In 1926, a failed rubber-adhesive experiment created a strange material, and PVC found its future

n 1926, chemist Waldo Semon was working at B.F. Goodrich in Akron, Ohio. Semon came up with a very clear objective: he had to find a better way to attach rubber to metal. Little did he know that his discovery would change the future of one of the world's most widely used plastics.It might have seemed to be an accidental discovery. In reality, however, the development of commercially viable PVC was far from accidental. It was driven by perseverance, close observation and a good sense of valuing what was considered worthless before.Nowadays, PVC is used in all sorts of products, including electrical cables, rain coats, plumbing pipes and window frames. Back then, though, it was hardly considered a valuable substance and had little commercial use.A plastic nobody wantedHistory shows that PVC predates Semon's discovery. The French chemist Henri Victor Regnault first observed it way back in 1835, while another German chemist, Eugen Baumann, independently produced it in 1872. As early as the turn of the twentieth century, scientists had already figured out ways of synthesising PVC; however, there were no applications for this substance.This was due to the fact that the main problem with PVC was its rigidity and inability to be processed into useable materials without significant degradation.Reportedly, commercial interest in PVC remained limited because of this rigidity. Despite several attempts to bring the polymer into industry, it remained largely a laboratory curiosity for decades.The experiment that went wrongIn 1926, Semon went to work at B.F. Goodrich during a time when there was intense interest from firms in finding ways to make products using other substances instead of natural rubber.According to the Lemelson-MIT program, Semon's task at B.F. Goodrich was to develop materials that could improve rubber products. Facing the problem of rubber scarcity, Semon started testing different synthetic polymers such as PVC. At the time, PVC was widely regarded as having limited commercial value. He had the aim to create an adhesive suitable for joining rubber to metal. The experiment failed.Nonetheless, when heating PVC in a high-boiling solvent, Semon made a jelly-like substance which showed unusual behaviour after cooling, it became flexible. Although this was not the adhesive he sought, Semon learned one important thing about PVC - this substance could be turned into a usable material.Semon did not give up and carried on doing experiments. He eventually succeeded in creating plasticised PVC, which proved to be flexible and durable and thus easy to manufacture. Turning chemistry into industryThe importance of the discovery lay not in creating a new plastic, but in making an existing one commercially useful.According to a historical overview published in the Journal of Macromolecular Science, available through Taylor and Francis, Semon's work effectively opened the door to PVC's commercialisation. By enabling the material to be processed without severe degradation, he transformed a difficult polymer into an industrial success.Scientists from Texas A&M University mention the role of plasticisers in making PVC commercially successful. With the addition of plasticisers, it became possible to melt the substance and process it in large volumes while retaining all of its qualities.This had immediate results: using the trade name of Koroseal, B.F. Goodrich developed coated materials, insulating products, and covers.From raincoats to infrastructureOne factor in PVC's rapid spread was its versatility.This can be found in early industrial publications, which list the uses of PVC as rainwear, footwear parts, shower curtains and wire insulators. Uniquely among other specialised materials, it proved possible to adapt PVC for use in numerous applications without raising its production costs too significantly.Its characteristics of toughness, waterproofing and malleability allowed it to stand against older materials like rubber. Eventually, it would even replace these in certain fields. By the mid-twentieth century, PVC became an essential component of modern industrial processes. To this day, PVC remains one of the world's most widely produced plastics.A lesson in scientific discoveryAlmost a hundred years on, Semon’s discovery is still considered a prime example of innovations stemming from unintended consequences.While his adhesive experiment was unsuccessful in delivering what he was searching for, it led him to discover a previously unnoticed opportunity residing in a substance that many had long discarded.Science has always been fascinated by groundbreaking inventions. However, history proves that sometimes a great discovery is about recognising the possibilities that have been present since the start.The story of PVC is an illustration of this principle. What began as an unsuccessful attempt to improve rubber products in an Akron laboratory ultimately helped transform a neglected polymer into one of the world's most widely used plastics. The laboratory accident turned out to be the the turning point for a neglected polymer.