The chemist who invented the world-famous waterproof raincoat, known as the Macintosh coat, was Charles Macintosh. He designed one of the first waterproof fabrics by rubberising sheets of material in his textile factory.
Charles Macintosh was born in Glasgow in 1766. The young Macintosh was originally employed as a clerk, but he was also a keen chemist in his spare time.
In 1823, while trying to find uses for the waste products of gasworks, Macintosh found that "naphtha" - a by-product of tar - was able to dissolve India rubber, found in trees, and that the resulting paste was able to repel water. By sandwiching the coating between two pieces of cloth, he was able to create a fabric that, while the outside could get wet, would protect the wearer from water.
Macintosh patented his invention in 1824, after which factories began to produce the new "Mackintosh" – now spelt with a "k" – fabric.
Just In! On what have been his 250th birthday, Glaswegian inventor, Charles Macintosh, has now been honoured with his own Google Doodle showing the rain bouncing off him. Catch more scoop at The Independent.