the.com/carothers
the chemist who invented nylon, then never lived to see a single stocking sold.
means wallace carothers was the du pont chemist whose polymer research created nylon, the first fully synthetic fiber, revolutionizing textiles forever.
from harvard-trained organic chemist recruited by du pont in 1928 to do pure research, no commercial pressure, until they wanted results — he delivered neoprene, then nylon.
suicide 1937died by cyanide before nylon hit stores in 1940.
neoprene firstinvented synthetic rubber before nylon, in 1930.
depression battledstruggled with mental illness his whole scientific career.
patent posthumousnylon patent granted after his death.
for instance
nylon stockings — launched 1940, sold 5 million pairs in one day.
neoprene wetsuits — still standard scuba gear, invented by carothers in 1930.
du pont experimental station — wilmington, delaware lab where he ran polymer research 1928-1937.