Word: nylon
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Whole new technologies such as nylon, the first all-synthetic fiber, and neoprene, the first U.S. commercial synthetic rubber, have sprung from Du Pont's cornucopian test tubes. Last year 175 manufacturers built the tops of 12 million pairs of shoes with Du Pont's three-year-old synthetic Corfam, which is supposed to look, feel and "breathe" like natural leather. Early this year, after twelve years and $8,000,000 in research, the company invaded the rich pharmaceutical field by marketing an antiflu drug named Symmetrel, which can be taken orally as either a pill or syrup...
...Pont's troubles center in the field it dominates: man-made fibers. As the leading U.S. maker of nylon, Dacron, Orion and several other synthetics, Du Pont depends on textile companies for a third of its sales volume. But the textile industry skidded into a sharp slump this year because of excess inventory, rising imports and falling prices. And that downturn caught chemical companies in the midst of a major expansion of fiber-making plants. One result is that the wholesale price of Dacron has dropped 40% in the past year. The problem, says Copeland, "can well be with...
...Another Nylon? To rebound, Du Pont still puts its faith in its prolific test tube. Among other promising ventures, it has recently developed a cheap but strong plastic heat exchanger, a line of nylon shutters and plastic vanity tops, and a compound called Zeset that keeps wool sweaters shrinkproof and enables felt hats to retain their shape and stiffness. For the future, Du Pont researchers envision such wonders as ski jackets that grow thicker and warmer when the temperature drops, curtains that change color or covering power when the sun hits, a fiber product that will remove salt or waste...
...Senior Richard Delanoy, who has devised a safety measure for the sport. Four Sigma Chis line up downwind, like baseball outfielders; whenever Gus blows too strong and the rider seems on the verge of liftoff, the outfielders rush the chute and plunge headlong into it, thereby safely collapsing the nylon canopy. "It's exciting when you see that chute billow out and you begin to move," said A. G. Phillips at the end of his parachute ride. "You feel that you've got hold of the wind...
Artificial turf got off to a spectacular start when it was installed as a last-minute solution after the lack of direct sun light killed the natural grass in Houston's Astrodome. Astro ballplayers still complain that the synthetic AstroTurf, a bladed carpet of green nylon backed by vinyl, makes hard-hit grounders skid rather than bounce, and that their spikes do not dig in firmly. On the other hand, the Houston University football team, which plays its home games in the Astrodome, found the going great, and it was no hindrance to making Houston's pass-catching...