Page 36 - Encyclopedia of Chemical Compounds 3 Vols
P. 36

Timeline of the Development of Chemical Compounds


                                         1980s • A ceramic form of copper(I) oxide is found to have
                                             superconducting properties at temperatures higher than
                                             previously known superconductors.
                                         1980s • Polycarbonate bottles begin to replace the more cum-
                                             bersome and breakable glass bottles.

                                         1987 • Procter & Gamble seeks FDA approval of sucrose polye-
                                             ster. Ten years pass before the FDA grants that approval.

                                         1994 • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the
                                             sale of naproxen as an over-the-counter medication.

                                         1995 • On April 19, American citizens Timothy McVeigh and
                                             Terry Nichols use a truckload of ammonium nitrate and
                                             other materials to blow up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal
                                             Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
                                         Early 2000s • Some 350,000 propane-powered vehicles exist
                                             in the United States and about 4 million are used world-
                                             wide.

                                         2004 • The leading chemical compound manufactured in the
                                             United States is sulfuric acid, with 37,515,000 metric
                                             tons (41,266,000 short tons) produced. Next is ethylene,
                                             with about 26.7 million metric tons (29.4 million short
                                             tons) produced.




















                 1981            1989
              First personal  The oil tanker                          2001
               computers      Exxon Valdez    1991               World Trade Center
                become          sinks off  Soviet Union           in New York City
               available.       Alaska.    is dissolved.           is destroyed.
                  .               .           .                        .

             1980                      1990                      2000                      2006


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