CASTOR-OIL INDUSTRY. ot 
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 
fabzic, and a facing of supple pyroxylin built up of successive laye:s 
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 
erade of castor oil is satisfactory for this purpose, but progressive 
- manufacturers 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 particularly recommended 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 
carried 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 
