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First Nylon Plant Historical Resource
First Nylon Plant Historical Resource
First Nylon Plant Historical Resource
CHEMICAL L A N D M A R K
THE FIRST
NYLON PLANT
A M E R I C A N C H E M I C A L SOCIETY
Division of the History of Chemistry and
T h e Office of Public Outreach
T
DuPont plant, Seaford,
Delaware, 1939. his booklet commemorates the designation of the DuPont
Nylon Plant in Seaford, Delaware, as a National Historic
Chemical Landmark. T h e designation was conferred by the
American Chemical Society ( A C S ) , a non-profit scientific and educa-
tional organization of 150,000 chemists and chemical engineers.
A plaque marking the A C S designation was presented to the
plant on October 26, 1995. T h e inscription reads: " A t this site on
December 15, 1939, DuPont began commercial production of nylon.
Among the earliest successes of a fundamental research program novel
in the American chemical industry, nylon was the first totally syn-
thetic fiber to be fashioned into consumer products. Prepared wholly
with materials readily derived from coal, air, and water, nylon has
properties superior to its natural counterparts, such as silk. Nylon
revolutionized the textile industry and led the way for a variety of
synthetic materials that have had enormous social and economic
impact on the fabric of everyday life worldwide."
DuPont developed nylon in record time, five years between the
creation of the molecule in the laboratory and plant start-up. T h e
process was technically complex, involving new raw materials, new
fiber-forming techniques and unfamiliar materials of construction.
Plant construction took one year and cost $8 million. T h e plant at
Seaford initially employed 850 people and had a capacity of 4 million
pounds a year; DuPont announced an expansion before the first pound
was produced. T h e Seaford plant is still operating today, employs
1,600 people, and has a capacity of 400 million pounds—100 times
greater than in 1939.
Acknowledgments:
T h e American C h e m i c a l Society gratefully acknowledges the assistance of those who
helped prepare this booklet, including: Robert D . Lipscomb, retired D u P o n t scientist
and consultant in science education; Joseph X . Labovsky, laboratory assistant to
Wallace Carothers; Jeffrey L . Sturchio of Merck & C o . , I n c . , chairman of the A C S
O n the Covert (top, right) DuPont Advisory Committee on National Historic C h e m i c a l L a n d m a r k s ; James J . Bohning of
plant, Seaford, Delaware, 1995; A C S , the Advisory Committee liaison; the staff of the Hagley Museum and L i b r a r y ; and
(middle) aerial view of Seaford plant, John W . Collette, Director of Scientific Affairs for D u P o n t , and members of his staff—
1939; (bottom, left) " t w i s t e r s " — Patricia Snyder, Marguerite Vavalla and Judy Foraker.
bundling nylon yarn filaments.
T h i s booklet was written by John F . M c A l l i s t e r and produced by the A C S Office of
Public Outreach. Production Supervisor: V i v i a n Powers. L a y o u t : Dahlman/Middour
Background: "Twisters"—bundling
Design. Photographs courtesy of D u P o n t and the Hagley Museum and L i b r a r y .
nylon yarn filaments.
Copyright © 1995 A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l Society
THE "SUPERPOLYMERS"
Going Public
T h e market development process set
off rumors i n the textile industry about the
new fiber. DuPont kept quiet u n t i l the
n y l o n patent was issued i n September 1938.
T h e Seaford plant was authorized o n
October 12, and two weeks later, Stine To promote nylon, DuPont erected this two-ton, 35-foot-high nylon stocking
announced n y l o n i n a nationwide broadcast. in Los Angeles. Actress Marie Wilson, whose leg was said to be the model for
the display, waves to photographers from an improvised bos'n's chair.
O n December 15, 1939, production
started o n the plant — the first ever to be
designed for an operation never before
undertaken. I t would cost DuPont $8
LEADERS AND HEROES
chemical engineers, students, educators, historians, and travelers of an inspiring A! this site OB December 15, 1939, DuPont bessp
heritage that illuminates b o t h where we have been and where we might go w h e n in ihe American chemical i-dj>!n. nvfun was the
the evolution of the chemical sciences and technologies. A Site designation marks
and led the way for a variety of synthetic materials
that have had enormous social and economic
Impact on toe fabric of eieivday (ire worldwide.
the location of an artifact, event, or other development of clear historical impor-
tance to chemists and chemical engineers. A n Historic C o l l e c t i o n designation
marks the contributions of a number of objects w i t h special significance to the
historical development of chemistry and chemical engineering.
This program began i n 1992, when the Division of the History of Chemistry
of the A C S formed an international Advisory Committee. T h e Committee, composed of chemists, chemical engineers,
and historians of science and technology, works w i t h the A C S Office of Public Outreach and is assisted by the Chemical
Heritage Foundation. Together, these organizations provide a public service by examining, n o t i n g , recording, and
acknowledging particularly significant achievements i n chemistry and chemical engineering. For further information,
please contact the A C S Office of Public Outreach, 1155 Sixteenth Street, N . W . , Washington, D . C . 20036,
800-ACS-5558, Press 954.
T h e A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l Society DuPont
B r i a n M . R u s h t o n , President Edgar S. W o o l a r d , C h a i r m a n
R o n a l d C . Breslow, President-Elect Joseph A . M i l l e r , Jr., Senior Vice-President,
Paul H . L . W a l t e r , Board C h a i r m a n Technology
J o h n K C r u m , Executive D i r e c t o r
A n n B. Messmore, D i r e c t o r , Public O u t r e a c h
A C S A d v i s o r y Committee on
A C S D i v i s i o n of the H i s t o r y of C h e m i s t r y National Historic C h e m i c a l L a n d m a r k s
M a r t i n D . Saltzman, C h a i r m a n C h a i r m a n : Jeffrey L . S t u r c h i o , M e r c k & C o . , I n c .
Joseph B. Lambert, C h a i r m a n - E l e c t James J. B o h n i n g , A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l Society
Vera M a i n z , Secretary-Treasurer Jon B. E k l u n d , N a t i o n a l M u s e u m o f
R i c h a r d E. Rice, Program C h a i r m a n American History
Yasu Furukawa, T o k y o D e n k i U n i v e r s i t y
A C S Delaware Section L e o n G o r t l e r , B r o o k l y n College
Patricia L . W a t s o n , C h a i r w o m a n Ned D . Heindel, Lehigh University
Prudence Bradley, C h a i r w o m a n - E l e c t Paul R. Jones, U n i v e r s i t y of N e w H a m p s h i r e
M a r i a S p i n u , Secrtary James W . L o n g , U n i v e r s i t y o f O r e g o n
H e l e n Hauer, Treasurer Peter J. T . M o r r i s , N a t i o n a l M u s e u m o f Science
and Industry, L o n d o n
Delaware Section Historical Site Committee M a r y Jo N y e , O r e g o n State U n i v e r s i t y
John W . Collette, Co-Chairman Stanley I . Proctor, Jr., Proctor C o n s u l t i n g Services
Robert D . Lipscomb, C o - C h a i r m a n D a v i d J. Rhees, B a k k e n L i b r a r y and M u s e u m
Paul Becher A n n C . H i g g i n s , A C S Staff Liaison
B e n j a m i n D . Herzog
Patricia L . W a t s o n
A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l Society
1155 S i x t e e n t h Street, N . W .
W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20036