Charles Goodyear
| Charles Goodyear | |
|---|---|
Charles Goodyear, as illustrated in an 1891 Scientific American article
|
|
| Born | December 29, 1800 New Haven, Connecticut |
| Died | July 1, 1860 (aged 59) New York, New York |
| Nationality | United States |
| Spouse(s) | Clarissa Beecher (m. August 1824) |
| Children |
|
| Parent(s) |
|
| Engineering career | |
| Projects |
vulcanize rubber perfected and patented in 1844, in Springfield, Massachusetts STATUS: Bankrupt Circa 1834 |
| Signature | |
 |
|
vulcanize rubber perfected and patented in 1844, in Springfield, Massachusetts
Charles Goodyear (December 29, 1800 – July 1, 1860) was an American self-taught chemist and manufacturing engineer who developed vulcanized rubber, for which he received patent number 3633 from the United States Patent Office on June 15, 1844.
Goodyear is credited with inventing the chemical process to create and manufacture pliable, waterproof, moldable rubber. However, the Mesoamericans used stabilized rubber for balls and other objects as early as 1600 BC.
Goodyear's discovery of the vulcanization process followed five years of searching for a more stable rubber and stumbling upon the effectiveness of heating after Thomas Hancock. His discovery initiated decades of successful rubber manufacturing in the Lower Naugatuck Valley in Connecticut, as rubber was adopted to multiple applications, including footwear and tires. The The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is named after him.
Charles Goodyear was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of Amasa Goodyear, and the oldest of six children. His father was a descendant of Stephen Goodyear of London, Middlesex, England, one of the founders of the colony of New Haven in 1638.
In 1814, Charles left his home and went to Philadelphia to learn the hardware business. He worked industriously until he was twenty-one years old, and then, returning to Connecticut, entered into partnership in his father’s business in Naugatuck, CT where they manufactured not only ivory and metal buttons, but also a variety of agricultural implements.
...
Wikipedia