Newark, Dale. (AP) – Robert W. Gore, whose invention created the breathable-yet-waterproof fabric known as Gore-Tex, revolutionized outdoor wear and helped spawns use in numerous other fields. He was 83 years old.
Gore, who has been chairman of WL Gore & Associates for nearly 25 years and chairman of the company for 30 years, died Thursday at a family home in Maryland after a long illness, company spokeswoman Amy Calhoun confirmed Saturday.
Gola received a new form of polymer in 1969 at a company lab in Newark, Delaware. According to a report in The News Journal W. F. Wilmington, his father, who started the company, asked Bob Gore to research a new way on low-cost manufacturer plumber tapes with the help of PTFE..
The son found out that by suddenly pulling PTFE from the yank, the polymer grew by 1000%. The resulting product, known as EPTFE, formed a micropores structure. The introduction of gore-tax technology came seven years later.
“That was a really important point in the history of this company,” said Greg Henon, chief technology officer at WL Gore & Associates, last year. “Without which we would be much less of an organization today than we are.”
The membrane of Gore-Tex fabric has billions of holes smaller than water droplets, making waterproof breathable raincoats, shoes and other clothing. These patents eventually led to medical devices, guitar strings and numerous other uses in space travel, the company said.
Gore was born in Utah, the fifth of five children of Bill and Vivek Gore, both of whom founded the company in 1958. Bill Gore previously joined DuPont’s staff and eventually came to Delaware.
Bob Gore holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and an advanced degree from the University of Minnesota. He took care of his father in 1976 as chairman and CEO of the company. Gore and his family funded buildings and engineering laboratories at the University of Delaware.
Gore is survived by his wife, Jane, as well as children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Memorial plans were not immediately announced by the company.
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To correct the story, Gore died in Maryland, not Delaware.
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