Omar Khalid
Nathaniel Wyeth, a DuPont engineer, invented the plastic soda bottle, which was the first plastic container capable of holding carbonated beverages without letting the soda go flat. He is also known for inventing or co-inventing 25 products and processes in plastics, textiles, electronics, and mechanical systems. Wyeth received the 1981 Society of Plastics Engineers international award for outstanding achievement and was inducted into the Society of the Plastics Industry Hall of Fame in 1986.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Inventor | Nathaniel Wyeth |
| Year of Invention | 1967 |
| Year of Patent | 1973 |
| Name of Invention | Plastic soda bottle |
| Material | Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) |
| Reusability | Recyclable |
| Contamination | No chemical contamination of contents |
| Strength | Uniformly strong |
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What You'll Learn
The plastic soda bottle
Nathaniel C. Wyeth, a Du Pont engineer, invented the plastic soda bottle, also known as the PET bottle. Wyeth received a bachelor's and master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined Du Pont's engineering department in 1936 and worked for the company for over 40 years, inventing or co-inventing 25 products and processes in plastics, textiles, electronics, and mechanical systems.
Wyeth began working on the plastic soda bottle, his most famous invention, in 1967. He was curious about why plastic was not being used for carbonated beverages and discovered that when plastic was molded into bottles, certain parts were weaker than others and could not withstand the carbonation pressure. He experimented with cold-stretching plastic molecules, a technique he had previously used to strengthen nylon fibres.
Wyeth created a "preform" mold for the bottle, resembling a test tube with screw threads running in a diamond criss-cross pattern. This design reinforced the bottle and created a uniformly strong container. The plastic he initially used, however, kept stretching in one direction until it burst. To address this issue, Wyeth switched to a new type of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which stretched in one place when the limit was reached elsewhere.
In 1973, Wyeth patented the first successful plastic soda bottle made of PET. This bottle was the first plastic container capable of holding carbonated beverages without ballooning up or going flat. It soon became a familiar household item, with over six million bottles produced worldwide each year. Wyeth's invention revolutionized the beverage industry by providing a lightweight, durable, and inexpensive alternative to glass bottles.
For his groundbreaking invention, Wyeth received the 1981 Society of Plastics Engineers international award for outstanding achievement and was inducted into the Society of the Plastics Industry Hall of Fame in 1986. He was also the recipient of the DuPont Lavoisier Award for Technical Achievement in 1990. Despite his numerous achievements, Wyeth remained "the other Wyeth," overshadowed by the fame of his artist relatives, including his father, N. C. Wyeth, and brother, Andrew Wyeth.
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PET plastic
Nathaniel Wyeth invented a plastic bottle made of a kind of polyester called polyethylene terephthalate or PET. It was the first plastic container capable of holding carbonated beverages without either ballooning up or letting the soda go flat.
Wyeth began working on this invention in 1967. He wondered why plastic was not used for carbonated beverage bottles and was told that they would explode. He then conducted an experiment at home, filling an empty detergent bottle with ginger ale and leaving it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, the bottle had swollen so much that he had to pierce it to release the pressure.
Wyeth adopted a stretching technique he had previously used to strengthen nylon fibres to start experimenting with cold-stretching plastic molecules. He devised a way to extrude the plastic with crisscrossed flow lines, which reinforced themselves and created a uniformly strong bottle. The plastic he was using, however, kept stretching in one direction until it burst.
Wyeth then switched to PET, which stretched in one place when the limit was reached somewhere else. This plastic was strong enough to withstand the pressure of carbonation and did not chemically contaminate the contents. Wyeth patented his bottle in 1973, and it soon became a familiar household item.
PET is eminently recyclable, and recycled PET is used mainly as "fiberfill" or synthetic fabric. For example, about half of the polyester carpet made in the US today comes from recycled PET bottles.
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Nylon fibre strengthening
Nathaniel Wyeth is known for inventing the plastic soda bottle in 1973. This bottle was made from a kind of polyester called polyethylene terephthalate or PET. It was the first plastic container capable of holding carbonated beverages without ballooning up or going flat.
Nylon is a synthetic polymer with a silk-like texture that can be melted and shaped into fibres, films, or other forms. It is one of the most widely used polymers for fibre manufacturing due to its adaptability, diversity, and high performance. Nylon is also used to enhance the strength of plastics, making them stronger and more elastic. This process of reinforcing plastics with nylon is known as fibre reinforcement.
