CHEMICALS -
Business History of Manufacturers
1792 - James Woodhouse
founded Chemical Society of Philadelphia, first such society in world.
July 19, 1802
- Eleuthre Irne du Pont (E.I.) broke
ground for first gun powder mills on the
Brandywine River;
paid Wilmington, DE
businessman, Jacob Broom, $6,740 for a site;
1802-1880 -
black powder was the sole product manufactured at DuPont. November 27, 1826 -
John Walker, an English pharmacist from Stockton-on-Tees, invented the
first practical, strike-anywhere, friction match (refused to patent
his creation); used three-inch splints of wood, tipped with potassium
chlorate, antimony sulphide, and gum arabic; head was ignited by
drawing it through a fold of fine glasspaper; 1829 -
similar matches called "Lucifers" were sold throughout London
(difference was added sulphur, to aid combustion, and white
phosphorus); early twentieth century - Phosphorus sesquisulphide
replaced the deadly white phosphorus in the strike-anywhere match.
October 24, 1836 - Alonzo Dwight Phillips, of Springfield, MA,
received patent for the "Manufacture of Friction-Matches"; first genuine phosphorous friction safety match made in America (could be struck on any rough surface); made
entirely by hand from a mixture of chalk, phosphorus, glue and brimstone
(sulphur), known as "loco focos," and later as "lucifers" (gas for
lighting and cooking, spread of cigar smoking); 1860's
- about a million matches a day were being manufactured; 1827
- first friction matches (mixture of chemicals for their heads) were
made and sold in England.
December 5, 1846 - Christian Frederick Schönbein of
Basle, Switzerland, received U.S. Patent for
"Improvement in Preparation of Cotton-Wool and Other Substances as
Substitutes for Gunpowder"; 1891 - James Dewar and
Frederick Abel incorporated nitrocellulose in a mixture that could be
handled more safely, replaced gunpower on battlefield (where it had
been used for five centuries), until World War II; useful for blasting
because it generated about six times the gas of an equal volume of
gunpowder, produced less smoke and heat.
June 12, 1849 - Lewis P. Haslett, of
Louisville, KY, received a patent for a "Lung Protector"
(forerunner of gas mask);
first U.S.
patent issued for an air purifying respirator.
July 2, 1850 - Benjamin I. Lane, of Cambridge, MA, received
patent for a "Respiring Apparatus" (called "Lane's Pneumatic
Life-Preserver..."to enter buildings and vessels filled with smoke or
impure air and into sewers, mines, wells, and other places filled with
noxious gases or impure air, the person being protected from suffocation
arising from such causes"); self-contained breathing apparatus (gas mask) with
compressed air supply (vs. filtering surrounding air).
1851 - George Crompton, M. A. Furbush launched successful
loom making business in Worcester, MA (based on his father’s patent
which William Crompton had received on November 14, 1837 for a "Figure
Power-Loom", "improvements in figure or fancy power-looms");
November 14, 1854 - received a patent for a "Loom" ("Loom for
Weaving Ornamental Figured Fabrics"; added 60% to operating capacity of
loom, reduced amount of labor needed to run it by half; 1856
- Lucius J. Knowles, F. B. Knowles (brother) established LJ & FB Knowles
in Worcester, MA to manufacture, sell looms for every kind of textile
fabric; 1859 - partner retired, George Crompton
established Crompton Loom Works; January 21, 1873 - Lucius
Knowles received a patent for "Looms" (open-shed fancy cassimere loom);
1897 - merged; formed Crompton & Knowles Loom Works;
dominated market for fancy looms in America, woolen looms in world
through mid-twentieth century; 1900 - incorporated;
1954- expanded into dye, chemical business; 1956 -
renamed Crompton & Knowles Corporation; 1981 -
discontinued loom manufacturing; 1996 - acquired Uniroyal
Chemical Corporation for $1.4 billion; September 1, 1999 -
merged with Witco Corporation (founded 1920) in deal valued at $2.26
billion; renamed form CK Witco Corporation; major force in world market
for additives, polymers, processing equipment, specialty chemicals ($3.2
billion in annual revenues); 2000 - renamed Crompton
Corporation.
March 27, 1855 - Abraham Gesner, of Williamsburg, NY,
received patent for an "Improvement in Processes for Making Kerosene";
first patent for process to obtain oil for illumination from bituminous
shale and cannel coal.
February 20, 1857 - William Henry Perkin (18), of King
David Fort, Middlesex, UK, received a British patent for "Producing a
New Coloring Matter for Dyeing with a Lilac or Purple Color Stuffs of
Silk, Cotton, Wool or Other Materials"); first aniline dye, mauveine
(aniline purple), first synthetic organic dye); had tried to synthesize
quinine, anti-malaria drug.
January 4, 1863 -
Eugen Lucius, Wilhelm Meister, August
Müller
founded Chemische Fabrik Meister Lucius & Co. in
Höchst am Main, Germany (near
Frankfurt;
obtained permit to operate aniline,
aniline-dye factory in 1862); 1867 - name changed
to Meister Lucius & Brüning; 1881 - went public became a
stock company, Farbwerke vorm. Meister Lucius & Brüning AG (known
internationally as Farbwerke Hoechst AG); 1892 - began
production of immunological drugs; December 1925 -
incorporated into IG Farbenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft; 1945
- Allied Forces dissolved I.G. Farbenindustrie AG, Höchst plant put
under US control from 1945 to 1951; December 7, 1951 -
Farbwerke Hoechst AG reestablished in Frankfurt; 1987 -
acquired Celanese, formed new subsidiary in the US, Hoechst Celanese;
1999 - merged with Rhône-Poulenc S.A., formed Aventis SA;
2004 - acquired by Sanofi-Synthélabo.
1863 - Joseph Wilbrand, German chemist, discovered
trinitrotoluene (TNT); unaffected by ordinary shocks and jarring, must
be set off by a detonator, does not react with metals; 1891
- manufacture of TNT started in Germany.
February 10, 1863 -
Alanson Crane, of
Fortress Monroe, VA, , received patent for an
"Improvement in Fire-Extinguishers".
October 14, 1863 - Alfred Nobel received his first patent, Swedish patent for preparation of nitroglycerin (called "blasting
oil"); 1868 - Nobel patented dynamite as form for safer
handling.
April 6, 1865 - Friedrich Engelhorn,
owner of coal gas company in Mannheim, founded
BASF as Badische Anilin- &
Soda-Fabrik AG [BASF] to produce coal tar dyes and precursors; 30
employees; manufacturing facilities built on opposite side
of Rhine River in Ludwigshafen (part of kingdom of Bavaria);
1869 -
Heinrich Caro
synthesized first natural dye ((prepared
by Carl Graebe, Carl Lieberman), Alizarin; red dye derived from
root of madder plant, mainly used to dye cotton), first global success
story; 1876 - Caro synthesized pure blue dye for cotton -
methylene blue; 1877 - received Germany’s first
patent for coal tar dye
for methylene blue; 1888 - largest sulfuric acid producer
in world at this time; January 1890
- established patent
office (later became patent
department); 1897 - successfully launched synthetic "pure
indigo from BASF" (after 17 years of research at cost of 18 million gold
marks); won race to manufacture "king" of natural dyes; January 1,
1900 - 6,207 employees; 1913 - started world’s
first ammonia synthesis plant, began production of mineral fertilizer;
became supplier of agricultural products, moved into high-pressure
technology (new area of chemistry); 1923 - successful
synthesis of methanol (Matthias Pier); December 1925 - merged with
five other companies (including Hoechst , Bayer), formed IG
Farbenindustrie AG.
July 14, 1867 -
Alfred Nobel demonstrated dynamite for
first time at quarry in Redhill, Surrey, England - combination of
nitroglycerin and porous substance called kieselguhr = a highly
explosive mixture that was much safer to handle, use, christened
"dynamite" (Greek word dynamis, meaning "power"); November 26,
1868 -
Nobel, of Hamburg, Germany received a U. S. patent for an "Improved
Explosive Compound"; dynamite;
1863 - invented a way to control the detonation of
nitroglycerin, a highly volatile liquid that had been recently
discovered but was previously regarded as too dangerous for use;
1865 - invented the blasting cap, an improved detonator that
inaugurated the modern use of high explosives; 1887 -
introduced ballistite, a smokeless nitroglycerin powder.
