He took wool cloth and painted one side with the dissolved rubber preparation and placed another layer of wool cloth on top. The mackintosh raincoat created from the new fabric was named after Charles Macintosh. The secrets of fiber chemistry for countless applications had begun to emerge. A brilliant and tragic mind, Carothers was the brains behind Dupont and the birth of synthetic fibers. In 1942, William Hanford and Donald Holmes invented polyurethane together.
Polyurethane is the basis of a novel type of elastomeric fiber known generically as spandex.
It replaced the rubber used in women's underwear. Inc. The first commercial production of spandex fiber in the United States began in 1959. He created vinyl. Related Information Clothing Innovations Blue jeans, the bikini, the tuxedo, fabrics and fasteners are all discussed on this page. Learn about the inventors behind clothing-related innovations.