Newspapers / Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) / July 9, 1980, edition 1 / Page 3
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Nylon was developed in the United States in — 1935, the same year Firestone began operating its textile plant in Gastonia. First true synthetic fiber In the beginning, clothing and other textile goods were made from fibers which nature pro vided first-hand, such as cotton, wool, linen and silk. It was a long time before synthetic fibers became a major material of textiles. In the mid-1850s there were experiments in pro duction of man-made fibers (really rearranged through chemical process). The original man-engineered, commercially- produced fiber in the United States was rayon, first in 1910. It is made from cellulose, a fibrous substance in all forms of plant life. Today, syn thetic fibers are divided into two main group ings—cellulosic (as rayon, acetate and triacetate) and non-cellulosic (as nylon, polyester, olefin). Nylon, developed in the United States in 1935, has been commercially marketed since 1939. Perlon was developed in Germany in 1938. It was produced from a single-ingredient raw ma terial derived from coaltar. Nylon, from the same source, and perlon belong to the family of polymers called polyamides. These fibers were first adapted mainly to clothing uses, later to defense materials in World War II. Into the mid-1940s further ranges of application were discovered for these leading palymaid materials. In more recent years they have been a part of space exploration and microsurgery—examples of ‘exotic’ uses. Today these fibers are greatly used for tire fabrics; hosiery, lingerie and other clothing; upholstery and decorative fabrics, and industrial items such as webbing and belting. IT HAS BEEN more than 43 years since the two pioneering and fully-synthetic fibers—perlon and nylon—were introduced to the world. Today, many scientists and industrialists be lieve that within the next few years, two-thirds of the world’s textile requirements wiU be met by synthetic fibers. With the ever-growing needs for synthetic materials, especially in textiles, the chemical fiber industry promises a great future. 1. Produc tion of ny lon fibers begins with hard, white fragments called nylon polymer chips. 2. Chips are melted and liquid is pumped lo a spin neret where it is ex truded and solidified lo form con tinuous monofila ments. (1) NYLON POLYMER CHIPS NYLON PRODUCTION I .(3J EED OPPER ELTER WIND-UP (3 TRETCHING (4) ISTINO (5 and 6) Drawing from a Fact Book of the Man-Made Fiber Producers Association 3. Assembled: continuous filaments axe wound onto a bobbin. 4. Bobbin is transported lo another area where nylon is stretched, allowing monecules within the continuous filaments to be arranged in a OTHER now-common synthetic fibers derived from coal and oil are polyesters and polycrylin- trils. The United States is a leading producer of chemical fibers. Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany also are leading suppliers. Non-cellulose, man-engineered fibers of all kinds are made from the basic raw materials of coal and petroleum. These fibers can be en gineered so as to give them special qualities and characteristics for special end purposes. A yarn or fabric may be made 100 percent from one type fiber or may be a blend of fibers, either natural or chemically-produced, to provide a variety of characteristics. more-orderly pattern. 5. Assembled continuous monofilaments are twisted into yam. 6; Yarn is wound onto bobbins, ready for ship ment. The Firestone company manufactures synthetic fibers at its Hopewell, Virginia, plant of the Chemicals and Raw Materials Group. Produc ing synthetic fabrics, the three U. S. plants of Firestone Textiles Company process synthetic yams supplied from Firestone, Hopewell, and from a number of other producers. Bennetts- ville turns out nylon fabric altogether. Gas tonia produces nylon, polyester, rayon and some kevlar. The Bowling Green facility produced fabric in polyester, nylon and some in fiberglass and kevlar between 1968 and early 1980. Since early June, its priniaiy function has been fabric- treating in the No. 1 unit. Annie Hubbard Bertie Mahaffey David Adams Maford Sanders • • • When Horace Robin son retired June 30, he “came out even to the day” at 45 years service. That’s the longest work record at Firestone-Gastonia, for a re tired person. Robinson was foreman of Maintenance. He and the others who closed out long