October 1867 - Edward, Otto, Gustav Mallinckrodt (formerly
of Richardson & Co., wholesale druggists) began G. Mallinckrodt & Co. in
St. Louis, MO to manufacture fine chemicals for pharmaceutical products;
June 1887 - Edward Mallinckrodt took over (brothers died);
1882 - incorporated as Mallinckrodt Chemical Works;
1890 - a chief producer of anhydrous ammonia; 1898
- began producing opium-based medicinal narcotics for pharmacists;
1913 - entered medical imaging business; 1928 -
Edward, Jr. took over; 1930s - produced medicinal
narcotics; December 2, 1942 - first self-sustaining
nuclear chain reaction took place beneath west stands of University of
Chicago's Stagg Athletic Field using Monsanto-produced uranium
(Manhattan Project); 1954 - went public; 1982
- acquired Avon Products; sales of $494 million; 1986 -
Avon acquired by International Minerals and Chemical Corporation; became
global manufacturer, distributor of specialty medical products (industry
leader in respiratory care products, number one manufacturer of bulk
narcotics and other drug chemicals, world's largest producer of
acetaminophen); 1999 - revenue of $2.6 billion;
2000 - acquired by Tyco International for $3.24 billion
(business unit of Tyco Healthcare, leader in bulk analgesic
pharmaceuticals, respiratory care business); June 29, 2007
- spun off as public company, focused solely on health care, known as
Covidien
June 15, 1869 - John W. Hyatt, Jr., of Albany, NY, and
Isaiah S. Hyatt, of Rockford, IL, received a patent for an "Improved
Method of Making Solid Collodion" ("very small quantity of ether or
other appropriate solvent, and dissolving pyroxyline therewith, under a
heavy pressure, so that a comparatively hard and solid product is
obtained, with great economy of solvents and saving of time");
July 12, 1870 -
received patent for "Improvement in Treating and Molding Pyroxyline"
("Improved Process of Dissolving Pyroxyline and
Making Solid Collodion") - used heat, pressure on compound with base of cellulose nitrate;
founded Albany Dental Plate Company to make dental impressions (vs.
rubber); 1872 - renamed Celluloid Manufacturing Company;
opened way for development of the
modern plastics industry;
January 14, 1873 - registered
"Celluloid" trademark; first synthetic plastic; used for production of
photographic film, other applications; April 16, 1878 -
John W. Hyatt, of Newark, NJ, received a
patent for "Coating Articles with Celluloid etc."; assigned to Celluloid
Manufacturing Company.
October 25, 1870 - Averill Chemical Paint Company (New
York City) registered first U.S. trademark.
March 16, 1871 - Delaware enacted first US
state fertilizer law; April 8, 1881 - law amended; amended
several more times.
April 20, 1876 -
American Chemical Society, first national chemical society in
U.S., organized in New York City;
November 9, 1877 - chartered; first U.S. national society for
chemists; for "the advancement of chemistry and the promotion of
chemical research."
February 27, 1879 - US chemists Ira Remsen, Constantine Fahlberg announced discovery of saccharin.
1882 - Lammot du Pont, Solomon Turck (president of Laflin
& Rand since 1873) formed Hercules Powder Company with explosives plant
in Cleveland, OH; 1902 - DuPont acquired Laflin & Rand;
produced more than two-thirds of nation’s black powder and dynamite, all
of its military smokeless powder; October 19, 1912 -
Hercules Powder Company incorporated as manufacturer of explosives as
result of court-ordered breakup of DuPont's "Powder Trust" activities;
1919 - sales of $20.5 million, more than 99% from single
line of business: commercial explosives (gunpowder, smokeless powder,
blasting powder, dynamite); July 11, 1929 - listed on
NYSE; 1939 - sales over $41 million, six operating units,
more than 200 products (explosives, variety of cellulosic and
rosin-based compounds, paper chemicals, insecticides, synthetic resins);
1968 - name changed to Hercules Inc.; July 11, 2008
- Ashland Inc., nation's largest chemical distributor, agreed to buy
Hercules for $3.3 billion to double earnings, add additives used in
adhesives, paper and paints.
1886 -
W. H. Lawrence, Brush Electric Company executive, founded National
Carbon Company (synthetic carbon industry); 1896 -
marketed first carbon-zinc battery battery for consumer use ('The
Columbia," six inches tall, used to power home telephones); first
commercially available battery sold in the U.S.; 1914 -
acquired American Ever Ready, manufactured batteries, lighting products;
1917 - merged with Union Carbide, formed The Union Carbide
and Carbon Co.
November 15, 1887 - Dr. Carl Gassner,
Jr., of Mentz, Germany, received U. S. patent for a "Galvanic
Battery"; first "dry" cell, used zinc as its
primary ingredient (like the carbon-zinc, general-purpose batteries
available today); 1896 - National Carbide Company (later
Union Carbide and Eveready), produced first consumer dry cell
battery; 1898 - company made first D cell.
1890 - Herbert H. Dow,
former college chemistry student at Case School of Applied Science
(Cleveland, OH),
established Midland Chemical Company in Midland, MI; January 4, 1891 - produced
bromine from Midland, Michigan's rich brine resources (main component of
patent medicines at that time) by electrolysis; led to an increasing
stream of chemicals from brines; September 28, 1891 -
received a patent for a "Process of
Extracting Bromine from Natural Brine or Bitter Waters";
"blowing-out" process to liberate bromine from brine; became world's
most efficient bromine manufacturer through application of
electrochemistry; May 18, 1897 - The Dow Chemical Company
incorporated, based on Dow's plan to manufacture, sell bleach on
commercial scale; 1898 - first commercial scale production
of bleach begins; Dow-in-diamond mark created to resolve product
shipping problems.
1892 - Ontario-born inventor Thomas L. (Leopold) Wilson
(32), Major James T. Morehead accidentally produced calcium carbide at
North Carolina-based Wilson Aluminum Company while trying either to make
aluminum in an electric furnace; 1894 - formed Electro-Gas
Company to further develop calcium carbide product, created first
ferrochrome for armor plating; June 18, 1895 - Wilson
received a patent for a "Calcium-Carbide Process" ("improved process of
producing calcium carbide"); 1897 - John Motley Morehead
III (son) became associated with American Calcium Carbide Interest to
built plants for calcium carbide gas producing process; 1898
- Electro-Gas Company acquired by Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company;
Morehead III organized Union Carbide Company in Virginia to manufacture
calcium carbide for acetylene lighting.
1901 - John F. Queeny, purchasing agent for a drug
company, formed Monsanto Chemical Works
(wife's name was Olga Monsanto Queeny) in warehouse near St.
Louis, MO waterfront; began producing saccharine (only
available in Germany at that time); 1928 - Edgar
Monsanto Queeny (son) took over; broadened business into plastics,
resins, rubber goods, fuel additives, artificial caffeine, industrial
fluids, vinyl siding, dishwasher detergent, anti-freeze, fertilizers,
herbicides, pesticides; July 24, 1934 - registered
"Monsanto" trademark first used in 1901 (chemicals); 1960
- created agricultural division; 1970s - entered
biotechnology market; 1982 - first to genetically modify
plant cell; late to improve crop productivity; 1997 -
spun off chemical, fibers operations into new company called Solutia,
became life sciences company;
2000 -
merged with Pharmacia/Upjohn, renamed Pharmacia Corporation;
2002 - re-incorporated , declared itself an
agricultural company.
1902 - Dutch government formed nationalized coal company
'De Nederlandse Staatsmijnen' (Dutch State Mines), later became DSM;
mining, coal-processing operations grew; coke oven gas byproduct
converted into ammonia (ingredient in nitrogenous fertilizers);
1919 - became profitable commodity, Emma coke plant start of
chemical activities (closed in 1945); 1930 - produced
first fertilizer; 1969 - reorganized into six divisions;
1970 - chemicals, fertilizers comprised company's chief
activity (67% of sales); diversified into petrochemicals; 1975
- Dutch Prime Minister closed country's last mine; 1982 -
profits from raw materials for plastics grew 14 times;
1970s-19'80s - major reorganizations to ensure sufficient scale,
greater guarantees for market consumption, diversification into
high-quality plastics, fine chemicals; 1985 - developed
series of ambitious innovation projects, specialties such as
polyethylene fiber Dyneema (strongest fiber on earth); 1989
- went public; acquired Copolymer Rubber & Chemical Corporation in US;
1990s -created balance between commerce and research,
developed value-adding processes and products (pharmaceutical, food
industries), performance materials for automotive, transport industry
and electrics, electronics sector; 2002 - 'Royal' title
awarded; renamed Royal DSM N.V.; October 2003 - acquired
Roche's Vitamins & Fine Chemicals Division; February 2005
- acquired NeoResins, coating resins business of Avecia; July 2007
- acquired Pentapharm Holding Ltd., (manufactured active ingredients,
system solutions for cosmetics industry, present in niche
pharmaceutical, diagnostics markets).
May 12, 1903 - Carl von Linde, of Munich, Germany,
received two patents for a "Process of Producing Low Temperatures, the
Liquefaction of Gases, and the Separation of the Constituents of Gaseous
Mixtures"; received second patent for same; 1907 -
established Linde Air Products Company in Cleveland; November 1,
1917 - acquired by Union Carbide and Carbon Corp. (continued to
operate under old company name).
