Patricia Billings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patricia Billings
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| Born | 1926 (age 98–99) |
| Alma mater | Amarillo College |
| Occupation | sculptor, inventor |
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Notable work
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Geobond |
Patricia Billings is an amazing American inventor, sculptor, and businesswoman. She is famous for creating a special building material called Geobond. This material is super strong and safe! Patricia Billings is even in the Historical Encyclopedia of American Women Entrepreneurs.
Contents
Early Life and Artistic Journey
Patricia Billings was born in 1926 in Clinton, Missouri. Her dad was a farmer. When she grew up, she worked as a medical technologist. This meant she studied tiny germs like fungi and bacteria. She did this at Kansas City Junior College. She also researched a sickness called tuberculosis at Kansas City Hospital.
In 1956, Patricia decided to study art at Amarillo College. She loved making sculptures, especially with plaster of Paris. In 1964, she opened her own store in Kansas City. She sold many of her beautiful sculptures there.
One day, she made a sculpture of a swan. After she finished it, the sculpture broke into many pieces. This made her think. She decided she needed to find a stronger material for her art.
Inventing Geobond
Patricia Billings started looking for ideas in old books from the Renaissance period. She learned that artists back then used a special plaster for their paintings called frescoes. This plaster was made stronger with a secret ingredient. It wasn't cement, but it changed the plaster's chemistry.
Patricia worked for eight years in her basement lab. Finally, she invented her own strong building material called Geobond! She sent a small statue made of Geobond to a scientist. The scientist was very impressed and told her to keep going.
In 1996, a newspaper called The Wall Street Journal wrote about Patricia. They also talked about how Geobond was tested for fire safety. It passed tests by fire departments and government labs.
Patricia Billings used her own money to start researching Geobond. She received a patent for it in 1997. A patent means she officially owned the invention. Her company, Geobond International Inc., started small. It had only 13 employees in Kansas City, Missouri. Later, the company moved to a bigger factory.
Patricia, along with Susan Michalski, also invented the FireTherm wall system. This system uses Geobond with other materials to make strong, fire-resistant walls. By 2006, building materials made with Geobond were sold in over 20 countries around the world.
Amazing Recognition
Popular Mechanics magazine recognized Patricia Billings in 2020. They named her one of "37 Women Who’ve Upended Science, Tech, and Engineering For the Better." This was for her invention of Geobond. Geobond is special because it's not harmful like some other materials.
A book called Patently Female (published in 2002) called Geobond "the world's first safe alternative to asbestos." Asbestos was a building material that was found to be dangerous. Geobond is fireproof and very strong. It's known as the world's first good replacement for asbestos. Another book from 2017 said Geobond is an "indestructible, fire-proof and non-toxic building material." This means it's super tough, won't burn, and is safe for people.
Patricia's work has been featured in many newspapers and books. These include the St. Louis Post Dispatch and books about leadership and education.
Other Inventions and Patents
Besides Geobond, Patricia Billings has received several other patents for building materials. A patent protects an invention and gives the inventor rights to it. These inventions include special wall panels and roofing tiles. Some of her patents are:
- 1997: A fire-resistant building panel (with Susan Michalski)
- 1998: Lightweight roof tiles and how to make them (with Susan Michalski)
- 2001: A molded building panel and how to build with it (with Susan Michalski)
- 2003: Another molded building panel and how to build with it (with Susan Michalski)
- 2008: Heat-protected building parts and how to make them (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 formula with layers of material.
Personal Life
Patricia Billings got married when she was 21 years old. She later separated from her husband after 17 years. She has a daughter and two grandsons.
See also
In Spanish: Patricia Billings para niños
