It’s heralded as one of the most revolutionary substances in history; it’s indestructible, fireproof and is the world’s first workable replacement for asbestos. It’s Geobond, and it was invented by Patricia Billings of Kansas City, Missouri.
Patricia is an artist, and was inspired to create the substance when a sculpture she’d been working on for months crashed to the floor and shattered. She knew that sculptors like Michelangelo had added cement to their work to make them durable, so she decided to create a modern day alternative.
She spent eight years experimenting in her basement, and came up with a mixture that when added to gypsum and concrete make an indestructible plaster. It was a scientist friend who discovered that the mixture she labeled Geobond was also incredibly heat resistant.
Patricia has received two patents for her work, but has kept the formula a secret. She even turned down twenty million dollars from a company who she thought would bury the technology.
Contractors have now begun to use Geobond, which is being embraced by the construction industry as a universal building material. Since it’s made with non-toxic ingredients, it makes an ideal replacement for asbestos.
So, the next time your sculpture falls and doesn’t shatter, or you see the words ‘asbestos free’, remember to thank a woman. Thank Patricia Billings.