Nylon is made through the distillation of hydrocarbon fuels, sometimes combined with other catalysts to produce plastics via polycondensation or polymerization. The resulting type of nylon is named based on the number of carbon atoms between the acid and amine groups. For example, nylon 6,6, made from adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine, is commonly used in fibre production.
To create strong nylon fibres, the polymer must be heated and drawn out to align the molecules. This process increases the strength of the nylon by eliminating weak points between the polymer chains. Nylon can also be combined with other materials to create reinforced plastics or plastic composites, which have enhanced characteristics such as improved tear resistance and internal strength.
Nylon fibre reinforcement has been used successfully in various applications, including concrete, clothing, sports equipment, food packaging, and automotive parts. For example, nylon fibres are added to concrete mixes to create a super-strong bond and improve crack resistance. In automotive applications, nylon reinforcement improves the strength-to-weight ratio, leading to improved fuel efficiency and increased part lifetime.
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Plastic recycling
Nathaniel Wyeth invented the plastic soda bottle, a container made from a kind of polyester called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It was the first plastic bottle that could contain carbonated drinks without letting the soda go flat. PET is eminently recyclable, and recycled PET is used mainly as "fiberfill" or synthetic fabric. For example, about half of the polyester carpet made in the US is made from recycled PET bottles.
Recycling can reduce dependence on landfills, conserve resources, and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. However, recycling rates lag behind those of other recoverable materials such as aluminium, glass, and paper. From the start of plastic production through to 2015, only 9% of the world's 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste had been recycled, and only 1% had been recycled more than once.
In the late 1980s, plastic recycling began in earnest. In 1988, the US Society of the Plastics Industry created the Council for Solid Waste Solutions to promote the idea of plastic recycling to the public. The association lobbied American municipalities to launch or expand plastic waste collection programmes and lobbied US states to require the labelling of plastic containers and products with recycling symbols. The industry also introduced resin identification codes in 1988, providing a standard system for the identification of various polymer types.
Today, plastic bottles are usually made from two types of plastic that are easy to recycle: PET and HDPE. 99% of UK local authorities offer collection facilities for plastic bottles, and many also collect mixed plastics packaging such as pots, tubs, and trays. Some supermarkets and retailers now collect a wider range of plastic bags and wrappings, or "soft plastics".
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DuPont innovations
Nathaniel Wyeth invented polyethylene terephthalate, more commonly known as PET, a plastic resin that can be moulded into a variety of shapes and that can be recycled. DuPont, the company that Nathaniel Wyeth worked for, has been at the forefront of many innovations in the field of polymers and plastics.
DuPont, formally DuPont de Nemours, Inc., was founded in 1802 by French-American chemist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont. The company began as a manufacturer of gunpowder, supplying up to half of the powder used by the Union Army during the American Civil War. Over the next two centuries, DuPont expanded into a variety of industries, including petroleum and natural gas, agriculture, and electronics.
DuPont has been awarded the National Medal of Technology four times for its innovations in polymers and plastics, among other things. Some of the plastics and polymers invented by DuPont include:
- Nylon
- Neoprene rubber
- Teflon
- Vespel
- Corian
- Kevlar
- Lycra
- Tyvek
These inventions have had a significant impact on numerous industries and everyday life. For example, Tyvek has been used in house wrap, protective apparel, and medical device technology. Kevlar, on the other hand, is used in body armour, hoses, and insulation. DuPont's innovations have helped revolutionize home construction, improve safety standards, and advance medical technology.
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Frequently asked questions
Nathaniel Wyeth was an engineer and inventor who worked for DuPont (also known as Du Pont Co. and E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company) for over 40 years. He invented or co-invented 25 products and processes in plastics, textiles, electronics, and mechanical systems.
Nathaniel Wyeth invented a plastic bottle made of polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET.
Nathaniel Wyeth's PET bottle was the first plastic container capable of holding carbonated beverages without ballooning up or going flat. It was also recyclable.
Nathaniel Wyeth became curious about why plastic was not being used for carbonated beverages. He found out that when plastic was molded into bottles, certain parts were weaker than others and could not withstand the carbonation pressure.
Nathaniel Wyeth adopted a stretching technique he had previously used to strengthen nylon fibres. He experimented with cold-stretching plastic molecules and devised a way to extrude the plastic with crisscrossed flow lines, creating a uniformly strong bottle.
