Hmmm, I think I once read a different, though not necessarily contradictory story. According to that version, American companies, including Goodyear I think, developed synthetic rubber because the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and Indochina cut off much of the US supply of natural rubber. Of course, both German and American scientits could have developed synthetic products independently, or one side's spies could have stolen the secrets from the other.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Houston, TX
Sheldon Brown <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com> wrote: Latex innertubes were introduced in the late 1880s, by Dr. Dunlop.
Latex was the only game in town until the 1940s. During WW2, the supply of latex (also known as "rubber") was skimpy, especially for the Europeaan Axis powers, because of Allied control of the sea shipping lanes.
German scientists developed butyl "rubber" in 1943 as a substitute for the natural latex they couldn't get. It turned out to be superior for most purposes, and cheaper as well, so latex disappeared from many products in favor of butyl "rubber."
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