careers at Gastonia last month have various things planned to do in their retire ment which began July 1. The “most cut-out” plans be long to Elder David Adams, who spent 39 years, 2 months and 21 days on the job—his early times in cotton, and last a beamer operator in Preparation. Adams, a ruling elder and junior bishop in the Christian Fellowship Church of God, is pastor of Gastonia 10th Avenue Bethlehem CF Church of God. He is devoting fulltime to the congregation and evangelistic work. A PREACHER for 28 years, his missionary work has taken him to several states and to the Bahamas. He plans some tent meetings this summer, in Ches ter, S. C., Newport News, Va., and other places. His church in Gastonia has just completed a building addition of Sunday- school rooms and a library. In July, Bethlehem will entertain the general assembly of the Fellowship Church of God. Somewhere apart from his church duties. Elder Adams Horace Robinson They’ve ‘gone out’ plans to travel some—first to Louisville to see a daughter; and “to fish a little now and then.” Of others whose retirement began July 1, Annie L. Hubbard had 43 years, 6 months and 23 days ‘work put in.’ She was last a cloth burler in the Cloth Room. THEN, Maford M. Sanders had 43 years and 1 month ser vice. For the last several of those years, he was a store keeper in the Supply Room. Bertie Mahaffey’s work record at retirement: 24 years, 9 months, 15 days. She was last a cloth burler in the Cloth Room. Two others who retired but were not listed in the paper in recent months: • Cleo W. Buchanan, a weaver in Chafer Weaving. Her service record is 17 years, 1 month and 15 days. • Thelma Vickers, last a re spooler operator in TC Twisting, worked 31 years and 10 months. Approval of her application for disability retirement dates back to February. • Christine H. Cooper, filling supplier (Unifil) in TC Weav ing, worked 16 years and 1 month. Approval of her applica tion for disability retirement dates from January. ☆ ☆ ☆ The Firestone company an nounced successful testing of tires reinforced with polyester cord fabric, 21 years ago. Fire stone introduced tubeless tires for tractors and airplanes in 1954. Aucott executive vp George W. Aucott Jr., last month was named executive vice president for sales and mar keting of the Firestone com pany’s North American tire group. In the new post, he is responsible for the group’s private-brand sales, original- equipment sales. Firestone Canada Inc., product planning and the Fidesta Company. The textiles operations in Canada are included in Fire stone Canada. Firestone Tex tiles Company U. S. division (plants at Gastonia, N. C., Ben- nettsville, S. C., and Bowling Most go early A nationwide survey this spring learned that most work ing Americans want to retire early and are more concerned about having enough money to live on than about having too much spare time on their hands. Of those already retired, an early life of leisure appeared less alluring, according to the survey done for the National Commission on Social Security. The survey also found that 61 percent of those still on the job, fear that the Social Security system will not have money enough to pay benefits to them when they do retire. NA Tire group Green, Ky.) were recently re assigned from the Raw Ma terials and Chemicals group to the North American tire group. Leon R. Brodeur is group vice president. Aucott, 45, has been with Firestone since he joined the Pottstown, Pa., plant in 1956. He was central scheduling manager in Akron; manager of Akron Plant I; manager of the tire plant at Decatur, 111.; presi dent of Hamil Manufacturing Company, a Firestone division; president of Firestone Industrial Products of Noblesville, Ind.; president of Firestone Canada since 1978. Albert Kraemer suc ceeded Aucott as president of Firestone Canada. ☆ ☆ ☆ Going Somewhere? Some July events in South Carolina: S. C. Peach Festival, Gaffney, 13-19; S. C. Festiyal of Flowers, Greenwood, 18-20; Water Fes tival, Beaufort, 21-27; Summer- thing Arts Festival, Sumter, 23- 24; Flower Day, Clemson, 25; Tobacco Festival, Lake City, 24- 27; Reunion, Little Mountain, 21-Aug. 1. Early Aug.: Jam & Bluegrass, Winnsboro, 1-2; Fox on the Run Bluegrass, Little Mountain, 8-9; Tractor Pull, Saluda, 8-10; S. C. Grape Festival, York, 8-10.
Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.)
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July 9, 1980, edition 1
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