Vulcanized Rubber? Also An Unintentional Discovery
There’s a reason Paul Simon’s song Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes was a big hit! While we may not have diamonds on the soles of our shoes, we have rubber. This is why, in 1839, an accidental discovery changed the entire world. A frustrated Charles Goodyear was trying to turn rubber into something that wouldn’t melt when it was hot, or freeze when it was cold.
After many failed experiments, he tried using sulfur. He was annoyed and threw it into the air. It landed on the stove. Instead of melting, like the other rubber he’d used, it turned into a leathery, heat-resistant, and waterproof substance that’s known as vulcanized rubber today. You can thank Goodyear for your hoses, hockey pucks, soles of your shoes, toys, and tires (Brittanica).