Materials · 1926

Plasticized PVC

Flexible vinyl for waterproof fabrics and electrical insulation.

Waldo Semon at B.F. Goodrich made existing PVC flexible in 1926 by heating it in a high-boiling solvent. The resulting rubber-like material could coat fabrics and insulate wire. PVC itself was already known before this plasticization breakthrough.

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What it built on 1

Synthetic plastic (Bakelite) 1907