#Amazing Accrington - Winter 2017

T E R Y L E N E . . . As the home of The Accrington Pals, Accrington Stanley and Accrington Bricks, Accrington is no stranger to fame. However, the town has another claim to fame that you might not be as familiar with...

...INVENTED IN ACCRINGTON! USED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Polyethylene terephthalate, commonly abbreviated PET, is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, parachutes and sails and seat belts

by Alan Pickup

Original patent application, July 1941.

Used in seat belt production

Parachutes were one of the wartime applications considered for Terylene, although its development came too late for WW2. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Broad Oak Printworks early 1800s - painting by William Linton

and only recently discovered through research that its origin was in #AmazingAccrington. As the invention was made in 1941 during WorldWar II, the Terylene patent, like many others in war-time, was declared secret by the Ministry of Supply, and the MOS wanted to see whether the material could be developed in time to help the war effort. RexWhinfield was seconded to the MOS and they arranged for further work to be done in the Government owned Chemical Research Laboratory. Though born and bred in Cheshire where I still live, my connection and interest in Accrington has stemmed from family history research. My grandfather was born in Church and I have traced the family in Accrington back to the marriage of my six-times- great-grandparents in Altham in 1724. Out of my interest in the town, I bought shares in Accrington Stanley a few years ago. This led to a spell on the board of the club, and also taking over as CEO on a volunteer basis to help the club through a period of difficulty. I remain a Stanley supporter and aend many of the games.

Where the magic happened...

Terylene, a polyester fibre found in billions of clothes across the globe, was invented in Accrington at the Broad Oak Laboratories in 1941. The invention was credited to John RexWhinfield and John Tennant Dickson of the Calico Printers’ Association. Terylene, also known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or Dacron in the US, can similarly be found in plastic drinks boles and food containers. However, its greatest use has been in the production of synthetic fibres, where it’s referred to by its more common household name, polyester. Terylene fibres are made using a process known as melt spinning, in which the polymer is heated and forced through a metal plate with small holes. The fibres emerge from the holes and solidify in the cool air. They're then passed through wheels, or rollers, that rotate at different speeds to draw out the fibres. The patent for Terylene, as was the case for most wartime inventions, was initially declared a secret by the Ministry of Supply. Inventor Rex Whinfield was even contacted by the MOS to perform experiments to see if the material could aid the war effort. Aer the war ended Terylene was nothing short of a revolution for the British textile industry

It has a similar strength to Nylon but with superior water-resistance, and could be easily blended with natural fibres like coon and wool. It’s these unique properties that have led to clothes containing Terylene being found in almost every home in the world today.

Broad Oak Printworks in whose laboratories the invention was made was the most important calico printworks in Accrington, founded in 1792. In 1812, the works were taken over by Thomas Hargreaves, previously a manager for the firm, and AdamDugdale. The company became part of the Calico Printer’s Association which was formed in 1899 to amalgamate some fiy companies in the textile printing and finishing business. The works contracted aerWorldWar II, machine printing ended in 1958, engraving ceased in 1960, the screen printing department closed in 1966. Demolition of portions of the works occurred in the 1960s. The site is now occupied by Caligen Foamwho have a plaque commemorating the invention in their reception area.

Above: The inventors of Terylene John Rex Whin eld and John Tennant Dickson. Main pics left to right: 1. Terylene chemical chain. 2. Cloth made from Terylene. 3. A war-time application considered for Terylene was parachutes. 4. A PET bottling plant.

Terylene today is largely associated with ICI who developed the manufacturing process and for whom it became a major product. Having spent most of my career with ICI I had always thought it was an ICI invention

Terylene is used in yacht sails.

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