Winnington Laboratory
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Winnington Laboratory
| native_name = ICI Winnington
| former_names = ICI Research Laboratory
| alternate_names = Alkali Division Research Laboratories[https://books.google.com/books?id=NizSP8I6prwC&pg=PA4 New Scientist February 1958]
| image = Former ICI chloralkali works at Winnington - geograph.org.uk - 136367.jpg
| caption = Former ICI works in November 2005
| map_type = United Kingdom Cheshire
| altitude = {{convert|30|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| building_type = Chemical Research Centre
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| location =
| address = Winnington, Cheshire, CW8 4DU
| client = ICI
| owner = ICI
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| coordinates = {{coord|53.2687|-2.5327|display=inline}}
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The Winnington Laboratory was a former chemical laboratory at Winnington, near Northwich, in Cheshire, England.
History
File:Northwich - Winnington Works.jpg
The Winnington Works were built in 1874.
The laboratory was set up by the ICI Alkali Division of Imperial Chemical Industries. The chemist Francis Arthur Freeth arrived in 1907, and became head of the laboratory.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Lw9VElFQEhMC&pg=PA560 New Scientist 12 March 1959] ICI was formed in 1926.
=Discovery of polythene=
{{Seealso|Plastics engineering}}
On 24 March 1933[https://books.google.com/books?id=rJFMnSKa0S0C&pg=PA836 New Scientist 24 March 1983] two scientists conducted an experiment that produced polythene (polyethylene). Benzaldehyde was reacted with ethene (ethylene) at 2,000 atmospheres pressure. Sir Michael Perrin worked with this group of scientists from October 1933 until 1938.[https://books.google.com/books?id=idzeW5i68UYC&pg=PA28 New Scientist 24 January 1957] In December 1935 he conducted an experiment that allowed polythene to be created. Polythene is the world's most widespread plastic.
In 1958, manufacture of polythene was moved to ICI's plant in Hertfordshire (ICI Plastics).
Structure
The laboratory was off the A533 next to the River Weaver and south of Barnton, Cheshire. The nearby chemical works makes soda ash (sodium carbonate). 280 staff worked at the laboratory.
See also
{{Portal|Cheshire}}
- Billingham Manufacturing Plant, former ICI fertiliser plant
- British Plastics Federation
- ICI Fibres Research Centre at Harrogate
- Widnes Laboratory, where the world's first synthetic general anaesthetic gas was developed
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://collection.sciencemuseum.org.uk/documents/aa110066337/the-ici-polythene-archive Science Museum ICI Polythene archive]
{{Plastics}}
{{Cheshire}}
Category:Chemical industry in the United Kingdom
Category:Imperial Chemical Industries
Category:Research institutes in Cheshire
{{Commons cat|Winnington ICI Works}}