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Word: scotchgard (lookup in dictionary) (lookup stats)
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...SCOTCHGARD In 1953 Patsy Sherman, one of the few women chemists at a major corporation, was researching in 3M's labs ways to create a rubber material that aircraft fuel couldn't destroy. Her assistant accidentally knocked over a bottle of synthetic latex onto her new sneakers. Soap, alcohol and solvents couldn't remove the compound, but Sherman also noticed it resisted dirt. So she and a colleague improved its liquid repellency, and three years later 3M sold it on the market as a suede protectant. In 1973 Sherman obtained a patent for it to preserve carpets...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: Eureka! ... But What Is It? | 2/6/2006 | See Source »

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