic rubber. His greatest success came in 1935 with the discovery of the polyamide that came to be known as nylon. Carothers, who suffered from depression, committed suicide. 

Polychloroprene resembled vulcanized rubber in ite physical properties but was superior in its resistance to ozone, ordinary oxidation and to most organic solvents. Commercial sale of polychloroprene, under the generic name "neoprene" and trademark "Duprene", began in June, 1982, about two years after its discovery. 

Polychloroprene [9010-98-4] was discovered in 1930 at E. I. DuPont de Nemours Co. in Wilmington Delaware. The discovery grew out of a need to develop a synthetic substitute for natural ruhher. DuPont first marketed this first commercially successful synthetic elastomer as DuPrene in 1933. In response to new technology development that significantly improved the product and manufacturing process, the name was changed to Neoprene in 1936. The current commercially acceptable generic name for this class of chlorinated elastomers is CR or chloroprene rubber. 

In the early 1930 s, the pioneering work of Wallace Carothers and his associates at Du Pont gave us polymers such as neoprene synthetic rubber and nylon fibers. As defined at the time of its discovery, nylon Is a generic term for any long-chain synthetic polymeric amide which has recurring amide groups as an integral part of the... 

There are a number of examples of accidental discoveries that have had a major impact on polymer synthesis or derivatization. These include the Goodyear vulcanization of rubber (1840, (72)), an observation of Chardonnet that led to the discovery of rayon (1878, (13)), and the Dupont discoveries of the conversion of cliloroprene to neoprene (1920s, (14)), the cold drawing method for making nylon (1937, ( 15, 16)), and of polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene to Teflon (1938, (17)). 

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