New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-16
SOMETHING NEW IN INSULATION.
ENCIRCLING A WIRE WITH POWDERED sILEx--
THE LATTER's VIRTUES.

ENCIRCLING A WIRE WITH POWDERED sILEx--
THE LATTER's VIRTUES.
With the exception OF glass and porcelain which
are used to support electric wire merely at rev
points the favorite insuatve materials to-day are
all highly combustibe. Gutta percha. rubber.
paper paraffine. asphalt oil and woven cotton IN
teguments, which employed TO cover lighting
wires inside OF buildings not only perishaoie.
but liable TO add to a conhagraon II once exposed
to high heat. Even when wire is carried through
an iron pipe which has lining composed OF some OF
these substances the air Is permitted to circulate
inside the inclosure: and there Is chance that AT
certain points and at certain seasons there VIII 10
an Objectionable condensation of atmospheric moist
there Now. moisture Is a conductor OF eie1
tricy, and Is therefore an undesirable associate u
a wire that carries such current. with the ihteh-
ton OF obviating all these difficulties. and OF secur-
ing still other advantages. F. j. Nash. OF Brookiyn
has for several years been endeavoring to utilize
slick insulatoT.
This substance is identical with quartz and nnt'
and Is the principal ingredient in glass. II Is ex
ceedlngly abundant and cheap and 1t Is the most
perfect insulator known. Moreover. IL Is not ohiy
ncombustib.e like asbestos but 1t can be used IN
such way TO resist heat equally we'll Inc
great problem. though. IS to apply coating OF sick
a wire that 1t will stay X Is not hexioie' Hhe
rubber and cloth. Originally Mr.. Nash overiaid the
wire with a thin layer Of powdered Slick and then
applied a flexible covering thereto. THIS was
effectual from an electrical point OF view Out tHe
method did not afford enough protection against
mechanical injury. He therefore changed MS pio-
cedure. His present plan Is to inclose MS "Hes'
either singly or by twos or threes, within Hsh.
iron or steel shell (the gaspipe OF commerce., ana
mack the powdered slick in around them by spe-
cla process which interlocks the particles hrmiy;
While this operation is going on the air Is exhausted
from the pipe. And all points are intenoeo 20 DC
both waterproof and air-ght an attehp. . Ione
,ba Of
the pipes are In service -, A.. .ho ur,res
cannot change their position relatively TO eacn otnet
their armor even when pipe Is pehl u. LII
But the ex Yields e TerY s 20 radius possible
One advantage Of puverizng this sick Is ,hd ,b
a solid piece. At the office OF the Slick Insulation
Company. in Cortlandt-st. the other day Irouh i
fact. block Of slick fully half inch thick was
exposed for less than minute to name Se'e'op
the end of that time the back OF the stone was much
too hot to be touched with bare fingers; nal ~
same test for five or six times long. but 1t was
Gssse Sy 5 Sc ee o h
back OF the layer directly opposite. the flame. Mr.
Nash contends that the stuff e Will stand an
through the wire in one Of his pipes the copper
enough heat get through the slick to warm the
pipe outside. Hence says the inventor; .of the
tona Board Of Underwriters as being of electrical
origin not one could have occurred with sex as an
can occur In such pipes Unlike asbestos. powdered
slick shows no disposition absorb water. even
when it has a chance. But ordinary cashiers
Joint in some OF Mr. Nash's pipe has been soaking
without betraying the slightest sign OF leakage.
Although this system OF insulation is designed pri-
marlly TO reduce the fire hazard inside OF buildings,
1t Is also adapted to long distance power transmits
sion In which very dangerous voltages are en-
ployed Mr.. Nash believes that his plan reduces
its losses by leakage that are now experienced on
even the OF po.elines like that from Niagara to
Buffalo. Ard as his pipes can be laid underground
they would not require 30 expensive a right OF way