Neoprene black rubber is widely used in commercial, industrial, and manufacturing applications today. Since its invention in 1930, neoprene material has undergone many changes and continued development to become the product used so frequently today. Manufacturing neoprene was no easy task, but now it is a mass produced and widely available elastomer. Neoprene, the common name for chloroprene rubber, has cycled through many phases, name changes, and marketing schemes to get to where it is now.

The origin story of neoprene black stretches all the way back to the 1930s, to a chance meeting of the two men who started it all: Reverend Julius Arthur Nieuwland of the University of Notre Dame and Dr. Elmer K. Bolton, the Director of Research at DuPont. These are the men who paved the way for the development and of the neoprene elastomers and neoprene products that we know today. Dr. Bolton attended a lecture conducted by Fr. Nieuwland. At this lecture, Nieuwland was presenting his recent research focused on acetylene chemistry. During the course of his work, he had developed what was called divinyl acetylene (a jelly that forms into an elastic compound very similar to rubber when passed over sulfur dichloride). Dr. Bolton was fascinated by the potential of this compound. The DuPont Company purchased the patent to Fr. Nieuwland’s research. Dr. Bolton worked together with one of the other senior scientists at DuPont, Wallace Carothers, in order to make neoprene elastomers a reality. Eventually, responsibility for the project was given over solely to Dr. Carothers. With this type of scientific talent at the helm, DuPont oversaw the development of the first type of neoprene black. Unlike Fr. Nieuwland’s focus on divinyl acetylene, DuPont focused their research primarily on monovinyl acetylene and reacted the substance with hydrogen chloride gas with the end result being the manufacturing of chloroprene (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoprene).

The resulting product was not initially known as neoprene rubber. Instead, it was initially marketed under the name “DuPrene”, but the original process of manufacturing neoprene limited its capability in many markets due to a foul odor that came from this specific neoprene black rubber material. A new process was developed which eliminated the odor and the name was changed to “Neoprene” to signify that this material was an ingredient and not an end product. The dropping of the trademark name in 1937 brought about a change in the marketing strategy for neoprene elastomers. DuPont worked rigorously to increase demand for neoprene products and even began publishing its own technical journal to extensively publicize the uses of neoprene black. Their strategy even went as far as to advertise other companies’ products which included neoprene material. The plan worked! By 1939, sales of commercial neoprene were generating profits over $300,000 for the DuPont Company.

Neoprene black is today still known to be a good general-purpose rubber for multiple applications. It owes this title to the chloroprene atom that gives neoprene products a resistance to hydrogen oils and gas, natural gas, salt/sea water, silicone oils and grease, as well as many others. Additionally, today there are several different companies engaged in manufacturing neoprene for commercial and industrial uses. All of this would not have been possible had it not been for the continued investigation and development done by Wallace Carothers, Elmer Bolton, and the DuPont Company.

Neoprene black is ideal for many industrial applications such as insulation, gaskets, and adhesives. At Rubber-Cal, we offer a line of neoprene products to suit many different uses and functions depending on your needs. They are very popular in gasketing purposes. In addition to this quality, neoprene elastomers also come with a balanced combination of other properties:

• Resistance to degradation from sun, ozone, and weathering which makes it ideal for outdoor purposes as well as indoor applications.

• Remains useful over a wide temperature range (-20 degrees Fahrenheit – 212 degrees Fahrenheit).

• Displays outstanding physical toughness and resistance to abrasion.

• Outstanding resistance to damage caused by flexing and twisting and offers moderate pliability and elasticity.

• Resists burning inherently better than exclusively hydrocarbon rubbers.

All of the qualities that neoprene black is known for now are all a result of the hard work and ingenuity of the scientists of the DuPont Company. However, credit must also be given to Reverend Julius Nieuwland for pioneering the initial research into the types of chemicals that are key forming neoprene elastomers.

Through the years, neoprene material has proved to be resilient and market worthy despite the odds. It is immensely valued and used in many applications throughout many markets and industries still today. The next time you are dreaming up a project, consider neoprene black as an investment to the longevity and functionality of your application because it has certainly proven itself to be up to the task.