July 7, 1903 - Eppa H. Ryon, of Waltham, MA, and Charles
N. Waite, of Landsdowne, PA, received a patent for an "Apparatus for
Producing Artificial-Silk Filaments" ("fibers of filaments are formed
from solutions of cellulose or other material...machine of this
character which will produce a thread or filament of a uniform size
regardless of the viscosity of the cellulose solution"); assigned to
General Artificial Silk Company; May 10, 1904 - Charles N.
Waite received a patent for the "Manufacture of Filaments of Flms from
Viscose" ("especially valuable in the manufacture of the filaments
commercially known as "artificial silk"); assigned to General Artificial
Silk Company; acquired by American Viscose Company, Marcus Hook, PA;
1910 - American Viscose Company first commercially produced
rayon; 1911
- 362,000 pounds produced; 1924 - term rayon adopted.
1905 - Swiss brothers Camille and Henri Dreyfus
developed first commercial process to manufacture cellulose acetate (had
begun chemical research in shed behind their father's house in 1904);
1910 - used commercially to make films, toilet articles,
molded articles; opened factory in Basle (center of the dyestuffs
industry), sold products to celluloid industry in France and Germany,
motion picture companies; December 28, 1912 - joined
with Alexander Clavel-Respinger, set up "Cellonit Gesellschaft Dreyfus &
Co." in Basle, Switzerland for production of fireproof celluloid out of
cellulose acetate; 1916 - British Cellulose & Chemical
Manufacturing Co. established (low cost producer of acetic acid
anhydride); name changed in 1918 to British Celanese Limited; 1918
- Camille Dreyfus founded The American Cellulose & Chemical
Manufacturing Company (Amcelle); 1921 - developed dry
spinning technique that allowed fiber to be knit, woven for apparel;
began commercial production of acetate yarn; January 8, 1924
- British Cellulose & Chemical Manufacturing Co. registered "Celanese"
trademark first used in 1922 (threads made wholly or principally from
cellulose derivatives; combination of "cellulose" and "ease); 1927
- Amcelle name changed to Celanese Corporation of America; 1930
- went public; 1945-1960 - Celanese fibers company's most
important product line; 1987 - acquired by Hoechst AG for
$2.85 billion, formed Hoechst Celanese Corporation; July 1, 1997
- Hoechst AG became Strategic Management Holding company; October
25, 1999 – Celanese AG spun-off as publicly traded corporation;
October 1, 2004 - acquired by Blackstone Capital Partners;
November 2004 - name changed to Celanese Corp.;
January 2005 – went public; summer 2005 - focused
on core chemicals, technical polymer businesses.
1907 - Chemist Otto Röhm, businessman Otto Haas
established partnership in Esslingen, Germany, to sell Oropon, leather
bate to tanners; September 1, 1909 - established U.S.
branch office in Philadelphia; 1915 - Rohm received
German patent for polyacrylic ester as paint binder; April 24,
1917 - Rohm and Haas incorporated; sales about $1 million;
1924 - Haas, Karl Albert Company established Resin Products
Company to market synthetic resins for fast-drying varnishes; introduced
Lethane, synthetic organic insecticide, first product developed in
its own laboratories; 1935 - acrylic chemistry - developed
small-molecule chemistries, acrylic products; introduced cast polymethyl
methacrylate, plexiglas (optical clarity, light weight, shatter
resistant, ability to withstand heat); 1940-1949 - sales
multiplied nine times; 1953 - introduced acrylic emulsions
for use as paint binders; birth of latex paints, waterborne textiles,
non-woven finishes; March 27, 1956 - registered "Plexiglas"
trademark first used June 5, 1935 (plastic sheets, both colored and
uncolored, fir interior and exterior constructional purposes);
1960 - Fritz Otto (son) became CEO; 1962 -
introduced zinc, magnesium agricultural fungicide; 1970 -
Haas family direct control ended (otto's retirement); 1982
- entered electronic chemicals market, acquired 30% interest in Shipley
Company (photoresists used in etching chips, microcircuits; acquired
full control in 1992); 1990s - sold
polymethyl methacrylate franchise (commodity, non-specialty chemical);
1997 - acquired minority interest in Rodell Inc. (chemical slurries,
polishing pads); 1999 - acquired LeaRonal Inc. (specialty
chemical additives in electronic, metal finishing); merged with Morton
International;
world's largest specialty-chemical company
($6.5 billion
in sales, leader in adhesives, specialty coatings, electronic materials,
salt); 2006 - annual sales of $8.2 billion; July 10, 2008
- agreed to be acquired by Dow Chemical,
largest U.S. chemicals company (sales of $54 billion) for $18.8
billion in deal part funded by Warren Buffett, Kuwait sovereign wealth
fund (at 74% premium to Rohm and Haas’s closing share price on July 9).
September 14, 1909 - Leo H. Baekeland, of Yonkers, NY,
registered "Bakelite" trademark first used June 30, 1907 (condensation products of phenol and
formaldehyde); December 7, 1909 - received patent for for
a "Method of Making Insoluble products of Phenol and Formaldehyde"
("production of hard, insoluble and infusible condensation products of
phenols and formaldehyde"); received two patents for "Condensation Product and Method of
Making Same" ("some industrial applications in the manufacture of
varnishes, resinous products and plastic compounds"); thermosetting
artificial plastic; called Bakelite (nonflammable material that was
cheaper and more versatile than other known plastics), commonly referred
to as the "heat and pressure" patent); gave birth to modern plastics
industry; 1910 - founded General
Bakelite Corporation, later Bakelite Company; 1939 -
merged with Union Carbide Corporation.
December 3, 1910 - Neon lighting, developed by French
physicist Georges Claude as practical alternative to incandescent
lighting, made public debut at Paris Motor Show; coating inside
of glass tube with combinations of gasses, phosphors can achieve
more than 150 colors; December 11, 1910 - displayed first neon lamp to public; 1923 - Earle C. Anthony
bought two signs (which read "Packard") for $2400 in Paris, installed
them in his Los Angeles Packard dealership.
October 13, 1914 - Garrett A. Morgan, of Cleveland, OH,
received patent for a "Breathing Device" ("portable attachment which
will enable a fireman to enter a house filled with thick, suffocating
gases and smoke and to breathe freely for some time therein");
gas mask, a breathing device consisting of a canvas hood placed over the
head; a double tube extended from the hood and merged into a single tube
at the back; the open end held a sponge soaked with water to filter out
smoke and to cool incoming air; July 25, 1916 - Morgan
rescued several men trapped during an explosion in an underground tunnel
beneath Lake Erie; Morgan gas mask was later refined for use by U.S.
Army during World War I.
November 1, 1917 - Union Carbide & Carbon Corporation
incorporated acquired stock of: Linde Air Products Co., National Carbon
Co., Inc., Prest-O-Lite Co., Inc., Union Carbide Company (formed in
1898); 1920 - built first commercial ethylene plant at
Clendenin, WV; 1957 - name changed to
Union Carbide Corporation;
December 3, 1984
- more than 4,000 people Bhopal, India (360 miles
south of New Delhi) died after more than 40
tons of highly poisonous methyl isocyanate gas leaked in 40-minute
period from one of three underground tanks at a pesticide plant owned by
Union Carbide; February 6, 2001 - acquired by The Dow Chemical
Company in $11.6 billion transaction.
June 25, 1921 - German chemist, Friedrich Karl Bergius
invented a distillation process to convert coal dust and hydrogen
directly into gasoline and lubricating oils without isolating
intermediate products; transformed more carbon from the coal into oils
than is possible with conventional distillation; invented treating a
mixture of pulverized coal in oil with the gas under high pressure
(solve heat distribution and temperature regulation problems).
1925 - Hermann Schmitz merged Badische Anilin, Bayer, Agfa, Hoechst, Weiler-ter-Meer, and
Griesheim-Elektron into Inter-nationale Gesellschaft Farbenindustrie
A.G.( I. G. Farben); made the Zyklon-B gas used
in Nazi death camps; in
liquidation since 1952; 2003 - dissolved.
December 7, 1926
- Alkali company Brunner, Mond, Nobel
Industries (major explosives manufacturer established in 1870 by Alfred
Nobel), United Alkali and British Dyestuffs merged, incorporated
Imperial Chemical Industries PLC with 33,000 employees; principal
products - chemicals, explosives and accessories, fertilizers,
insecticides, dyestuffs, non-ferrous metals, paints; 1927
- sales of £27 million, pre-tax profit of £4.5 million.
April 1930 -
Dr. Wallace H. Carothers, research chemist for Du Pont,
discovered
neoprene
synthetic rubber, synthesized first polyester superpolymer, forerunner of
nylon.
