Rauful Alam
Researcher, University of Pennsylvania, USA
After food, clothing is humanity’s most basic necessity. And for clothing, we need yarn. Even at the beginning of the twentieth century, the textile industry was primarily dependent on natural sources. As a result, it was impossible to meet all the demands. Moreover, the growing sophistication and diversity of industry required artificial yarn. Chemists around the world were striving to create yarn at that time. Wallace Carothers was one of them. His mind was entirely consumed by the desire to create yarn.
Carothers began his career as a teacher, starting out lecturing at Harvard University. After a year, he left. In 1927, he started working at the world-renowned chemical company DuPont. There, Carothers began research on polymers. He established a laboratory for this research. With a few young colleagues, his work began.
When engaging in research, it is crucial to stay alert and aware. Across the world, many people think about the same problems at the same time. Whoever succeeds first, receives the credit. At that time, many renowned chemists were focused on polymer research. Carothers kept track of this. He worked tirelessly day and night.
There are several stages in successfully creating a chemical compound. First, a compound must be made. Then, it must be purified. To confirm the structure of the pure compound, various tests must be conducted. Purifying polymer compounds was very difficult back then. Determining their structure was even more challenging. But Carothers was not one to give up. He persisted. Around 1934, he became mentally distraught. By then, he had worked at DuPont for about seven years. He still had not achieved any major breakthrough. Yet, he continued his efforts. Finally, at the start of 1935, the most joyful moment of his life arrived—a golden moment of creation. Carothers discovered a remarkable chemical reaction. By combining a compound called adipic acid with another called hexamethylenediamine, he created a wonderful amide compound. The reaction was very simple, yet no one had ever seen such an amide compound before. This compound could be spun into threads, just like yarn. Mixing two chemical compounds resulted in yarn-like fibers. The resulting yarn was strong, flexible! What a magical discovery! That amide compound was named Nylon.
Carothers knew that this yarn would change the entire world. But he had no idea how quickly it would happen. By 1939, nylon had conquered the globe. Within weeks, thousands of tons of DuPont’s nylon had sold out. Nylon reached homes in every continent. Not just fabric—nylon was used in toothbrushes, guitar strings, carpets—everywhere! Carothers was not so fortunate. He did not live to see how his creation reached households around the world.
April 30, 1937. A shadow of mourning fell over DuPont. Hundreds of employees were stunned. Their brilliant chemist Wallace Carothers was dead—he committed suicide by ingesting potassium cyanide. He was only forty-one years old. In truth, behind Carothers’ creative world lay much suffering. He was mentally depressed! Nature dealt this gifted man a harsh hand. He didn’t even live to see his own child’s face. Eight months after Carothers’ death, his child was born into the world.
Those who know how to conquer the world often remain unfortunate in many other ways. Carothers ushered in a new era in the chemical industry. The revolution he started in polymer research has allowed the chemical industry to advance greatly. This prodigy continues to shine as a star in the history of chemistry. Nylon is also chemically referred to as Nylon-6,6. This name comes from the fact that both adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine have six carbon atoms each. Amine is an organic base. Thus, in the reaction between the acid and the base, water is produced along with the creation of the amide bond. Because each of those acid and amine compounds has two carboxylic and two amine groups, the reaction repeats itself over and over. Countless molecules react and join together to form a large molecule. That large molecule contains countless amide bonds, or amide links.
This large molecule can be compared to a chain. Just as a chain connects identical rings one after the other, in this molecule, specific numbers of carbons apart, there is an amide bond. In chemistry, such molecules are called polymers. Nylon is a polymer molecule.
Because they are large, the molecular count is also higher. Plastic, rubber, polythene, PVC pipes, proteins—all are polymers. Polymer molecules can be formed into various shapes, sizes, and structures. Many everyday items are made from polymers. The use of polymers in human life is multi-faceted.
Source:
This article was adapted from an essay published in the January 2018 issue of BigganChinta Magazine. Author: Dr. Rauful Alam, Researcher, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
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