The History of Duct Tape
Many people have heard of or used duct tape, yet many don't know where duct tape came from or what its original use was. Well here is where you can find your answers.
Duct Tape was invented in 1942 by the Johnson & Johnson Company's Permacell Division. Its original use was to help out in World War 2, by keeping water out of ammunition cases. It was made by adding a polycoat adhesive and a polyethylene coating to medical tape, and had originally an army green color. Because it was waterproof people started calling it "Duck Tape." In the army, people quickly found out that the "duck tape" was not only useful for water-proofing their ammunition cases, but for fixing their equipment such as guns, aircrafts, and other materials.
After the war ended, duck tape began to be used by people in their houses. The color was changed from green to silver to match the ducts in people's houses where it would be mainly used for repairs. That's when the name was changed from "Duck" to "Duct" tape. Duct Tape was pretty popular and even had its first commercial in 1960 in Wisconsin.
In the 1970's people at Manco Inc. started adding a plastic shrink wrap around the rolls of tape, so it would be easier to stack them in stores - without the wrap the rolls of duct tape would have a tendency to get stuck to each other. As time passed, more companies started to sell duct tape, a duct tape mascot was invented - the little duck character you see on some duct tape rolls, and more colors started to be produced.
Now-a-days duct tape is an ever present part of life - it seems like it has always been there to help us fix things. And now you can know how this helpful tool came to be, so inform someone else about it. Let's make this interesting tool's history known to the world.
Duct Tape was invented in 1942 by the Johnson & Johnson Company's Permacell Division. Its original use was to help out in World War 2, by keeping water out of ammunition cases. It was made by adding a polycoat adhesive and a polyethylene coating to medical tape, and had originally an army green color. Because it was waterproof people started calling it "Duck Tape." In the army, people quickly found out that the "duck tape" was not only useful for water-proofing their ammunition cases, but for fixing their equipment such as guns, aircrafts, and other materials.
After the war ended, duck tape began to be used by people in their houses. The color was changed from green to silver to match the ducts in people's houses where it would be mainly used for repairs. That's when the name was changed from "Duck" to "Duct" tape. Duct Tape was pretty popular and even had its first commercial in 1960 in Wisconsin.
In the 1970's people at Manco Inc. started adding a plastic shrink wrap around the rolls of tape, so it would be easier to stack them in stores - without the wrap the rolls of duct tape would have a tendency to get stuck to each other. As time passed, more companies started to sell duct tape, a duct tape mascot was invented - the little duck character you see on some duct tape rolls, and more colors started to be produced.
Now-a-days duct tape is an ever present part of life - it seems like it has always been there to help us fix things. And now you can know how this helpful tool came to be, so inform someone else about it. Let's make this interesting tool's history known to the world.