February 16, 1937 - received
patent for "Linear Condensation Polymers" ("relates to the production
of fibres from synthetic materials");
synthetic fiber nylon (assigned to
the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. Inc.); covered synthetic linear
condensation polymers capable of being drawn into strong pliable fibers,
as well as the process for making them;
October 27, 1938 - Du Pont announced name for new
synthetic fiber yarn: nylon (name derived from New York-London); February 24, 1938 - began production
of nylon bristle filament in tooth brushes ("Miracle Tuft Toothbrush")
to replace bristles of neck hairs from wild swine from Siberia, Poland, China; one
of first consumer uses - dramatic reduction in production costs,
ability to control bristle texture; early nylon bristles very stiff, hurt gums; 1950 -
produced softer nylon bristles; December 15, 1939 - began
commercial production of yarn for nylon hosiery.
November 2, 1931 - DuPont company announced first
synthetic rubber, known as DuPrene (renamed neoprene); expensive, but
resisted oil and gasoline (unlike natural rubber).
March 27, 1933 - ICI scientists Reginald Gibson and Eric William Fawcett
discovered polyethylene by accident while reacting ethylene and benzaldehyde at high pressure; one of the earliest plastics to come into
common use; demands of war and the need for a better insulator for
cables stimulated the development of polyethylene, played a key role in
the development of radar.
May 24, 1934 - Du Pont drew sample of synthetic fiber
remarkably like silk, nylon; February 28, 1935 - nylon
6,6, Du Pont's must celebrated product first prepared during process of
trying all 81 possible variants of nylon; experience with cellulose
based products, Rayon and acetate, vital to rapid commercialization of
nylon.
May 21, 1936 - Du Pont began commercial production of
Lucite; September 14, 1937- registered
"Lucite" trademark first used February 4, 1937 (thermoplastic synthetic
resin material, known as methyl methacrylate, in the form of sheets,
rods, and tubes and in powdered or granular form); crystal clear, highly
non-conducting, low moisture absorbing. Other manufacturers in world use
other names, including Perspex and Plexiglass.
April 6, 1938 - Roy J. Plunkett, of E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co.,
discovered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin; solid lubricant in
powdered form, chemically inert, very high melting point, formed by an
unexpected polymerization -- Teflon.
December 15, 1939 - Nylon yarn sold to hosiery mills to
make women's stockings; first use of commercial yarn (made by Du Pont)
for apparel; May 1940 - record number of ladies' hose go
on sale for the first time; production of $9 million sold out with 33%
profit; 1941 - profit of $7 million on sales of $25
million; made nylon for over 60 million pairs of sheer women's hosiery,
more than number of women in United States at that time!
January 21, 1941 -
Dow Chemical began commercial production of magnesium (extracted
from seawater through electrolytic process) at Freeport, Texas plant; 1916 -
Herbert H. Dow first extracted metal from brine in Midland, MI
(lightweight metal became critical alloy for airplanes. U.S. military
aircraft production escalated, as much as 2,000 pounds of magnesium
needed per plant).
February 4, 1941 - Roy J. Plunkett, of Wilmington, DE, received
a patent for
"Tetrafluoroethylene Polymers"; Teflon; May 27, 1952
- E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company registered "Teflon" trademark
first used January 30, 1948 ("polytetrafluororthylene
coatings in the nature of paints and varnishes") .
June 6, 1942 - Adeline Gray, parachute rigger at Pioneer Parachute Company, made first parachute jump in U.S. using
nylon parachute; jumped from aircraft flying from Brainard Field,
Hartford, CT; convinced audience of 50 critical army, navy
observers.
October 28, 1948 - Swiss chemist Paul Müller awarded
Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovery of insecticidal
properties of DDT.
1950 - Du Pont pilot plant at Seaford, DE
produced Dacron [polyester] "fiber with modified nylon technology."
October 10, 1950 - Dow Chemical Company registered
"Styrofoam" trademark first used September 11, 1945 (irregular solid
masses of multicellular extended synthetic resinous material [and
granular masses of the same material comminuted]).
1951 - J. Paul Hogan and Robert L. Banks, research
chemists working for Phillips Petroleum Company, discovered polymer
polypropylene unexpectedly during experiments with catalysts while
trying to convert natural gas components ethylene and propylene into
compounds useful for gasoline; first commercially successful use of the
new material was in the Hula Hoop.
January 30, 1952 - BASF reestablished as one of three
successor companies of IG Farben; 1968 - acquired acquires
Nordmark-Werke GmbH (Hamburg), entry into pharmaceutical industry;
expanded to pharmaceutical active ingredients, fine chemicals, hospital
supplies, hygiene products; 1973 - name changed to BASF
Aktiengesellschaft; March 2001 - pharmaceuticals business
sold to Abbot Laboratories; acquired vitamins business of Takeda
Chemical Industries Ltd., Japan, became world's second largest producer
of vitamins; 2002 - global market leader in acrylic acid,
acrylic acid derivatives; January 2005 - acquired
worldwide electronics chemicals business from Merck KgaA, Germany,
became leading supplier of electronics chemicals for rapidly growing
semiconductor, flat screen industries; June 2006 -
acquired Engelhard Corporation, biggest takeover in BASF's corporate
history, became worldwide leading supplier in catalytic converter
market; took over worldwide construction chemicals business from Degussa
AG, Germany; acquired resins specialist Johnson Polymer.
February 12, 1952 - E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
registered "Dacron" trademark first used March 16, 1951 (synthetic
polyester fibers for generalized use in the industrial arts); first
commercially marketed polyester fiber.
May 8, 1952 - Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Company opened
first large coal hydrogenation chemicals plant in U.S. in Institute,
WV; designed for converting coal into chemicals; $11 million plant
processed up to 300 tons of coal a day; coal pulverized, mixed with oil
to form paste, converted with heat and pressure to combine with hydrogen
gas to form liquid chemical intermediate products (cresols, higher
phenols, naphthalene, aromatic hydrocarbons).
June 10, 1952 -
E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company registered 'Mylar' trademark
first used on June 21, 1951 (polyester film); extraordinarily strong polyester (PET) film that grew out of
the development of Dacron in the early 1950s (used in consumer markets
for magnetic audio and video tape, capacitor dielectrics, packaging and
batteries).
January 29, 1958 - The Boston Herald printed letter from Olga Owens Huckins attacking DDT pesticide as dangerous
(friend of Rachel Carson, author of "Silent Spring", an early call for
modern environmentalism (asked important questions about balancing
industrial and agricultural needs, progress, protection of the
environment, quality of life).
September 6, 1958 - First U.S. interstate pipeline for transport of ethylene placed in service between Lake Charles,
Louisiana and Orange, Texas; ran 30 miles, provided
ethylene to E.I. duPont de Nemours & Company at Orange for manufacture of synthetic rubber.
August 27, 1963 - E. I. Du Pont
de Nemours and Company registered "Corfam" trademark first used August
15, 1962 (poromeric material-i.e. microporous and permeable coriaceous
sheet material for genearlized use in the industrial arts);
carbon-based, synthetic substitute for leather; January 27, 1964
- introduced Corfam for uses with shoes, handbags, belts, suitcases;
company predicted that 25% of America's shoes would be made of Corfam by
1984; 1971 - production ceased; synthetic leather snubbed
by customers despite one of best-prepared products in terms of market,
technology development; described as "Du Pont's $100-Million Edsel"
(Leonard Sloane, New York Times, April 11, 1971).
January 27, 1964 - E.I. duPont de Nemours Co. introduced
Corfam (hydrocarbon-based, synthetic substitute for leather); DuPont
predicted that by 1984, 25% of America's shoes would be made of Corfam.
But synthetic leather was snubbed by customers in droves. It was one of
the best-prepared products in terms of market and technology development
and yet it failed. Time on the market: seven years. 1971 - production
ceased; Corfam was described by Leonard Sloane in the New York
Times as, "Du Pont's $100-Million Edsel."
1965 - Stephanie Kwolek and Herbert Blades, Du Pont
research chemists, created KEVLAR, manmade organic fiber which provided
enhanced strength, light weight and flexibility.
October 18, 1969 - Federal government banned
artificial sweeteners known as cyclamates (non-caloric sweetener
discovered in 1937 and
widely used as a tabletop sweetener,
in sugar-free beverages, in baked goods and other low-calorie foods,
particularly in combination with sacchari) because of evidence
they cause cancer in laboratory rats (one experiment showed bladder
tumors in laboratory rats fed large doses of cyclamate); June 1985
- new experiments by National Academy of Sciences indicated that
cyclamates were not carcinogenic by itself; approved for use in more
than 50 countries.
December 31, 1972 - Executive order of Environmental
Protection Agency banned insecticide DDT.
