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Textile fibers, Synthetic

 Subject
Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Scope Note: Man-made fibers manufactured through chemical synthesis process known as polymerization. Includes: Acrylic fibers; Dacron; Kevlar; Modacrylic; Nomex; Nylon; Orlon; Paper thread; Polyamide fibers; Polyester fibers; Polypropylene fibers; Rayon; Spandex; Spun yarns; Triacetate; Vinyl fibers; and Artificial wool.

Found in 12 Collections and/or Records:

Charles H. Rutledge papers

 Collection
Accession: 1193
Abstract:

Charles H. Rutledge (1901-1978) was the manager of the Product Information section for the Textile Fibers Department at the DuPont Company from 1944 to 1966. He authored numerous papers and was a contributor to textbooks and encyclopedias on textile fibers. This collection consists of two sets of files, those Rutledge maintained while at DuPont and those he compiled for a book he had planned to write following his retirement about the history of fibers.

Dates: 1933-1971; Majority of material found within 1931-1977

Donald R. Hull papers

 Collection
Accession: 2137
Abstract:

Donald Robert Hull (1911-1995) was a longtime employee at the DuPont Company mainly working with nylon and textile fibers. The collection pertains to his work at DuPont and Hull's consulting firm, Fiber Concepts, Inc.

Dates: 1941-1995

DuPont Company Textile Fabrics Department videotapes, photographs, slides and promotions

 Collection
Accession: 2011-320
Abstract:

The Textile Fibers Department of the DuPont Company, established in 1936 as the Rayon Department, specialized in researching and developing synthetic fibers for fabrics such as Rayon, Nylon, Teflon, Corian, and Kevlar. This collection primarily contains video tapes (VHS and U-Matic). Most of the content on the VHS videotapes are different than that on the U-Matic videotapes, there are a few duplicate videos that are in both formats. The videotapes content are employee training videos related to management, customer service and safety, as well as, informational videos about product and services, company history and events. Additionally the collection contains photographs, slides, advertising and promotional materials.

Dates: 1918-2004; Majority of material found within 1982-1997

DuPont Company Textile Fibers Department photograph album

 Collection
Accession: 1996-255
Abstract:

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly known as the DuPont Company. DuPont's Advertising Department was formed in September 1921, when the company was reorganized with a decentralized structure. The Advertising Department was responsible for assisting the company in promoting and advertising the work of the other departments, including the Textile Fibers Department. The Textile Fibers Department of the DuPont Company was established in 1936 as the Rayon Department, which specialized in researching and developing synthetic fibers for fabrics. This photograph album highlights the facilities and processes of the DuPont Company's synthetic textile fibers manufacturing and research. The album was likely created by the Advertising Department between 1945 and 1968. Each photograph is accompanied by text describing the image. The album is divided into seven sections: Nylon, Orlon, Dacron, Acetate, Lycra, Chestnut Run, and All Fibers.

Dates: 1946-1968

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company Lavoisier Library archival collection

 Collection
Accession: 2632
Abstract:

The Textile Fibers Department of the DuPont Company was established in 1936 (known then as the Rayon Department) which specialized in researching and developing synthetic fibers for fabrics such as Rayon, Nylon, Teflon, Corian, and Kevlar. Lavoisier Library is the library at the DuPont Company's Experimental Station, a large industrial research facility focused on innovative advancements in chemistry located in Wilmington, Delaware. The records in this collection consists of files assembled to document various aspects of the company's history, its policies and products, and the writings and speeches of executives and researchers.

Dates: 1902-2011

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Textile Fibers Department records

 Collection
Accession: 1771
Abstract:

The Textile Fibers Department of the DuPont Company was established in 1936 (known then as the Rayon Department), which specialized in researching and developing synthetic fibers for fabrics such as Rayon, Nylon, Teflon, Corian, and Kevlar. The collection consists of research files and other records from the primary divisions of the Textile Fibers Department, including the Pioneering Research Division, Rayon Research Division, Technical Service Section, and the research facilities at the Spruance Plant in Richmond, Virginia, and at the Yerkes Plant in Buffalo, New York. These files document the development of some of DuPont's best known and most commercially successful synthetic fibers: nylon, Dacron, and Orlon. Additionally, there are market research reports assessing product performance and consumer surveys evaluating customer attitudes toward products.

Dates: 1899-1988

Experimental Station Library collection

 Collection
Accession: 2380
Abstract:

The Textile Fibers Department of the DuPont Company was established in 1936 (known then as the Rayon Department) which specialized in researching and developing synthetic fibers for fabrics such as Rayon, Nylon, Teflon, Corian, and Kevlar. This collection consists of materials once housed in the library of the Experimental Station and culled after the sale of the textile fibers business. The collection has been arranged into six series: Vertical file; Translation logs; Miscellany; Project indexes; Publications; Speeches.

Dates: 1906-1998; Majority of material found within 1938-1993

Fiber spinning processes cartoons

 Collection
Accession: 2014-223
Abstract:

The DuPont Company is a chemical company which commercially produces synthetic fibers such as Kevlar. This collection consists of three pieces of artwork which were created for the DuPont Company Textile Fibers Department and hung in a shared work area. The artwork are photostats and are signed “ELF”. The three pictures show various small, cheerful animals making synthetic fiber by three different methods that are actually used (in slightly more sophisticated form) industrially.

Dates: circa 1970

Floyd Hamilton Fish Jr. pneumacel photographs

 Collection
Accession: 2013-248
Abstract:

Floyd Hamilton Fish Jr. (1923-2009) was a mechanical engineer and inventor at E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company between 1954 and 1986. E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company. Fish helped invent pneumacel, an inflated polyester foam. These records are a small group of documents relating to Fish's role in the pneumacel project and his attempt to revive it after his retirement, as well as the hiring process for engineers at DuPont and the activities of the Kennett Pike Association.

Dates: 1953-2005

Joseph W. Lynch papers

 Collection
Accession: 2580
Abstract:

Joseph W. Lynch was a textile chemist at the DuPont Company from 1954 to 1994. Lynch's papers document his forty-year career at DuPont. Some company records in Lynch's possession antedate his employment, while others describe his job searches from 1952 to 1954. The bulk of the records deal with customer relations, including identifying and resolving problems concerning DuPont's textile fiber products and providing technical assistance to customers.

Dates: 1943-1994; Majority of material found within 1954-1979

Nylon technical service notebook

 Collection
Accession: 2654
Abstract:

J. Edward Norton (1925-2009) worked for the DuPont Company in the Textile Fibers Department as a technical marketing specialist. The notebook he maintained includes company technical memoranda and bulletins covering the processing of Nylon, Orlon, and Dacron, the production of wool-polyester blends, and the carding, spinning, knitting, and finishing of artificial fibers.

Dates: 1951-1968

Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

 Collection
Accession: 2010-215
Abstract:

The Textile Fibers Department of the DuPont Company was established in 1936 as the Rayon Department, which specialized in researching and developing synthetic fibers for fabrics such as Nylon, Orlon, Dacron, and Lycra. The collection consists of oral history interviews conducted by Joseph Plasky, with former employees of DuPont's Textile Fibers department.

Dates: 2007-2010; 2014-2020