In Depth

Unfortunately for DuPont, the Rohm & Haas Chemical Company discovered methyl methacrylate at about the same time and developed it under the name Plexiglas®. A third player, ICI, developed a more efficient production process. Both DuPont and Rohm & Haas licensed the process and began commercial production in 1936. Lucite®, however, never generated substantial earnings for DuPont. Since it was that company’s primary product, Rohm & Haas was able to commit more resources to Plexiglas® and it consistently undercut DuPont in price. While sales of polymethyl methacrylate dwindled, the Lucite® name lived on. During the 1950s, DuPont developed two distinct lines of acrylic resin coatings: Lucite® acrylic automobile finish lacquers, marketed commercially in 1956; and Lucite® acrylic paints, introduced to consumers in 1960. In 1963 DuPont commercialized an exterior, acrylic Lucite® house paint, and 10 years later introduced a Lucite® interior enamel with Teflon® E added. These products never caught hold, however. DuPont sold its consumer paint business in 1983 and its acrylic resin operations 10 years later. Today the Lucite® name is carried on in the DuPont line of commercial acrylic automotive lacquers.