May 15, 1973 - Nathanial Convers Wyeth, of Mendenhall, PA,
and Ronald Newman Roseveare, of Wilmington, DE, received a patent for a
"Biaxially Oriented Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Bottle" ("hollow,
biaxially oriented thermoplastic article, such as a bottle, particularly
useful in bottling liquids under pressure, i.e. carbonated beverages or
aerosols, etc."); PET beverage bottle; first plastic strong enough to
hold highly pressurized carbonated beverages without bursting, safe
enough to secure FDA approval; assigned to E. I du Pont de Nemours
Company.
January 29, 1978 - Sweden banned aerosol sprays because of
damage to environment, the first country to do so.
July 6, 1981 - Dupont announced plans to merge with
Houston-based oil and energy company, Conoco Inc. in a deal valued
between $6.5 and $7 billion (single biggest merger in U.S. corporate
history at the time); 1998 - Dupont unveiled plans to
gradually divest itself of Conoco via offerings to the public and its
shareholders alike.
May
15, 1995 - Dow Corning Corp.
filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, cited potentially
astronomical expenses from liability lawsuits.
November 15, 1999
- Evergreen Nylon Recycling facility began operation in Augusta,
GA; Honeywell Intl Inc. developed, patented process to produce caprolactam with same quality as virgin caprolactam without using
petroleum; kept carpet out of U.S. landfills; August 29, 2001
- plant closed because of unanticipated costs.
(Air Products), Andrew J. Butrica (1990).
Out of Thin Air: A History
of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., 1940-1990. (New York, NY:
Praeger, 319 p.). Pool, Leonard Parker, 1906-1975; Air Products and
Chemicals, inc.--History; Chemical industry--United States--History; Gas
industry--United States--History; Industrialists--United
States--Biography.
Titus Fey Cronise (1868).
The Natural Wealth of California; comprising early
history; geography, topography, and scenery; climate; agriculture and
commercial products; geology, zoology, and botany; mineralogy, mines,
and mining processes; manufactures; steamship lines, railroads, and
commerce; immigration, population and society; educational institutions
and literature; together with a detailed description of each county ...
By Titus Fey Cronise. (New York, NY: H.H. Bancroft & Company, 696
p.). California.
(Albright and Wilson Ltd.), Richard E. Threlfall (1951). The Story
of 100 Years of Phosphorus Making, 1851-1951. (Oldbury, UK: Albright
& Wilson, 400 p.). Albright and Wilson, ltd.; Phosphorus.
(Scott Bader Commonwealth ltd), Susanna Hoe (1978). The Man Who
Gave His Company Away: A Biography of Ernest Bader, Founder of the Scott
Bader Commonwealth. (London, UK: Heinemann, 242 p.). Bader, Ernest,
1890- ; Scott Bader Commonwealth, ltd.; Businesspeople--Great
Britain--Biography; Business enterprises--Great Britain.
(BASF), Werner Abelshauser, Wolfgang von Hippel, Jeffrey Allan Johnson, and Raymond G.
Stokes (2003).
German Industry and Global Enterprise - BASF: The
History of A Company. (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 688
p.). Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik (BASF)--history; BASF Aktiengesellschaft
-- History; Chemical industry -- Germany -- History.
(Cabot Corp.), Thomas D. Cabot (1979).
Beggar on Horseback: The
Autobiography of Thomas D. Cabot. (Boston, MA: D. R. Godine, 191
p.). Cabot, Thomas Dudley, 1897- ; Businesspeople--United
States--Biography.
(Cain Chemical), Gordon Cain (1997).
Everybody Wins!: A Life in Free Enterprise. (Philadelphia, PA:
Chemical Heritage Press, 353 p.). Cain, Gordon, 1912- ; Chemical
engineers--United States--Biography; Chemical industry--United
States--Biography; Free enterprise--United States.
(Cain Chemical), Gordon Cain (2002).
Everybody Wins!: A Life in Free Enterprise.
(Philadelphia, PA: Chemical Heritage Press, 353 p. [2nd ed.]).
Entrepreneur, Leverage Buyout Specialist. Cain, Gordon, 1912- ;
Chemical engineers--United States--Biography; Chemical
industry--United States--Biography; Free enterprise--United States.
(W. Canning PLC), David A. Thomas (1985). The Canning Story,
1785-1985. (London, UK: Springwood Books, 195 p.). W. Canning PLC.
-- History; Chemical industry -- Great Britain -- History; Electronic
industries -- Great Britain -- History; Mineral industries -- Great
Britain -- History.
(Celanese), Richard W. Hall (1969).
Putting Down Roots: Twenty-Five Years of Celanese in Mexico.
(New York, NY: Celanese Corp., 128 p.). Celanese Corporation of
America.; Celanese Mexicana S.A.
(Chemcraft), John Tyler (2003).
The Chemcraft Story: The Legacy of Harold Porter. (Haworth, NJ:
St. Johann Press, 130 p.). Porter, Harold Mitchell, 1893-1963; Porter
Chemical Company--History; Businessmen--United States--Biography;
Businessmen--Maryland--Hagerstown--Biography; Chemistry set
industry--United States--History; Chemistry sets--United
States--History; Educational toy industry--United States--History;
Educational toys--United States--History.
(Commercial Solvents Corp.), Fred C. Kelly (1936).
One Thing Leads
to Another; The Growth of an Industry. (Boston, MA: Houghton
Mifflin, 103 p.). Commercial Solvents Corp.; Solvents.
(Crosfield (Joseph) & Sons ltd.), A. E. Musson (1967).
Enterprise
in Soap and Chemicals Joseph Crosfield & Sons, Limited, 1815-1965.
(New York, NY: A. M. Kelley, 384 p.). Crosfield (Joseph) & Sons, ltd.
(Degussa AG), Peter Hayes (2004).
From Cooperation to Complicity:
Degussa in the Third Reich. (New York, NY: Cambridge University
Press, 373 p.). Theodore Z. Weiss Professor of Holocaust Studies
(Northwestern University). Degussa (Firm) History; Gold industry Germany
History.
(DSM), Arjan van Rooij (2007).
The Company That Changed Itself: R and D and the Transformations of DSM.
(Amsterdam, Netherlands: Amsterdam University Press, 384 p.). Researcher
at the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Royal DSM
N.V.; Economics--Development, Growth, Planning.
Crucial role of industrial research in three major identity shifts of Dutch chemical company
DSM over
past 100 years; helped company to diversify, maintain,
improve existing businesses; industry, identity,
corporate culture of reinvention.
(Dow), Murray Campbell and Harrison Hatton (1951).
Herbert H. Dow,
Pioneer in Creative Chemistry. (New York, NY:
Appleton-Century-Crofts, 168 p.). Dow, Herbert Henry, 1866-1930.
(Dow), William B. Seward. (1974).
East from Brazosport. (Midland, MI: Dow Chemical Co., 191 p.).
Dow Chemical Company; International business enterprises--Social
aspects.
(Dow), Stanley J. Thompson (1980).
The S/B Latex Story: Recollections of "Can Do" at Dow. (Midland,
MI: Dow Chemical Co., 326 p.). Thompson, Stanley J.; Dow Chemical
Company; Styrene-butadiene rubber.
(Dow), Christopher J. Duerksen (1982).
Dow vs. California: A Turning Point in the Envirobusiness Struggle.
(Washington, DC: Conservation Foundation, 151 p.). Dow Chemical Company;
Industrial policy--California--Solano County; Petroleum chemicals
industry--Environmental aspects--California--Solano County.
(Dow), Don Whitehead (1983).
The Dow Story: The History of the Dow
Chemical Company. (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 298 p. [Reprint of
1968 ed.]). Dow, Herbert Henry, 1866-1930; Dow Chemical
Company--History; Chemical industry--United States--History.
(Dow), Edited by Ray H. Boundy, J. Lawrence Amos (1990).
A History of the Dow Chemical Physics Lab: The Freedom To Be Creative.
(New York: M. Dekker, 229 p.). Dow Chemical Physics Lab; Chemical
engineering laboratories--Michigan--Midland.
(Dow), E.N. Brandt (1997).
Growth Company: Dow Chemical's First
Century. (East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press, 649
p.). Journalist who joined Dow in 1953 and later served as director of
public relations. Dow, Herbert Henry, 1866-1930; Dow Chemical
Company--History; Industrialists--United States--Biography; Chemical
industry--United States--History.
(Dow), Margaret Levenstein (1998).
Accounting for Growth:
Information Systems and the Creation of the Large Corporation.
(Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 277 p.). Dow Chemical
Company--History; Dow Chemical Company--Accounting; Information
resources management; Management information systems.
(Dow), E.N. Brandt (2003).
