Comments on: U.S. Navy Inventions Build Great Industries http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/06/29/us-navy-inventions-build-great-industries/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:16:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Bob http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/06/29/us-navy-inventions-build-great-industries/#comment-1057567 Bob Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:01:20 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4706#comment-1057567 Real shellac is still made from beetles. Real shellac is still made from beetles.

]]> By: Mike http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/06/29/us-navy-inventions-build-great-industries/#comment-1057555 Mike Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:34:35 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4706#comment-1057555 Leo Baekeland was able to invent Bakelite thanks largely in part to George Eastman. Previously, Baekeland had been a research chemist for Kodak. He developed an improved photographic paper that would be known as Velox. He sold it to Eastman for some huge amount of money and retired. During his retirement, he continued to putter around with chemistry. He guessed that there would be a market for an artificial shellac. Shellac was made (at the time) from beetles. Anyway, Baekeland ends up accidentally creating the first synthetic plastic. It could be easily molded, tinted and colored, too, which made it's commerical applications virtually limitless. That's IIRC... I wrote a little report on Eastman a few years ago and included Baekeland as a bit of a side note. Leo Baekeland was able to invent Bakelite thanks largely in part to George Eastman.

Previously, Baekeland had been a research chemist for Kodak. He developed an improved photographic paper that would be known as Velox. He sold it to Eastman for some huge amount of money and retired. During his retirement, he continued to putter around with chemistry.

He guessed that there would be a market for an artificial shellac. Shellac was made (at the time) from beetles. Anyway, Baekeland ends up accidentally creating the first synthetic plastic. It could be easily molded, tinted and colored, too, which made it’s commerical applications virtually limitless.

That’s IIRC… I wrote a little report on Eastman a few years ago and included Baekeland as a bit of a side note.

]]> By: Eliyahu http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/06/29/us-navy-inventions-build-great-industries/#comment-1057546 Eliyahu Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:03:02 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4706#comment-1057546 In reality, while many things are invented "for" the Navy (and other armed services), little is invented "by" the Navy. The author confused work by outside contractors with work done by sailors. In reality, while many things are invented “for” the Navy (and other armed services), little is invented “by” the Navy. The author confused work by outside contractors with work done by sailors.

]]> By: galessa http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/06/29/us-navy-inventions-build-great-industries/#comment-1057541 galessa Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:39:58 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4706#comment-1057541 Not sure about safety glass, but cellophane was invented in France about 1911! So was rayon. And Leo Baekeland, the inventor of bakelite in 1907, was not working for the Navy, neither bakelite had anything to do with nitrocellulose. They also make a common mistake about the word Piralyn. Piralyn is both a tradename to nitrocellulose plastics like Celluloid AND a trade name for heatproof glass goods (like Pyrex) that have no relation to each other. The girl is in for a surprise when she lights her oven. Not sure about safety glass, but cellophane was invented in France about 1911! So was rayon. And Leo Baekeland, the inventor of bakelite in 1907, was not working for the Navy, neither bakelite had anything to do with nitrocellulose. They also make a common mistake about the word Piralyn. Piralyn is both a tradename to nitrocellulose plastics like Celluloid AND a trade name for heatproof glass goods (like Pyrex) that have no relation to each other. The girl is in for a surprise when she lights her oven.

]]> By: Adeel http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/06/29/us-navy-inventions-build-great-industries/#comment-1057536 Adeel Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:32:16 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4706#comment-1057536 Floating dry docks, improvements in wharf and dock machinery in seaports throughout the world, improvements in ship hull design, better propelling machinery for ships, the de-salting of sea water for use aboard ships at sea, important chemical discoveries, the development of optical instruments, most of the advances made in the refrigeration of foodstuffs in ships, and important contributions to the sciences of medicine and surgery, are but a few additional things that the navy has done from which the entire nation has benefited. Floating dry docks, improvements in wharf and dock machinery in seaports throughout the world, improvements in ship hull design, better propelling machinery for ships, the de-salting of sea water for use aboard ships at sea, important chemical discoveries, the development of optical instruments, most of the advances made in the refrigeration of foodstuffs in ships, and important contributions to the sciences of medicine and surgery, are but a few additional things that the navy has done from which the entire nation has benefited.

]]> By: infoTainment http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/06/29/us-navy-inventions-build-great-industries/#comment-1057535 infoTainment Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:30:17 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4706#comment-1057535 I agree there is something missing. Maybe they haven't brought everything back yet. I agree there is something missing. Maybe they haven’t brought everything back yet.

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