Innovation Timeline
Advanced Materials
Gore-Tex, carbon fiber, nanotubes, and the materials science patents that created entirely new industries.
Landmark patents
67
Total citations
12,865
Span
1844 – 2022
Milestones
14
1910s
How William Burton Invented Modern Gasoline Refining
A 1913 patent by William Burton that describes a thermal cracking process to turn heavy crude oil into usable gasoline for automobiles.
2 citations
Elwood Haynes' Early Stellite Cobalt-Chromium Alloy
A 1913 patent for a durable, corrosion-resistant metal alloy made primarily of cobalt and chromium, which laid the foundation for modern high-performance tools and medical implants.
18 citations
1920s
How Early Electromagnetic Pumps Moved Liquid Metal Using Magnetic Fields
A 1927 patent for a pump that uses electromagnetic forces to move conductive liquids without needing moving mechanical parts like pistons or impellers.
7 citations
How Richard Drew Invented Modern Transparent Adhesive Tape
The 1930 patent for the first pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, which replaced messy glues and paper tapes with a convenient, clear, and sticky strip.
20 citations
1930s
How DuPont Invented Neoprene Synthetic Rubber
A 1934 patent describing the chemical process to turn chlorobutadiene into a durable, oil-resistant synthetic rubber known as Neoprene.
7 citations
How Glass Fibers Are Spun for Insulation
A 1933 invention by Games Slayter that describes the process of melting glass and blasting it into fine, flexible fibers to create insulation.
22 citations
How Wallace Carothers Invented Nylon
The foundational 1935 patent for synthetic linear polyamides, the chemical process that created the material we now call nylon.
299 citations
Chester Carlson's Original Xerography Patent
Chester Carlson's 1942 patent for xerography, the dry copying process that became the foundation for Xerox machines.
737 citations
The Discovery of Teflon
This 1941 patent describes the creation of polytetrafluoroethylene, a slippery, heat-resistant plastic discovered by accident that became known as Teflon.
74 citations
1940s
How the First Aerosol Spray Can Works
A 1941 invention by Lyle Goodhue and William Sullivan that created the modern aerosol spray can by using a liquefied gas to propel liquid contents.
20 citations
How to Make Silly Putty Using Silicone and Zinc
A 1944 chemical process for turning liquid silicone oil into a bouncy, stretchable, putty-like material by adding boron compounds and zinc hydroxide.
80 citations
How Earl Tupper Invented the Airtight Plastic Food Container
A 1947 patent for a flexible plastic container with a unique, airtight lid that seals by pressing down on the center, creating the foundation for Tupperware.
116 citations
1950s
Buckminster Fuller's Geodesic Dome Building Design
A structural design for a spherical building made of interlocking triangular frames that distribute weight efficiently to create large, stable, and lightweight spaces.
120 citations
How George de Mestral Invented Velcro
A 1952 patent describing the creation of a hook-and-loop fastener by weaving synthetic loops into fabric and cutting them to create tiny, grippy hooks.
299 citations
How Super Glue Bonds Acidic Surfaces Like Wood
A 1954 method for using alcohol to help super glue stick to acidic surfaces like wood, which normally prevent the glue from hardening properly.
23 citations
How the Float Glass Process Makes Perfectly Flat Window Panes
This 1954 patent describes the float glass process, a method for creating high-quality, perfectly flat glass by floating molten glass on a bath of liquid metal.
53 citations
How Spandex Elastic Fibers Are Chemically Engineered
DuPont's 1960 patent for a stretchy, durable synthetic fiber made from segmented polymers, which became the foundation for modern Spandex.
71 citations
How Bubble Wrap Is Manufactured
A 1959 manufacturing process that creates cushioning material by trapping air between two layers of plastic film.
185 citations
1960s
How Soft Contact Lenses Were Invented Using Hydrogels
This patent describes the chemical recipe for soft, water-absorbing plastic materials that form the basis of modern soft contact lenses.
228 citations
How Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) Were Invented
This 1962 patent describes the first practical way to use organic liquid crystals to create a display that scatters light when an electric current is applied.
