Hydrocarbon Processing - February 2022 - 55

History of the HPI
duced strong, elastic fibers.32
The new
material was called polymer 6,6 (or nylon
66) since the two monomers that comprise
the substance each contained six
carbon atoms (FIG. 2). Nylon first became
a household product as women's hosiery,
later being used in the U.S. war effort to
produce parachutes and tents. Over the
next several decades, nylon would be
used extensively as a combined fabric in
fashion and apparel, as well as in several
industrial applications-the global nylon
industry market size is forecast to reach
more than $46 B by the late 2020s.33
Polyester. Carothers' research also led
to the discovery of polyester in the early
1930s. However, the discovery of nylon
pushed additional research on polyester
to the backburner. It was not until the late
1930s that British scientists John Winfield
and James Dickson expanded on
Carothers' work on synthetic fibers. Their
research would eventually lead to the development
of polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) in 1941, which they marketed
under the name Terylene. DuPont would
later purchase the rights of the British scientists'
discovery and develop a new synthetic
fiber in the mid-1940s they called
Dacron. In the early 1970s, PET began
to be used in the production of plastic
bottles, and today, PET is the fourth most
produced polymer after PE, polypropylene
and polyvinyl chloride.
Resins, epoxies, polyurethane and
Plexiglas. The DuPont company was not
finished with major polymer discoveries
of the 1930s. In 1938, Roy Plunkett was
assigned to research chlorofluorocarbon
refrigerants to find a better way to refrigerate
food. Much like the discovery
of PE, an accident led to the discovery
of another important product still in
use today. Plunkett stored 100 lb of tetrafluoroethylene
gas in small cylinders
at dry-ice temperatures [approximately
-78°C (-109°F)] before chlorinating it.
When he opened the cylinder, instead of
gas pouring out, Plunkett noticed a white
powder had formed (FIG. 3).34
Further
investigation found the substance to be
heat resistant and had a low surface friction.
DuPont polymer scientists determined
that the tetrafluoroethylene gas
polymerized to produce the material,
which DuPont would later market under
the name Teflon.
In 1936, while working at Monsanto
Chemical Co., William Talbot produced
melamine formaldehyde by polymerizing
formaldehyde with melamine. This
new substance was a thermosetting plastic
that was very good at maintaining
strength and shape. Melamine resins were
used for many different applications, including
in utensils, plates, furniture, cups,
bowls, laminates, toilet seats, automotive
and epoxy coatings, among others.35
Within the next 3 yr, other significant
chemical discoveries were made. In
1936, British chemists John Crawford
and Rowland Hill discovered polymethyl
methacrylate (PMMA) while working
at ICI in England. PMMA is a clear thermoplastic
resin that is more transparent
than glass and 6x-7x more resistant to
breakage than glass.36
Around the same time, German chemist
Otto Röhm conducted experiments
with methyl methacrylate (MMA). One
experiment involved polymerizing MMA
between two layers of glass in a water
quench. The result was a clear plastic sheet
that was lighter than glass but much less
prone to shatter. Röhm's chemical company-Röhm
and Hass AG-soon marketed
the material under the name Plexiglas
(FIG. 4). According to literature, the first
major applications of the new plastic were
for aircraft windows and bubble canopies
for gun turrets during WW2.37
After this
discovery, several companies around the
world developed their own PMMA products
under various proprietary names.
Röhm and Hass AG's business lines were
eventually acquired by different multinational
businesses, including Dow Chemical,
Arkema and Evonik.
In 1936, while working with synthetic
resins to produce dental prosthesis, Swiss
chemist Pierre Castan developed a solid
by reacting bisphenol A with epichlorohydrin
and curing it with phthalic anhydride.
Castan's invention-epoxy resin-was
first used for dental fixtures and casings,38
later being licensed by Ciba Ltd., which
would become one of the largest epoxy
resin producers in the world.
FIG. 3. Plunkett (far right) and colleagues
reenacted the discovery of Teflon in 1938. Photo
courtesy of the Hagley Museum and Library.
FIG. 4. After discovering Plexiglas, Röhm and Hass AG marketed the material by saying,
" The light and weather-resistant, practically unbreakable, flexible and easily formable
Plexiglas is made from a new, viscous synthetic resin. " Photo courtesy of Evonik Industries.
Hydrocarbon Processing | FEBRUARY 2022 55

Hydrocarbon Processing - February 2022

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