Focused on polymer science and applications development

DuPont has been a leader in the polymers industry since its inception. Our polymer science heritage began in the early 1900s, as DuPont transformed itself into an organic chemicals research powerhouse after a century of success in gunpowder and related businesses.

Dr. Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) spearheaded some of DuPont's earliest and most remarkable polymer research. He was lured from Harvard to DuPont in 1927 with the promise that he could pursue basic research, specifically looking at polymers – molecules with long, repeating chain structures. In just one month, April 1930, Carothers’ team discovered neoprene synthetic rubber and synthesized the first polyester superpolymer, the forerunner of nylon.

Sparking a materials revolution

Carothers' and other research sparked the 20th century’s "materials revolution," as DuPont scientists developed and applied their understanding of radical polymerization, basic principles of condensation polymerization, and the structure of condensation polymers. This new way of making polymers radically differed from the previous method, which was based on cellulose chemistry, and catapulted DuPont to the forefront of synthesized polymer technology. With products of its research, DuPont launched profitable businesses in fibers, films, plastic resins and finishes.

Through its polymer science, DuPont has been responsible for nearly 75 percent of the 40-plus major polymers commercially produced today, all of which trace their origin to the development of condensation polymerization.

Everyday miracles

From comfortable polymer-based fibers to durable molded widgets, from polymers that slip to polymers that stick, from polymers that are clear as glass to those that deliver solid, molded-in color ... DuPont has continued to advance its fundamental and applied polymer sciences. Today, DuPont polymers and modifiers are found in applications as diverse as the world we live in, and in products that touch and improve our lives every day.