Fluorocarbon fishing line is a popular choice among anglers due to its durability, sensitivity, and invisibility in water. But who is responsible for inventing this innovative fishing line?
The answer lies with a chemical engineer named Dr. Carl Ziegler. Ziegler was born in Berlin, Germany in 1898 and went on to become a renowned polymer chemist. He is best known for his groundbreaking work in the development of new polymers and plastics, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1963.
In the late 1940s, Ziegler and his team at the Max Planck Institute in Germany began working on a new synthetic material that would be resistant to sunlight, water, and chemicals. They experimented with different types of fluorine-based compounds, ultimately developing a new polymer that they called polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).
Ziegler and his team recognized that PVDF had excellent potential as a fishing line due to its high strength, low water absorption, and excellent abrasion resistance. However, the material was too brittle to be used as a fishing line on its own. It needed to be blended with other materials to make it more flexible and practical for fishing.
In the 1960s, a company called Kureha Chemical Industries in Japan began developing a fluorocarbon coating that could be applied to traditional nylon fishing lines. The coating made the lines more durable and less visible to fish, making them more effective for fishing. Later, Kureha began producing fluorocarbon lines made entirely of PVDF.
Today, fluorocarbon fishing line is widely used by anglers around the world. Its many benefits, including its durability, low visibility, and sensitivity, make it a popular choice for both freshwater and saltwater fishing. And, thanks to the innovative work of Carl Ziegler and his team, anglers can rely on fluorocarbon line to help them catch the biggest fish in the water.