Patricia Billings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patricia Billings
Born	1926 (age 98–99) Clinton, Missouri
Alma mater	Amarillo College
Occupation	sculptor, inventor
Notable work	Geobond

Patricia Billings, born in 1926, is an amazing inventor, artist, and businesswoman. She created a special building material called Geobond. Her work is even featured in an encyclopedia about important American women who started their own businesses.

Early Life and Education

Patricia Billings was born in 1926 in Clinton, Missouri. Her father was a farmer. She first worked as a medical technologist, studying tiny living things like fungi and bacteria at Kansas City Junior College.

Later, in 1956, she started studying art at Amarillo College. She loved making sculptures out of plaster. In 1964, she opened her own store in Kansas City to sell her beautiful art.

One day, after finishing a sculpture of a swan, it suddenly broke into many pieces. This made her think: "How can I make a stronger material for my art?" This question led her on an incredible journey to invent something new.

Inventing Geobond

Patricia Billings started researching old books and papers from the Renaissance period. She learned that artists back then used a special plaster for their frescoes (wall paintings). This plaster was made stronger with a secret ingredient, almost like cement, but different. This ingredient changed the plaster's chemistry, making it super strong.

After eight years of hard work in her basement lab, she finally invented Geobond! It was a new construction material. She sent a small 10-inch statue made from Geobond to a scientist. The scientist was very impressed and told her to keep going.

In 1996, a famous newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, wrote about Patricia Billings. They also talked about how Geobond was tested for fire resistance. It was tested by experts like Underwriters Laboratories, the Kansas City Fire Department, and a government lab at Edwards Air Force Base. Geobond passed these tough tests!

Geobond's Special Qualities

Patricia Billings used her own money to start researching Geobond. She received a patent for it in 1997. A patent is like a special license that protects an invention. Her company, Geobond International Inc., started small with only 13 employees in Kansas City, Missouri.

Geobond is amazing because it is:

• Fireproof: It can resist fire, making buildings safer.
• Strong: It's very durable and long-lasting.
• Non-toxic: It's safe for people and the environment. It's even called the "world's first safe alternative to asbestos" because asbestos is dangerous.

Patricia Billings, along with Susan Michalski, also invented the FireTherm wall system. This system uses Geobond with other materials like metal lath and tarpaper to create strong, fire-resistant walls. By 2006, building materials made with Geobond were used in over 20 countries around the world!

Awards and Recognition

Patricia Billings has received many honors for her invention.

• In 2020, Popular Mechanics magazine named her one of "37 Women Who’ve Upended Science, Tech, and Engineering For the Better." They recognized Geobond for being safe and not causing cancer.
• A book called Patently Female (published in 2002) described Geobond as the "world's first safe alternative to asbestos."
• The Lemmelson-MIT program, which celebrates inventors, also praised Geobond for being fireproof and strong.
• A 2017 book about women designers and engineers called Geobond an "indestructible, fire-proof and non-toxic building material."

Her work has been featured in many newspapers and books, showing how important her invention is.

Other Inventions and Patents

Besides Geobond, Patricia Billings has received several other patents for building materials. A patent means she officially owns the idea for her inventions. These include:

• 1997: A patent for a fire-resistant building panel (with Susan Michalski).
• 1998: A patent for lightweight roof tiles and how to make them (with Susan Michalski).
• 2001: A patent for a molded building panel and how to build with it (with Susan Michalski).
• 2003: Another patent for a molded building panel and how to build with it (with Susan Michalski).
• 2008: A patent for heat-protected construction parts and methods (with David C. Rada).

Patricia Billings and Susan Michalski also created a special way to make modular, fire-resistant building panels. They used a special gypsum cement formula in layers between a strong framework.

Personal Life

Patricia Billings got married when she was 21 years old. She later divorced after 17 years. She has a daughter and two grandsons.

See also

In Spanish: Patricia Billings para niños