90 citations
How Disposable Diapers Keep Skin Dry Using Porous Plastic Sheets
A 1970 patent by Procter and Gamble describing a specialized plastic top layer for diapers that allows liquid to pass through while keeping the baby's skin feeling dry.
133 citations
How Stephanie Kwolek Invented the Liquid Crystal Solution for Kevlar
A 1969 chemical discovery describing a specialized liquid mixture that allows for the creation of incredibly strong, high-performance synthetic fibers.
132 citations
1970s
Sticky, Tiny Plastic Balls Made from Acrylates
This 1972 patent describes how to make tiny, sticky, and durable plastic balls (microspheres) using a specific mix of acrylate chemicals and a special water-based process.
382 citations
How Corning Invented Modern Fiber Optic Cables
A 1970 method for creating glass fibers that carry light over long distances by layering glass inside a tube and drawing it into a thin, solid strand.
86 citations
How Piezoelectric Inkjet Printing Works
A 1970 patent describing how to print images by using electrical pulses to bend a tiny crystal plate, squeezing individual ink drops out of a nozzle on demand.
448 citations
How Plastic Soda Bottles Are Made Stronger Using Stretched Molecules
A 1970s invention that describes how to make lightweight, clear plastic bottles strong enough to hold carbonated drinks without exploding.
170 citations
How Chemically Strengthened Glass Works
A 1971 Corning patent describing a specific chemical recipe for glass that can be made incredibly tough by swapping small atoms in its surface for larger ones.
52 citations
The Molecular Structure of Kevlar High-Strength Fiber
Stephanie Kwolek's 1971 patent for DuPont describing the molecular alignment and manufacturing of extremely strong, lightweight synthetic aramid fibers, which became famous as Kevlar.
141 citations
Making Strong, Porous PTFE: The Gore-Tex Process
This patent describes a specific process for rapidly stretching a highly crystalline form of PTFE plastic to create a strong, porous material with a unique internal structure, forming the basis for products like Gore-Tex.
1,364 citations
Early Lithium-Ion Battery Design Using Chalcogenides
This 1977 patent describes an early rechargeable battery design using lithium as one electrode and titanium disulfide as the other, a key step towards modern lithium-ion technology.
93 citations
The Sticky Microscopic Beads Behind Post-it Notes
3M's 1977 patent on tiny, naturally sticky plastic beads that can stick to a surface, peel off easily without leaving residue, and be reused over and over again.
278 citations
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
1,862 citations
How Microwave Crisping Sleeves Work
General Mills' 1978 patent on using a thin, metal-coated plastic wrap that converts microwave energy into intense surface heat to crisp and brown food like Hot Pockets.
234 citations
1980s
How Lithium-Cobalt Battery Cathodes Were Invented
This 1981 patent details the chemistry behind the lithium-cobalt oxide cathodes that power almost every modern smartphone, laptop, and electric vehicle.
90 citations
How Organic Diodes Make Light Using Special Molecules
Eastman Kodak's 1982 patent on creating light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using organic materials, specifically a layer of porphyrinic compounds to help inject electrical charges.
1,031 citations
How Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes Are Made
A foundational 1982 method for creating the materials used in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries by removing ions at low temperatures.
41 citations
How 3D Printers Build Objects Layer by Layer from Liquid
This patent describes the foundational method for 3D printing, where a machine builds a three-dimensional object layer by layer by hardening a liquid material with light or other energy.
1,094 citations
How Special Sugars Make Medicines Dissolve Better
This patent describes how to make poorly water-soluble drugs dissolve and absorb better by mixing them with specially modified, non-crystalline sugar molecules called cyclodextrin derivatives.
341 citations
How to Make Clear, Waterproof Sunscreen That Doesn't Feel Greasy
A 1989 patent for a transparent, water-resistant sunscreen formula that uses wood rosin to create a non-sticky, long-lasting protective film on the skin.
11 citations
How Machines Build 3D Objects Layer by Layer from Melting Plastic
This patent describes a method and machine for creating three-dimensional objects by precisely depositing melted material, layer by layer, from a movable nozzle onto a base.
