The first material I researched is Gutta percha. Upon first review of this material it turned out to be a genus of tropical trees from Southeast Asia. Its sap is a natural latex which hardens itself once dried out enough but remains unbrittle. The sap was once used to insulate telephone wires, even in the U.S until better insulators were discovered.
Also Gutta percha is used in root canals as a filler because it is an inert substance and wont change or react with anything.
The next material I decided to research is Palladium. While it was not in the timeline in the text it was discovered along with Platinum because they are typically mined together and separated in the smelting process. Palladium is a very underrated and little known metal, but its uses are vast and important. It is used as a conductor in computer chips, a catalyst in many reactions such as the Wacker Process, and its used in the catalytic converter.
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