History
Ralph Wiley accidentally discovered polyvinylidene chloride in 1933. He, then, was a college student who worked part-time at Dow Chemical lab as a dishwasher. While cleaning laboratory glassware, he came across a vial he could not scrub clean. Dow researchers made this material into a greasy, dark green film, first called "Eonite" and then "Saran".
Ralph Wiley went on to become one of Dow Chemical's Research Scientists and invent and develop many plastics, chemicals and production machines.
The military sprayed Saran on fighter planes to guard against salty sea spray and carmakers used it for upholstery. Dow later devised a formulation of polyvinylidene chloride free of unpleasant odour and green colour.
The most well known use of polyvinylidene chloride came in 1953, when Saran Wrap, a plastic food wrap was introduced. In 2004, however, the formula was changed to low density polyethylene due to environmental concerns about its chlorine content.
Read more about this topic: Polyvinylidene Chloride
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