Hellooo Nylon!! Goodbye silk...

Wallace Carothers is known for contributing more to our basic knowledge of polymers more than anyone else. He began as a teacher, but preferred to do research instead, and in 1928, he accepted a position with DuPont in order to work on a research program. Wallace produced nylon in the year of 1935, but it wasn’t announced until the year 1938. The research team wanted to make a synthetic fiber that could replace silk, because the United States received their silk from Japan, and trade relations between the two countries were breaking apart. 

The invention of nylon was revolutionary, because nobody had ever thought that it could be done, and it was very convenient compared to silk, due to our relations with Japan being shaky. Also, it was a strong fiber that could stand up well to both heat and solvents. Synthetic materials have changed the products today, because there are so many different fabrics and materials that are being used, such as stretchy materials like elastics. If we didn’t have these materials, I think everything would be made from cotton and wool, because they are easier to reach and find.

The relationship between engineering and science in Carothers work is the fact that he had so much knowledge in his head about science and organic chemistry and he used that knowledge to engineer a new product. He started by studying the chemical structure of polymers and it led him to his great accomplishment of introducing nylon.