The Republican., 1891-12-04
FOSSIL FLOUR.
Singular Product of the Earth, and 1t,
Uses.

i "A OF Jne EarLn, ana
Uses.
Since the time of the invention ot
sulphur yulcanization, almost every
| thing in the way of the cheaper metal
lie oxides, sulphides, or earths have
been tried as filters for rubber. Sc
careful has the experimentation been in
these lines that any practical rubber
man can tell exactly what results are
attained by these different materials
A curious earth that has not as yet
| received much attention from the rub
Der men, partly because the supply has
not been regular, and partly because
when it could be secured it was found
in connection with other substances
that made it of little use, is what is
known as fossil -four" Quite recently
vast deposit of this has been discov-
cred in the state of Maine, and that too
of such purity as to arouse the wonder
of the best analysts. In investigating
the properties of this new earth, one is
impressed at once by its wonderful
faculty for resisting the action of acids,
alkalies, oils, and especially by its re-
markable quality as a non-conductor of
heat. A simple test of this latter quail
ity made by one interested in the COM
pany was to take an inch cube of the
material and place it on a bar of iron.
The iron bar was then put in a black
smiths forge and heated until it was
melted away from the cube of earth.
So little did the heat penetrate this
cube that one could easily place the
fingers upon the upper part of it with
out Inconvenience from the heat
Exactly what value this non-conduct-
ing property might have in rubber is
not, perhaps, at first apparent, until
one reflects upon the clammy, repulsive
feeling of ordinary rubber clothing, and
indeed of rubber goods in general. To
use a common illustration, we might
cite the case of the old-fashioned oil
cloth, which has much that feeling, and
which is being practically driven out of
the market by the later invention of
lineoleum, the latter being entirely free
from the Inconvenience described If
rubber garments could be made of a
compound of India rubber and a first
class non-conductor, there is no doubt
but a surface much more agreeable to
the touch would be produced: and that
one objection to rubber clothing would
be done away with.
1t is not in clothing, however. that
the strongest points of the new adulter-
ant would be developed. For valve
work it is said to be far ahead of any
thing made in rubber: valves made of
it have been subjected to the severest
tests, and are said to be almost inde-
structible.
Fossil flour is almost as white as
oxide of zinc. 1t is so light in weight
that flour barrel of it in it's natural
condition will weigh not over fifty
pounds. 1t is, as we have already
stated, absolutely unaffected or un-
changed by any sort of mechanical
manipulations, by acids, alkalies or
heat. As it is mined, it comes out of
the ground pure white powder, so fine
that it can not be ground any finer. A
careful analysis of it shows about 95
per cent. pure silica.
III VI llllS dS SlllCd, OllC
would perhaps at first get an idea of
particles that have sharp edges, and
feeling similar to that of corundum or
emery. That, however, is not true in
this case, as the earth is what is known
as diatomaceous earth, made up of
vast number of enthusiastically small
Shells each individual shell having been
the home of diatom, built for it from
silica, held in suspension in water.
This kind of earth has been used in
Europe very largely for a variety of
purposes; one of the most curious of
which was in Sweden, where the poorer
classes mined it and mixed it with
wheat flour in order to make bulky
loaves of bread, not for sale, but for
their own eating In betting, packing,
hose and boots and shoes, this adulter-
ant has many advantages which, no
doubt. the rubber trade will readily dis
Rubber World