CASTOR-OIL INDUSTRY. 37 



account of its resistance to climatic conditions and temperature 

 changes as well as to its viscosity. A leather substitute, recently 

 patented, is formed of a carrying vehicle, such as paper or a woven 

 fabric, and a facing of supple pyroxylin built up of successive layers 

 united into an integral structure of sufficient thickness to enable it 

 to be removed from the carrier. The coating may be formed of nitro- 

 cellulose 10, castor oil 20, amyl acetate 15, methyl alcohol 20, amyl 

 alcohol 5, benzol 30, and pigment 3 parts. Such leatherlike products 

 come in rolls of 30 to 60 yards in length and of varying widths, 

 and find extensive use in upholstery, carriage tops, automobile 

 fittings, suitcases, trunks, shoes, book bindings, and various lines of 

 novelty goods. It has been generally assumed that only the No. 1 

 grade of castor oil is satisfactory for this purpose, but progressive 

 manuf acturers have learned that a properly refined No. 3 oil, although 

 it runs high in color, can readily be used, inasmuch as most artificial 

 leather products are of dark color. As is evident from the analyses 

 previously recorded, the characteristics of the oil after refining are in 

 no wise deleteriously affected. 



In the leather trade castor oil finds rather extensive use both as a 

 lubricant and as a soluble oil. Specifically, it is applied to belting 

 directly as a sulphonated product and is also incorporated in a com- 

 posite grease which may contain in addition to the oil such products 

 as tallow, wax, paraffin, and vaseline. Belts treated with this mix- 

 ture are made flexible and are prevented from cracking, all of which 

 operates to increase the friction on the pulley. 



It is stated that castor oil applied to leather in snowy weather keeps 

 the leather soft and makes it waterproof; also that leather so treated 

 is avoided by rats. It does not prevent a polish being produced on 

 boots, and if applied once a week to leather shoes will cause them to 

 last twice as long. Such treatment is particulaily reco mm ended if 

 the leather has been wet. In such cases the oil should be rubbed in 

 before the goods have dried. The softening of leather belts, harness, 

 and other such leather goods is a further use to which castor oil is put. 



Sulphonated castor oil is made by treating the oil with sulphuric 

 acid under carefully controlled conditions of temperature and pro- 

 portion of ingredients. The resulting product may be soluble or 

 readily emulsifiable in water. It possesses the property of emulsifying 

 other oils and greases and carrying them into the leather, which 

 thereby becomes lubricated internally. Mineral oil may thus be 

 earned into leather and impart to it a certain interior humidity. 

 Sulphonated castor oil also facilitates the penetration of tannin into 

 leather. It forms an ingredient of various creams, both black and 

 colored, for rubbing patent leather. 



Sulphonated castor oil is* the basis of manufacture of emulsifying 

 or soluble cutting oils used in connection with water. It may also be 