793 citations
1990s
Preventing Protein Damage with Extra Methionine
This 1993 patent describes how adding extra methionine to protein-based medicines can prevent them from degrading, especially in liquid or semi-solid forms.
63 citations
How to Make Durable Non-Slip Surfaces Using Electron Beam Curing
A method for creating flexible, non-slip materials by bonding mineral grit to plastic sheets using a special radiation-cured glue that stays strong even when stretched.
25 citations
Making High-Concentration Antibody Medicines Stable for Injection
Genentech's 2001 patent on a method to create stable, concentrated antibody medicines that can be easily reconstituted for injection, preventing degradation during freezing and storage.
878 citations
Tiny Capsules for Electronic Paper Displays
MIT's 1999 patent on a special ink made of tiny capsules that can change color when an electric field is applied, forming the basis for early e-readers.
508 citations
How Car Windows Use Special Coatings to Balance Privacy and Visibility
A patent for automotive glass that uses a specific combination of tinted glass and multi-layered coatings to keep the inside private while ensuring the driver can see out clearly.
7 citations
2000s
How to Make Stable, High-Water Content Skin Creams
A recipe for creating stable skin lotions that are mostly water but feel like rich, oily creams by using specific silicone emulsifiers and carefully balanced oils.
25 citations
How to Store Fragile Biological Materials Without Refrigeration
A method for preserving unstable biological materials like proteins by trapping them in a solid, glass-like sugar or polymer matrix that prevents decay at room temperature.
11 citations
How Nanoparticles Form Adaptive Neural Network Connections
This patent describes how to build and strengthen a physical neural network using tiny nanoparticles suspended in a liquid, where electric fields make the connections learn and adapt.
12 citations
2010s
How Spacecraft Use Layered Nets to Stop Orbital Debris
A system using multiple layers of specialized fiber nets with varying densities to catch and break up space junk before it hits a satellite.
3 citations
How to Make Stable Solid Dialysis Powder with Less Odor
A specialized solid powder mixture used to create dialysis fluid that stays stable, smells less like vinegar, and keeps acetate levels within a precise, safe range.
Highly Efficient Bacterial Gene Editing Using Guide RNA and Reverse Transcriptase
This patent describes a system for precisely editing the DNA of bacterial cells with very high success rates, using a combination of guide RNA, reverse transcriptase, and specific DNA sequences.
30 citations
How to Build an Aircraft Tail Using One-Shot Composite Curing
A manufacturing process for creating an aircraft's rear fuselage and vertical tail as a single, integrated composite structure to reduce weight and assembly time.
How Boeing 3D Prints Strong Lightweight Spacecraft Panels
A method for printing a single-piece, high-strength spacecraft panel using 3D printing to create complex internal trusses that eliminate the need for bolts or welds.
How LG Chem Makes Plastic Films That Block UV Light
A specialized plastic film made of alternating chemical segments that blocks harmful ultraviolet light while remaining perfectly clear.
2020s
How Light-Activated Polymers Deliver Skin Care Ingredients
A chemical structure that holds onto skin-care ingredients like fragrances or cooling agents and releases them only when triggered by specific light conditions.
How to Make Reusable Plastic SIM Card Holders
A design for a plastic card that allows users to pop out and snap back in different sizes of SIM cards without them falling out.
How to Make Better Ferrite Powder for Industrial Use
A specific recipe for creating highly spherical magnetic ferrite particles that mix easily into plastics without ruining the curing process.
How to Make Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Last Longer Using Polymer Coatings
A new way to coat sulfur battery cores with a special polymer to prevent them from degrading, helping them hold a charge for more cycles.
How Solar Sails Use Moving Vanes to Steer in Space
A solar sail design that uses multiple independently moving reflective vanes made of shape-memory materials to steer spacecraft using only the pressure of sunlight.
7 citations
How to Make Waste-Free Plastic Grocery Bags on a Roll
A design for plastic grocery bags on a roll that eliminates leftover scrap material during manufacturing while allowing users to easily tear off and open handles.