The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
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New Process for Oxidisinc Vegetable Oils
Said TO Be Successful.

A nav industry which has Just been estab-
lished upon an apparently firm basis In Eng
land uses for its raw material linseed oil or
any Of the other vegetable oils OF similar pop
critics. IL promises TO become of wide impor-
lance because It's products partake OF many
OF the Qualities OF india rubber and gutta
percha. the supplies OF which show n constant
| tendency to fall below the growing demands.
That oils OF this sort have in them qualities OF
high usefulness was discovered ages AGO.
when they we're first used for paints. and the
new industry takes advantage OF the same
quality OF hardening by oNidization.
linseed oil has been used for paints and
varnishes for generations. It is we'll known
that when the oil is spread ont in a thin layer
exposed to the-air 1t ahsorbs oxygen and be-
comes very hard. When the oil is left in bulk
exposed to the air it gradually becomes
Rummv consistency. Exposures Of different
periods will give any grade OF hardness be,
the same way, and many attempts have been
made to take commercial advantage OF these
qualities. Some, like the manufacture of oil
cloths and linoleum, have been very success
tul. The difficulty experienced heretofore in
tNtempting to use the oxidized oils for other
c. hanically impossible TO accomplish the per-
fe 4 and graded combination Of the oxygen
ent PURPOSES. The general method adopted
was to allow the h oil to drip from the top to the
DOtt 1m OF u .WlQe, SUSPENDED sheet OF sCrlTn,
an o, Ien-meshed textile fabri . while u current
of ait was driven upon It. BY this method the
surfac " Of the oil was solidiled. but the action
did not extend all through IL and there was,
thereto re-. Q. portion ol unaffected oil held
within. which was fatal to many of the uses
which 1t was known might be made OF a more
perfect roduct.
MIR. Ci arles Grist OF England has perfected
a. system by which it is asserted that this trou-
BILE is en- trely overcome. and q large factory
has been built where MANY articles are manu-
iactured f'om the oils solidihed by his process.
His methoH OF treating the oil IL to saturate a
quantity OF tow with it, and then. in n CEN
triiuRal mf ichine, throw out every particle of
the oil except that which clinEs in minute
globules TO the fibre OF the tow itself. The
punches of now are then put on grids of metal
In a chambe where warm air is forced through
them and in tSSeniy-four hours the oil is thor
oughly oXiuizei. The material is then ground
up. mixed with any desired coloring matter and
finally rolled opt into sheets. in which condi-
ton IL resembles india rubDor ard possesses
many Of the qualities Of rubber and gutta
percha. 1t Is aS resilient as rubber. but not as
elastic. is impeivlous TO hemic action, and
withstands heat VI TO 24O9 Fahrenheit. and it
can be vulcanized by the same processes used
Tor rubber, and gutta percha. IT has high cleo
trical insulating qualities and can be used for
cable wire coverings and other forms of elec-
trical insulators. and 1t is made into wheel
tires. which are said to be equal to those OF
rubber 1t can be dissolved in ethereal spirits
OF all kinds. and from these solutions IL can he
applied as waterprooting coverings.for fabrics
OF any sort.