An Explosive Idea!

[Daft Bat]

Did you know…. polyethylene was first synthesized by the German chemist Hans von Pechmann who prepared it by accident in 1898. But then it was forgotten about for the next 35 years until…today, 24th March, back in 1933.

Two ICI scientists, Reginald Gibson and Eric Fawcett wanted to know what happened when ethylene and benzaldehyde were put together under pressure. They produced a “white waxy solid”. Six years later, another scientist thought that it might be ideal for insulating submarine cables, which it was, and a full-scale production plant was built – just in time for WW2.

However, there was a bizarre manufacturing problem. Unless production was stopped for two weeks every couple of years, the plant exploded. However, ICI found it quicker, cheaper and simpler to rebuild the plant with prefabricated parts rather than lose two week’s production, so it continued to blow up on a regular basis until a better system was introduced in 1978.

Meanwhile, a new use had been developed for the domestic market – the first polythene washing up bowl was introduced in 1948 – between explosions, of course…

 

[mikejee]

Bit like the discovery of Teflon (courtesy of Wiki)

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was accidentally discovered in 1938 by Roy J. Plunkett while he was working in Chemours Chambers Works plant in New Jersey for DuPont. A team of Dupont chemists attempted to make a new chlorofluorocarbon refrigerant, called tetrafluoroethylene. The gas in its pressure bottle stopped flowing before the bottle's weight had dropped to the point signaling "empty". John J. Beall (chemist), noticing a weight differential in his test cylinder, brought it to the attention of Roy Plunkett. The chemists in the lab sawed the bottle apart and found the bottle's interior coated with a waxy white material that was oddly slippery. Analysis showed that it was polymerized perfluoroethylene, with the iron from the inside of the container having acted as a catalyst at high pressure. Kinetic Chemicals patented the new fluorinated plastic (analogous to the already known polyethylene) in 1941, and registered the Teflon trademark in 1945.

 

[Chimp]

When they built the O2 arena they had to think of a way to keep the white roof clean. As hardly anything sticks to PTFE (I know I work with the stuff) they decided to use fiber glass and coat it with PTFE. Any dust or debris that lands on it gets washed off by the rain. But saying that there are some substances (pollution) that will stick to it so it gets cleaned every 2 to 5 years.