James Franklin Hyde, the American inventor who invented silica, died in 1999 at the age of 96.

Dr. James Franklin Hyde was an American scientist best recognized for developing silicon. Dr. James Franklin Hyde was an American scientist best recognized for developing silicon. Dr. James Franklin Hyde died on October 11, 1999, at the age of 96, in Florida. He held over a hundred patents, many of which were for his achievements and novel techniques of producing silicon from glass materials. The invention of fused silica optic fibers enabled quicker communications than copper lines.
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