Vinylo

Vinylon, also known as Vinalon, is a synthetic fiber produced from reaction between polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber and formaldehyde. Chemically it is polyvinyl formal (PVF). Vinylon was first developed in Japan in 1939 by Ichiro Sakurada, Ri Sung-gi, and H. Kawakami. In North Korea, Ri Sung-gi found a route to produce PVA from domestic anthracite and limestone as raw materials. Trial production began in 1954 and in 1961 the massive "Vinylon City" was built in Hamhung, North Korea. Vinylon's widespread usage in North Korea is often pointed to as an example of the implementation of the Juche philosophy, and it is known as the Juche fiber.