Chairman of the Board: A Biography of
Carl A. Gerstacker. (East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University
Press, 256 p.). Former PR Officer for Dow Chemical; Company Historian
since 1983. Gerstacker, Carl A., 1916- ; Dow Chemical Company;
Businessmen--United States--Biography; Chemical industry--United
States--History.
(Dow Corning), Dorothy Langdon Yates (1985). William R. Collings:
Dow Corning's Pioneer Leader. (Midland, MI: Dow Corning, 120 p.).
Collings, William Ralph, 1893-1980; Dow Corning Corporation--History;
Businesspeople--United States--Biography; Chemical industry--United
States--History.
(Dow Corning), Earl L. Warrick (1990).
Forty Years of Firsts: The
Recollections of a Dow Corning Pioneer. (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill,
330 p.). Dow Corning Corporation--History; Silicone industry--United
States--History.
(Du Pont), Charles F. Rideal and Albert W. Atwood (1912).
The History of the E. I. Du Pont de Nemours Powder Company; A Century of
Success. (New York, NY: Business America, 224 p.). E.I. du Pont
de Nemours & Company.
(Du Pont), Marquis James (1941).
Alfred I. Du Pont, The Family Rebel. (Indianapolis, IN: The
Bobbs-Merrill Company, 599 p.). DuPont, Alfred I. (Alfred Ire´ne´e),
1864-1935.
(Du Pont), William S. Dutton (1951).
Du Pont:
One Hundred and Forty Years. (New York, NY: Charles Scribner's
Sons, 408 p. [3rd ed.]). E.I. du Pont de Nemours &
Company--History.
(Du Pont), Stephen Salsbury (1952).
Du Pont, The Autobiography of
an American Enterprise: The Story of E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company,
Published in Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Founding of
the Company on July 19, 1802. (Wilmington, DE: Distributed by
Scribner, 138 p.). E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company; Du Pont, Pierre S.
(Pierre Samuel), 1870-1954; General Motors Corporation.
(Du Pont), Max Dorian; translated by Edward B. Garside (1962).
The du Ponts: From Gunpowder to Nylon. (Boston, MA: Little,
Brown, 303 p.). Du Pont family (Pierre Samuel Du Pont de Nemours,
1739-1817); E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company.
(Du Pont), Alfred D. Chandler, Jr. and Stephen
Salsbury, with the assistance of Adeline Cook Strange (1971).
Pierre
S. Du Pont and the Making of the Modern Corporation. (New York,
NY:
Harper & Row, 722 p.). DuPont, Pierre Samuel, 1870-1954; E.I. du
Pont de Nemours & Company; General Motors Corporation.
(Du Pont), James Phelan & Robert Pozen (1973).
The Company State: Ralph Nader's Study Group Report on DuPont in
Delaware. (New York, NY: Grossman, 464 p.). E.I. du Pont de
Nemours & Company; Delaware -- Social conditions; Delaware -- Politics
and government.
(Du Pont), Gerard Colby (1974).
Du Pont: Behind the Nylon
Curtain. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 623 p.). Du Pont
family; E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company; United States--Social
conditions; United States--Economic conditions.
(Du Pont), Graham D. Taylor and
Patricia E. Sudnik (1984).
Du Pont and the International Chemical
Industry (Boston, MA: Twayne, 251 p.). E.I. du Pont de Nemours &
Company--History; Chemical industry--United States--History; Chemical
industry--History.
(Du Pont), Norman B. Wilkinson (1984).
Lammot Du Pont and the
American Explosives Industry, 1850-1884. (Charlottesville, VA:
University Press of Virginia, 332 p.). Du Pont, Lammot, 1831-1884;
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company--History; Businessmen--United
States--Biography; Chemical industry--United States--History--19th
century; Explosives industry--United States--History--19th century.
(Du Pont), David A. Hounshell, John Kenly Smith, Jr. (1988).
Science and Corporate Strategy: Du Pont R&D, 1902-1980. (New York,
NY: Cambridge University Press, 756 p.). E.I. du Pont de Nemours &
Company--History; Chemical industry--United States--History; Research,
Industrial--United States--History.
(Du Pont), Robert F. Burk (1990).
The Corporate State and the
Broker State: The Du Ponts and American National Politics, 1925-1940.
(Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 359 p.). Du Pont family;
Business and politics--United States--History--20th century; United
States--Politics and government--20th century.
(Du Pont), Joseph Frazier Wall (1990).
Alfred I. du Pont The Man
and His Family. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 685 p.).
DuPont, Alfred I. (Alfred Irénée), 1864-1935; Du Pont family;
Businesspeople--United States--Biography.
(Du Pont), Charles W. Cheape (1995).
Strictly Business: Walter
Carpenter at Du Pont and General Motors. (Baltimore, MD: Johns
Hopkins University Press, 309 p.). Carpenter, Walter Samuel, 1888-1976;
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company--History; General Motors
Corporation--History; Executives--United States--Biography; Chemical
industry--United States--Management--History; Automobile industry and
trade--United States--Management--History.
(Du Pont), Matthew E. Hermes (1996).
Enough for One Lifetime: Wallace Carothers, Inventor of Nylon.
(Washington, DC: American Chemical Society and the Chemical Heritage
Foundation, 345 p.). Carothers, Wallace Hume, 1896-1937;
Chemists--United States--Biography; Nylon.
(Du Pont), Pap Ndiaye (2001).
Du Nylon et des Bombes: du Pont de Nemours, le Marché et l'Etat
Américain, 1900-1970. (Paris, FR: Belin, 397 p.). E.I. du Pont
de Nemours & Company--History;; Chemical industry--United
States--History; Research, Industrial--United States--History;
Military-industrial complex--United States--History.
(Du Pont), Adrian Kinnane (2002).
DuPont: From the Banks of the Brandywine to Miracles of Science.
(Wilmington, DE: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., 268 p.). Researcher
and Manager for Historical Projects (History Associates). E.I. du Pont
de Nemours & Company--History; Chemical industry--United
States--History; International business enterprises--History.
(Du Pont), Pap Ndiaye; translated by Elborg Forster (2006).
Nylon and Bombs: Dupont and the March of Modern America.
(Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 397 p. [orig. pub.
2001]). Associate Professor of U.S. History (École des Hautes Études en
Sciences Sociales, Paris). E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company--History;
Chemical industry--United States--History; Research, Industrial--United
States--History; Military-industrial complex--United States--History.
Lives and careers of Du Pont's chemical engineers;
Du Pont's development of nylon (symbolized new way of life) and
plutonium (synonymous with annihilation).
SEE ALSO: Capitalists
(Du Pont Canada), H. H. Lank and E. L. Williams (1982). The Du
Pont Canada History (Du Pont Canada Inc., 367 p.). Du Pont of
Canada; Industries -- Canada -- History.
Exxon Chemical Company), Shaukat Raza Mirza (2005).
From Exxon to Engro. (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 256
p.). Managing Director, Pakistan State Oil. Exxon Chemical Company;
Leveraged buyouts.
Pakistan's first employee buy-out - of Exxon
Chemical Pakistan Ltd.
(Hercules), Davis Dyer and David B. Sicilia (1990).
Labors of a
Modern Hercules: The Evolution of a Chemical Company. (Boston, MA:
Harvard Business School Press, 528 p.). Hercules Incorporated--History;
Chemical industry--United States--History.
(Hercules), Al Giacco (2003).
Maverick Management: Strategies for Success. (Newark, DE:
University of Delaware Press, 291 p.). Former CEO, Hercules. Giacco, Alexander F.; Hercules
Incorporated; Chief executive officers--United States--Biography;
Industrial management--United States.
(Hoechst AG - founded 1863), Ernst Bäumler (1989).
Farben, Formeln, Forscher:
Hoechst und die Geschichte der Industriellen Chemie in Deutschland.
(Munich, GER: Piper, 543 p.). Hoechst AG--History; Chemical
industry--Germany--History.
(Hooker Electrochemical Company), Robert Evans Thomas (1955).
Salt & Water, Power & People; A Short History of Hooker Electrochemical
Company. (Niagara Falls, NY: The Company, 109 p.). Hooker
Electrochemical Company.
(IG Farben), Richard Sasuly (1947).
IG Farben. (New York, NY: Boni & Gaer, 312 p.).
Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft.
(IG Farben), Joseph Borkin (1978).
The Crime and Punishment of I.
G. Farben. (New York, NY: Free Press, 250 p.).
Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft; I.G. Farben
Trial, Nuremberg, Germany, 1947-1948; War crime
trials--Germany--Nuremberg.
(IG Farben), Raymond G. Stokes (1988).
Divide and Prosper: The
Heirs of I.G. Farben Under Allied authority, 1945-1951. (Berkeley,
CA: University of California Press, 290 p.). Interessengemeinschaft
Farbenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft; Chemical industry--Political
aspects--Germany (West)--History--20th century; United States--Foreign
economic relations--Germany (West); Germany (West)--Foreign economic
relations--United States.
