The Manufacture of a New Material designed to Serve as a Substitute for Bone or Celluloid.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
CODILELED BULLCATION.
The Manufacture of a New Material designed to Serve as a
Substitute for Bone or Celluloid.
WILLIAM MARSHALL CAMPBELL CALLENDER of Glenmore St. Martins
Road in the Island of Guernsey do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of a new material designed to serve as
a substitute for bone, ivory or celluloid produced from skim milk.
The production of a solid mass in some measure resembling celluloid from skim
milk is already known, but such masses have hitherto proved faulty, as the finished
material falls to pieces of itself, or when subjected to the slightest strain. The new
material which I describe hereafter is free from these defects & altho' produced
from skim milk as a basis, the principles & processes of production, as well as the
material itself are entirely novel.
In carrying out this invention I proceed as follows. I take say 100 litres of
skim milk, gently heat it to about 102° F. & then add to the milk, a certain
quantity of some antiseptic such as borax or soda, & stir it well in. If borax is
used, I add 200 grammes dissolved in water. Then I add 400 grammes saponified
oil dissolved in water. Any oil that will saponify & that will form an insoluble
soap in combination with the mineral salt hereinafter mentioned can be used.
In practice I get good results by the use of Marseilles soap. After the soap is
well mixed with the milk, I raise the heat to about 140° F. & then add about
300 grammes of a mineral salt dissolved in water, or acid & water; the choice of
the mineral salt depends upon the colour of finished product required. Any mineral
salt that will precipitate the cassein from the milk & at the same time form an
insoluble soap with the saponified oil can be used. I find good results by the use
of sulphate of copper. The addition of the mineral salt to the milk will cause the
latter to curdle. I now slowly raise the heat to boiling point stirring the mixture
all the time & continue the boiling for about 45 minutes, & then allow the mixture
to cool & deposit. When the liquid has entirely separated from the solid portion,
I draw off liquid & free the remaining solids from water, by pressure, & filtration.
I then put the mass into heated moulds subject to great pressure. The result of
this pressure continued for some hours is to form a solid mass which requires to be
air dried for some days. The material is now complete & can be turned or
moulded.
To the material thus described can be added anilines, pigments or other dyes, so
as to give the colour or mixture of colours required.
The cost of the material can be lessened by the admixture of a certain proportion
of chalk or other earthy or calcareous matter. These pigments chalks &c. must
either be added to the milk in a liquid form or else ground into the mass after
boiling & before putting it into the press.
The combination of the materials can be effected in many ways, & I do not bind
myself to the precise details given above, or to any exact process of manufacture or
proportion of different ingredients used in such manufacture, as these can be varied
according to the use for which the material is required. However, I find satisfactory
results from the above detailed process, proportion & ingredients & they will
sufficiently illustrate my invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The manufacture of a new material designed to serve as a substitute for bone
or celluloid, by the admixture of skim milk, of an antiseptic a saponified oil & a
mineral salt, the boiling of said mixture & the pressing of hydrate resulting there-
from, into a solid mass, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In the manufacture of said material I claim the admixture of other substances,
for the purpose herein described.
3. The new material designed to serve as a substitute for bone or celluloid
substantially as hereinbefore described.
20th December 1893.
WILLIAM MARSHALL CAMPBELL CALLENDER.