102 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



VALUABLE DISCOVERY IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INDIA-RUBBER. 



A GREAT part of the usefulness of India-rubber depends upon the 

 process known as " vulcanizing," whereby textures of which it 

 forms a part are exempted from the action of heat and cold. This 

 process has hitherto been performed by the mixture of sulphur and 

 lead, or of sulphur alone, with the rubber. A discovery just made in 

 England, by a Mr. Burke, will put an end to the contests between 

 patentees of various processes in this country, by introducing a new 

 process, which is simpler and cheaper than the old ones, and dispens- 

 ing with the use of sulphur, as it does, avoids the UHpleasant smell 

 caused by that substance. Though patented in England, this new 

 process has already been employed in this country, so that it cannot 

 now be monopolized here. 



The discovery may be succinctly described as follows. We con- 

 dense from the language of the inventor. 



Mix 15 parts of golden sulphuret of antimony with 100 parts of 

 India-rubber, and when thoroughly " masticated," as known to man- 

 ufacturers, the articles are to be made up, and then submitted to heat 

 in a boiler under pressure at a temperature varying from 260 to 280 

 Fahrenheit. 



A manufacturer of this city has shown us specimens made by mix- 

 ing a much larger portion of golden sulphuret of antimony with the 

 same quantity of rubber named above. The product is exceedingly 

 elastic, tough, and beautiful in appearance, while it is perfectly free 

 from the smell of sulphur. At the same time it has no appearance 

 of bloom, which is a point of the first importance. 



The heating of compounds of rubber in a boiler under pressure was 

 first introduced from England into the United States some three years 

 ago. Since then, the manufacture of rubber goods has more than 

 doubled in amount. This new discovery, by which antimony takes 

 the place of sulphur, will extend still further this branch of American 

 industry, than which none has received more attention from scientific 

 men. 



The same inventor describes a new kind of cloth in these words : 



" The second part of my invention refers to the manufacture of 

 water-proof cloths or garments known as single textures, and consists 

 in removing the shiny or polished appearance of the surface thereof, 

 which is very generally objected to from its resemblance to common 

 oiled or painted cloths. In order to effect this improvement, I mix with 

 caoutchouc, either prepared as above or not, from ten to fifteen per 

 cent, of ground silk, cotton, or wool (after the manner of flock), and 

 dissolve it in a suitable menstruum, or I mix the flock with the caout- 

 chouc when dissolved. With this solution I coat the surface of the 

 cloth, which has previously been prepared with the water-proof com- 

 position in the ordinary manner of such manufacture, and thereby 

 impart to the water-proof surface an appearance greatly resembling 

 woollen cloth. This cloth may be afterwards put through the heating 

 process, and another cloth or fabric cemented thereto as a lining, if 

 required." New York Tribune. 



