| Timeline |
| 1907 |
Leo Baekeland
made first totally synthetic plastic called Bakelite. |
| 1910 |
Cellophane
invented by Swiss chemist Jacques Brandenberger. |
| 1924 |
Aminoplastic
(first pale colored plastic). |
| 1926 |
Synthetic rubber.
|
| 1927 |
Polyvinyl
chloride (PVC). |
| 1930s |
Engineers develop
new molding and extrusion techniques for plastics. |
| 1930 |
Polystyrene. |
| 1933 |
Polyethelene. |
| 1933 |
First continuous
casting of steel, S. Junghaus, Germany (machine is prototype for
future industrial-scale steel plants). |
| 1936 |
Plexiglass. |
| 1938 |
Nylon. |
| 1938 |
Teflon discovered
by Roy Plunkett. |
| 1938 |
Fiberglass. |
| 1938 |
Foam glass
insulating material. |
| 1939 |
Plastic contact
lens. |
| 1946 |
Tupperware. |
| 1946 |
Vinyl floor
covering. |
| 1946 |
Aluminum-based
metallic yard. |
| 1946 |
Ceramic
magnets. |
| 1952 |
Basic oxygen
process refines steel making. |
| 1953 | Karl Zeigler invents
new process for producing polyethelene. |
| 1953 |
Dacron,
plasticized PVC, and silicones manufactured by Dow Corning.
|
| 1955 |
Polypropylene
(petroleum-based). |
| 1961 |
Superpolymers
(heat resistant). |
| 1964 |
Acrylic paint. |
| 1964 | Carbon fiber (used to reinforce materials in high
temperature environment). |
| 1964 |
Beryllium (hard
metal) developed for heat shields in spacecraft, animal surgery,
aircraft parts, etc. |
| 1970 |
Sialon (ceramic
material for high-speed cutting tools in metal machining).
|
| 1983 |
Soft bifocal
contact lens. |
| 1986 |
Synthetic skin.
|
| 1990s |
New composites
and lightweight steel. |
