Editor's Note: "The Nylon Rope Trick" Since the appearance of the paper with this title, by Paul W. Morgan and Stephanie L. Kwolek in THISJOURNAL, 36, 182 (1959), hardly a Science Fair has been held without at least one Nylon rope being wound. In response to the Editor's query about the status of amateur interfacial polycondensation, Dr. Morgan replied in part: "I would estimate that about 50W reprints or closely related descriptions of the experiment have been distributed by people with the du Pont Company and ahout 4000 reprints of technical articles describing applications or studies of the technique of interfacial polycondens&tion. The Eastman Kodak Company hss a brochure which they send in reply to requests for inquiries about the chemicals. Du Pont of Canada has its own pamphlet and kit of materials on the subject. We have received endless phone calk and a great many letters from high school students concerning their science projects. "This past summer the experiment was demonstrated 6900 timts a t the du Pont exhibit a t e the show. We know of at least 50 showinss the New York Fair. Well over two million ~ e o u l saw on television. "Edmund Scientific Company, Rutherford, New Jersey, has just put together a kit for doing the experiment and this will be advertised in their next catalog. "Using a two+tep application technique, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture chemists have developed a nylon coating process far wool which prevents shrinkage in lzundering. This is known as t.he "Wurlau" process and is described in a number of their publications and patents. The &st experiments duplicated the Nylon Rope Trick in terms of concentration and ingredients. "The experiment has been redescribed in numerous publications and books, including Sorenson and Campbell, "Preparative Methods of Polymer Chemistry" (Intenoience); Billmeyer, ''Texb book of Polymer Science" (Interscience); Houhen-Weyl, "Methoden der Organischen Chemie,' Vol. 14, part 2, on "Marcomolecular Stoffe" (Thieme-Verlag); and "Matter" (Life Science Library Series)." PAULW. MORGAN PIONEERING RESEARCH DIVISION E. I. on PONTDE NEMOUES & COMPANY WILMINGTON, DELAWARE19898 ~~~~
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