Wallace Carother and Nylon

Wallace Carother was a fine chemist.  He first went to school to major in accounting but then changed his major to science.  He left his job, teaching accounting at Harvard, to take a new job as the head of the research team at DuPont, where they were trying to make new silk like materials.  During his experiments to make a synthetic silk, Wallace made the process better by adjusting the tools that they used.  This made better and stronger fibers.  After a long period of time, he finally came out successful. He had found the way to use polymers to make "nylon". 


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In Wallaces' work, there is a relationship between science and engineering.  In order for Wallace to reconstruct the tools and equipment that he used, he needed some kind of engineering. The definition of engineering is "technology: the practical application of science to commerce or industry" according to the google.

The invention of nylon was revolutionary because it was during the time period of WW1.  This was when we were at war with Japan, who had supplied the U.S. with silk, so our trade was breaking apart.  But with this new synthetic material, we are able to by durable clothes for less. With nylon we are able to manufacture more and people will buy more because it is cheaper than buying actual silk.

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Everyday, everyone comes in contact with synthetic materials.  I come in contact with many types of synthetic materials, such as paper, clothing, and anything that might be made of rubber. What if synthetic materials never existed?  We would be wearing leather and silk, which would be a lot more than buying synthetic materials.