The synthetic fiber DuPont first produced in 1935 was nylon.
The first nylon, nylon 6,6, was produced at DuPont’s Experimental Station on February 28, 1935. Chemist Wallace Hume Carothers led the research team, which was investigating large molecules called polymers. The new material combined strength and elasticity and could be drawn into useful fibers.
Nylon was developed as a synthetic alternative to materials such as silk. DuPont later introduced nylon stockings commercially in 1940, creating enormous consumer demand. During the Second World War, nylon was redirected toward military uses including parachutes, ropes, and other equipment.
Nylon is a polyamide, meaning its repeating molecular units are linked by amide groups. Polyester and acrylic are also synthetic fibers but were developed separately; rayon is regenerated cellulose rather than a fully synthetic polymer. Carothers died in 1937, before nylon’s commercial success became fully established.