(IG Farben), Peter Hayes (2001). Industry and Ideology: IG Farben
in the Nazi Era. (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 411 p.
[2nd ed.]). Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie; Aktiengesellschaft--Political
activity--History--20th century; Nationalsozialistische Deutsche
Arbeiter-Partei--History; Chemical industry--Political
aspects--Germany--History--20th century; Mineral industries--Political
aspects--Germany--History--20th century; World War, 1939-1945;
Germany--Politics and government--1933-1945.
(IG Farben), Kim Coleman (2006).
IG Farben and ICI, 1925-53: Strategies for Growth and Survival.
(New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 288 p.). Lecturer in Modern European
History (University of Essex). Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie
Aktiengesellschaft--History; Imperial Chemical Industries,
ltd.--History; Chemical industry--Germany--History--20th century;
Chemical industry--Great Britain--History--20th century.
Comparative analysis of strategies for world market domination and then, during
and after the Second World War, for survival.
(IG Farben), Thomas Hager (2008).
The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Discovery
that Changed the Course of History. (New York, NY: Harmony
Books, 384 p.). Haber, Fritz, 1868-1934; Bosch, Carl, 1874-1940;
Chemists --Germany --Biography; Nitrogen fertilizers --History --20th
century; Technological innovations --History --20th century. German
chemists, Nobel laureates Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch discovered economical mass synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen,
hydrogen; often called most important invention of
20th century; saved world, lost everything via unforeseen results of
discovery; Bosch, former
managing director of Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik [BASF] Company proposed all I.G
companies merge; created I.G. Farbenindustrie
Aktiengesellschaft — I.G. Farben on December 9, 1925.
(IG Farben), Diarmuid Jeffreys (2008).
Hell’s Cartel: IG Farben and the Making of Hitler’s War Machine.
(New York, NY: Metropolitan Books, 496 p.). Interessengemeinschaft
Farbenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft--History; Nationalsozialistische
Deutsche Arbeiter-Partei; Industrial policy--Germany--History--20th
century; Forced labor--Germany--History--20th century; Holocaust, Jewish
(1939-1945); World War, 1939-1945--Atrocities. Rise and
fall of IG Farben, from nineteenth-century origins (discovery of synthetic dyes)
through upheavals of Great War era, to company’s fateful role in World
War II; codependence of industry, Third Reich; infamous connections to
Nazi Party, complicity in atrocities of Holocaust.
(IG Farben), Stephan H. Lindner; English translation by Helen Schoop
(2008).
Inside IG Farben: Hoechst During the Third Reich. (New York, NY:
Cambridge University Press, 388 p.). Professor of Interdependence of
Technological and Social Change (University of the Bundeswehr in
Munich). Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft
--History; Hoechst AG --History; World War, 1939-1945 --Atrocities;
Chemical industry --Political aspects --Germany --History --20th
century. 1925 - IG Farben formed; became
synonymous with participation of German industry in most heinous crimes
of Nazi regime; relationship between
management, employees, Nazi party, its organizations; exclusion,
persecution of employees, particularly Jewish employees; extent of
Hoechst's involvement in exploitation of forced labor, active
participation in human experiments in several concentration camps;
motivations of those responsible for this conduct.
(Imperial Chemical), W.J. Reader (1970).
Imperial Chemical
Industries: A History. (London, UK: Oxford University Press, 2
vols.). Imperial Chemical Industries, ltd.; Chemical industry--Great
Britain. v. 1. The forerunners, 1870-1926.--v. 2. The first quarter
century, 1926-1952.
(Imperial Chemical), Ian M. Clarke (1985).
The Spatial Organisation of Multinational Corporations.
(London, UK: Croom Helm, 287 p.). Imperial Chemical Industries, ltd.;
International business enterprises; Industrial management; Chemical
industry.
(Imperial Chemical), Andrew M. Pettigrew (1985).
The Awakening
Giant: Continuity and Change in Imperial Chemical Industries. (New
York, NY: Blackwell, 542 p.). Imperial Chemical Industries,
ltd.--History--20th century; Chemical industry--Great
Britain--History--20th century.
(Imperial Chemical), Patrick Brodie (1990).
Crescent over Cathay: China and ICI, 1898 to 1956. (New York,
NY: Oxford University Press, 294 p.). Imperial Chemical Industries,
ltd--History; Chemical industry--China--History.
(Imperial Chemical), John Harvey-Jones (1991).
Getting It Together.
(London, UK: Heinemann, 378 p.). Harvey-Jones, John, 1924- ; Imperial
Chemical Industries, ltd.--History; Businesspeople--Great
Britain--Biography; Executives--Great Britain--Biography.
(Imperial Chemical), Carol Kennedy (1993).
ICI: The Company That
Changed Our Lives. (London, UK: P. Chapman, 223 p. [2nd ed.]).
Imperial Chemical Industries, ltd. -- History; Chemical industry --
Great Britain -- History.
(Interlab Inc.), Howard M. Layton (2000).
The Thirteen Club: A Journey from Riches to Rags and Back.
(Brookfield, CT: Three Spires Publishing. Layton, Howard; Interlab
Inc.; Wet-chemistry processing.
(International Minerals and Chemical Corporation), Joseph Sander
(1975).
Hunger Can’t Wait. (Libertyville, IL: International
Minerals & Chemical Corp., 178 p.). International Minerals and
Chemical Corporation; Food supply--Congresses--History;
Agriculture--Congresses--History. Story of the world food production
conferences sponsored by the International Minerals and Chemical
Corporation.
(M. W. Kellogg), Robert H. Multhaup and Gunther P. Eschenbrenner
(1996).
Technology's Harvest: Feeding a Growing World Population.
(Houston, TX: Gulf Pub. Co., 321 p.). M.W. Kellogg Company; Fertilizer
industry--United States; Chemical industry--United States--History;
Chemical engineering--United States--History.
(Koppers Company), Ferdinand C. Latrobe (1941).
Iron Men and Their Dogs. (Baltimore, MD: I. R. Drechsler, 225
p.). Koppers Company (1927- ) Bartlett Hayward Division.
(Marchon Products), Alan W. Routledge (2005).
Marchon: The Whitehaven Chemical Works. (Stroud,
Gloucestershire, UK: Tempus, 128 p.). Leader of InFocus Photographic
Society. Marchon Products Ltd. -- History; Chemical industry -- England
-- Whitehaven -- History.
(May & Baker), Judy Slinn (1984). A History of May & Baker,
1834-1984. (Cambridge: Hobsons, 196 p.). Chemical Industry-Great
Britain, May & Baker-History.
(Monsanto), Dan J. Forrestal (1977).
Faith, Hope, and $5,000:
The Story of Monsanto: The Trials and Triumphs of the First 75 Years
(New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 285 p.). Monsanto
Company--History.
(Montedison S.p.A.), a cura di Franco Amatori e Bruno Bezza (1990).
Montecatini, 1888-1966: Capitoli di Storia di Una Grande Impresa.
(Bologna, Italy: Societa Editrice Il Mulino, 480 p.). Professor of
Economic History (Bocconi University, Milan). Montedison
Group--History; Società Montecatini--History; Chemical
industry--Italy--History; Fertilizer industry--Italy--History;
Conglomerate corporations--Italy--History; Big
business--Italy--History.
(Morrells Woodfinishes - founded 1902 as F. T. Morrell & Company),
Christopher Mulvey (1994).
Frank Thomas Morrell: Edwardian
Entrepreneur. (Winchester, UK: Estcourt Press, 181 p.).
Professor of English and American Studies and Director of the
Electronic Text Institute (University College Winchester). Morrell,
Frank Thomas, 1860-1949; Morrill family;
Businesspeople--England--Biography; Varnish
industry--England--History.
(Perstorp AB), Alf Akerman (1981).
Making Money From Smoke: Perstorp AB 1881-1981. (Perstorp,
Sweden: The Company, p). Perstorp AB; chemicals --
specialty.
(Phillips Plastics), Bill Beck (1994).
The People Process: A
Manufacturing Story. (Phillips, WI: Phillips Plastics Corp., 133
p.). Phillips Plastics Corporation--History; Plastics industry and
trade--United States--History.
(Polymer Corporation), Matthew J. Bellamy (2005).
Profiting the Crown: Canada's Polymer Corporation, 1942-1990.
(Montreal, QU: McGill-Queen's University Press, 296 p.). Lecturer
in Economics and History (Carleton University). Synthetic rubber.
(Reckitt and Sons), Basil Norman Reckitt (1951).
The History of Reckitt and Sons, Limited. (London, UK: A. Brown,
113 p.). Reckitt and Sons. Main products were Starch, Blue, Grate Polish
and Metal Polish including Brasso.
