Edison’s Other Bright Idea

Appearing in September Points East

In 1879, electricity innovator Thomas Edison baked cotton strands and bamboo splinters at high temperatures in order to carbonize them into a filament that could resist extreme temperatures. Can you say “carbon fiber?”

Well, you could say he was, unwittingly, circling the concept of what we know today as carbon fiber. But back in the late 19th century, Edison sought to create an “all-carbon-fiber” filament of cotton and bamboo capable of burning for extended periods of time inside one of his inventions. His efforts became U.S. Letters Patent No. 223,898, the Edison incandescent electric lamp, soon to be known as the light bulb.

Fast-forward to 1958 and high-performance carbon fibers are being created at the Union Carbide Parma Technical Center near Cleveland, Ohio. Despite the inefficient results, which yielded low strength and stiffness of properties (fibers contained around 20 percent carbon), work carried forth. Come 1963 and it is the British—namely W. Watt, L. N. Phillips and W. Johnson at the Royal Aircraft Establishment—who are first to truly realize the strength potential. “The process was patented by the UK Ministry of Defence (sic), then licensed by the British National Research Development Corporation to three companies: Rolls-Royce, who were already making carbon fiber, plus Morganite and Courtaulds,” Wikipedia states. Read full article https://www.renegadesailing.com/blog/edisons-carbon-fiber