Duct Tape Essay

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Duct Tape If duct tape can’t fix it, get a new one. At least, that’s what people say. Over the years, duct tape has become more and more diverse in society—even to the point where some people have said it is man’s true best friend. In today’s civilization, duct tape is used from household repairs to medical miracles; maybe even something to do on a rainy afternoon. Throughout history, duct tape has played its part through its historical contributions, its more modern involvement, and—for lack of a better word—creative uses. So how did this man-made miracle come about? Well, duct tape was first manufactured by Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division in the 1940’s for use in World War II. When duct tape was first created, it was known as ‘duck’ tape—like the animal—because it was waterproof, and was made of duck cloth (material used in medical cloth tape). Its original purpose was to keep water out of ammunition cases and to make quick repairs to things like jeeps, firearms, or even aircraft. Today, in military circles, duct tape is still commonly referred to as ‘gun tape’. When World War II ended, the original army green color of duct tape changed to the classic silver, and duct tape immediately became common use for fixing ductwork in people’s houses. (This is where the name “duct tape” came from.) Nearly thirty years later, former CEO of Manico, Inc., Jack Kahl “officially” changed the name to Duck Tape® by commercializing it and giving it personality. Today, duct tape is offered in over twenty different colors and patterns. Besides its World War II association, duct tape was used to help one of the most “successful failures” in history. When Apollo 13 was crippled by an explosion only two days after the launch, astronauts were left with a limited oxygen supply that was slowly running out. Of course, they fixed it with duct tape. The team created air scrubbers (a

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