(Reilly Industries), Bill Beck; edited by Kim Hackett (1996).
Good
Chemistry: The Story of P.C. Reilly and Reilly Industries.
(Indianapolis, IN: Reilly Industries, 216 p.). Reilly, Peter Celestine,
1869-1952; Reilly Industries, Inc.--History; Industrialists--United
States--Biography; Chemical industry--United States--History; Organic
compounds--Synthesis--United States--History; Coal-tar products--United
States--History.
(Rhone-Poulenc S.A.), Marcel Peyrenet (1978).
La Dynastie des
Gillet: Les Maîtres de Rhône-Poulenc. (Paris, FR: Le Sycomore, 198
p.). Gillett family; Businesspeople--France--Biography.
(Rhone-Poulenc S.A.), Jean Domenichino; préface par Henri Morsel
(1994). De la Chimie et des Hommes: Histoire d'une Entreprise,
Rhône-Poulenc, Pont-de-Claix. (Grenoble, FR: Presses Universitaires
de Grenoble, 163 p.). Rhône-Poulenc (Firm); Chemical industry--France--Isère--History;
Chemical workers--France--Isère--History.
(Rhone-Poulenc S.A.), Stéphane Pineau ; préface de Bertrand Louvet
(1994). Les Usines de Melle: Un Siècle de Chimie, des Pionniers à la
Multinationale. (Mougon, FR: Geste Editions, 152 p.). Rhône-Poulenc
(Firm)--History; Industries--France--Melle--History; Chemical
industry--France--Melle--History; Melle (France)--Economic conditions.
(Rohm and Haas), Willard S. Randall and Stephen D. Solomon (1977).
Building 6: The Tragedy at Bridesburg. (Boston, MA: Little,
Brown, 317 p.). Rohm and Haas Company; Dichloromethyl
ether--Physiological effect; Lungs--Cancer--Pennsylvania--Bridesburg;
Chemical workers--Diseases--Pennsylvania--Bridesburg.
(Rohm and Haas), Sheldon Hochheiser (1986).
Rohm and Haas: History
of a Chemical Company. (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania
Press, 231 p.). Rohm and Haas Company--History; Chemical
industry--United States--History.
(Skilbeck Brothers Ltd.), Donovan Dawe (1950). Skilbecks:
Drysalters, 1650-1950. (London, UK: Skilbeck Bros., 116 p.).
Skilbeck Brothers, ltd., London.
(Storey Brothers and Company), Guy Christie (1964).
Storeys of Lancaster, 1848-1964. (London, UK: Collins, 256 p.).
Storey Brothers and Company.
(Union Carbide), Larry Everest (1986).
Behind the Poison Cloud:
Union Carbide's Bhopal Massacre. (Chicago, IL: Banner Press, 192
p.). Union Carbide Ltd. (India); Union Carbide Corporation; Bhopal Union
Carbide Plant Disaster, Bhopal, India, 1984; Industrial
toxicology--India--Bhopal; Pesticides
industry--Accidents--India--Bhopal; Methyl isocyanate--Environmental
aspects--India--Bhopal.
(Union Carbide - merged into Dow Chemical Company in 2001), Dan Kurzman (1987).
A Killing Wind: Inside Union
Carbide and the Bhopal Catastrophe. (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 297
p.). Union Carbide Ltd. (India); Bhopal Union Carbide Plant Disaster,
Bhopal, India, 1984; Pesticides industry--Accidents--India--Bhopal;
Methyl isocyanate--Environmental aspects--India--Bhopal.
(Union Carbide), David Dembo, Ward Morehouse, and Lucinda Wykle
(1990).
Abuse of Power: Social Performance of Multinational Corporations: The
Case of Union Carbide. (New York, NY: New Horizons Press, 161
p.). Union Carbide Corporation; Chemical industry--Environmental
aspects--Case studies; International business enterprises--Social
aspects--Case studies.
(Union Carbide), Dominique Lapierre, Javier Moro ; translated form
the French by Kathryn Spink (2002).
Five Past Midnight in Bhopal:
The Epic Story of the World's Deadliest Industrial Disaster. (New
York, NY: Warner Books, 403 p.). Union Carbide Ltd. (India); Bhopal
Union Carbide Plant Disaster, Bhopal, India, 1984; Pesticides
industry--Accidents--India--Bhopal.
(Witco Chemical), Alan S. Brown (1995).
The Witco Story: Hard Work and Integrity. (Lyme, CT: Greenwich
Pub. Group, 107 p.). Witco Chemical Corporation--History; Chemical
industry--United States--History.
(Ziegler Chemical & Mineral Corp.), Gordon Sterling Ziegler, Sr. as
told to Suzanne Barnett (1992).
"--And So It Happened--". (Fort
Lauderdale, FL: Abbott-Sterling Pub., 286 p.). Ziegler, Gordon
Sterling; Industrialists--United States--Biography.
Alfred D. Chandler, Jr. (2005).
Shaping the Industrial Century:
The Remarkable Story of the Modern Chemical and Pharmaceutical
Industries. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 384 p.).
Isidor Straus Professor of Business History, Emeritus (Harvard Business
School). Chemical industry--United States--History; Chemical
industry--Europe--History; Pharmaceutical industry--United
States--History; Pharmaceutical industry--Europe--History; Biotechnology
industries--United States.
J. Harry DuBois (1972).
Plastics History U.S.A. (Boston, MA: Cahners Books, 447 p.).
Plastics industry and trade--United States--History.
Kenne Fant; translated from the Swedish by Marianne Ruth (1993).
Alfred Nobel: A Biography. (New York, NY: Arcade, 342 p.). Nobel,
Alfred Bernhard, 1833-1896; Chemical engineers--Sweden--Biography.
Stephen Fenichell (1996).
Plastic: The Making of a Synthetic Century. (New York, NY:
HarperBusiness, 356 p.). Plastics.
Robert Friedel (1983).
Pioneer Plastic: The Making and Selling of Celluloid. (Madison,
WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 153 p.). Historian (University of
Maryland). Celluloid.
Eds. Louis Galambos, Takashi Hikino, Vera Zamagni (2006).
The Global Chemical Industry in the Age of the Petrochemical Revolution.
(New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 529 p.). Professor of History
(Johns Hopkins University); Associate Professor of Industrial
Organization (Kyoto University); Professor of Economic History
(University of Bologna). Chemical industry; Petroleum chemicals
industry. Evolution of global chemical industry from end of World War II
until most recent period.
L. F. Haber (1971). The Chemical Industry, 1900-1930:
International Growth and Technological Change. (Oxford, UK:
Clarendon Press, 452 p.). Chemical industry--History.
William Haynes (1942).
This Chemical Age; The Miracle of Man-Made Materials. (New
York, NY: Knopf, 385 p.). Chemistry, Technical -- History; Synthetic
products.
--- (1970).
Chemical Pioneers; The Founders of the American Chemical Industry.
(Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 288 p.). Chemists; Chemical
engineers; Chemical industry -- United States.
Jeffrey L. Meikle (1995).
American Plastic: A Cultural History. (New Brunswick, NJ:
Rutgers University Press, 403 p.). Plastics--History. Plastics industry
and trade--United States--History.
A. Cressy Morrison (1937).
Man in a Chemical World; The Service of Chemical Industry.
(New York, NY: C. Scribner’s Sons, 292 p.). Chemistry,
Technical--History.
_________________________________________________
Business History Links
American Chemical Society-ListServ http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/nyacs-l.html
Chemical Heritage Foundation (Othmer Library)
http://www.chemheritage.org/main.htm
1982 - Center for the History of Chemistry (CHOC) was launched
as a pilot project of the University of Pennsylvania and the American
Chemical Society (ACS). In 1984 the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers (AIChE) became the third sponsor. 1987 - Center was
incorporated as a not-for-profit organization, now named the National
Foundation for the History of Chemistry. 1992 - Chemical
Heritage Foundation (CHF) assumed its present name to better reflect
the interdisciplinary nature of the sciences and industries it serves
and the widening public scope of its activities. CHF maintains a
world-class collection of materials that document the history and
heritage of the chemical and molecular sciences, technologies, and
industries; encourages research in CHF collections; and carries out a
program of outreach and interpretation in order to advance an
understanding of the role of the chemical and molecular sciences,
technologies, and industries in shaping society
Plastiquarian.com
http://www.plastiquarian.com
Information about inventors, plastic materials, and companies involved
with the discovery and production of polymer materials. Includes images
of items made from materials such as celluloid, casein, melamine,
vulcanite, and xylonite. Also includes an online museum "devoted to the
story of viscose artificial silk [rayon]." From the Plastics Historical
Society, a British society affiliated with the Institute of Materials,
Minerals and Mining. |
