Nylon, Vinylite

A sensational product of the waning '303 was Du Font's "nylon," an artificial silk billed as a formidable rival to natural Japanese silk. Nylon is technically described as "synthetic fibre-forming polymeric amides having a protein-like structure, produced by reacting diamines and dibasic carboxylic acids." Put more plainly, its basic materials are coal, air, water. Last week nylon stockings, as handsome as silk, continued to be sold only in Wilmington (see p. 76). Meanwhile Du Pont announced that the nylon chemicals would be put to many other uses besides stockings: greaseproof paper containers, non-cracking patent leather, waterproof clothing, flexible window panes.

Not to be outdone, Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corp. announced that its "elastic Vinylite" (vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate resins) was being made into chemically inert beer pipes, men's shoes, babies' diapers, bedroom slippers, shower curtains, aprons, waterproof sheeting, women's hats, chair covers, card-table covers, insulation.

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