Charles Goodyear (December 29, 1800 – July
1, 1860) was an American inventor who developed a process to vulcanize rubber
in 1839 -- a method that he perfected while living and working in
Although Goodyear is often credited with
its invention, modern evidence has proven that the Mesoamericans used
stabilized rubber for balls and other objects as early as 1600 BC.
Goodyear discovered the vulcanization
process accidentally after five years of searching for a more stable rubber.
The story goes that inventor Charles
Goodyear stumbled upon the vulcanization of rubber in 1839 when he accidentally
dropped some gum-and-sulfur mix onto a hot stove. He found that rather than
melting into a syrupy consistency the mix hardened into a leather-like texture.
So enamored of this new miracle material was Goodyear that he wanted to make
virtually everything out of rubber – money, flags, musical instruments, ship
sails, and even ships themselves. He also wore rubber hats, vests, and ties.
Goodyear is officially credited as the creator of vulcanized rubber, and the
multi-billion dollar Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. was named after him to
honor his discovery and years of work.
Vulcanization
Vulcanization or vulcanisation is a chemical
process whereby rubber molecules, or polymers, are linked by combining liquid
rubber with sulfur and then heated. The heat allows the chemical structure of
the rubber to transform into a more usable substance than stock natural rubber
or synthetic rubber – and it is approximately 10 times stronger than either
original version. The result is a very elastic, durable rubber that can be used
in many applications including heavy-duty products such as tires, shoe soles,
hoses, and boots, as well as less utilitarian products such as weather
stripping, hockey pucks, and watch bands. The vulcanization process is
versatile because it can be applied to both natural rubber and synthetic
rubber. The process is named after Vulcan, Roman god of fire. Hard vulcanized
rubber is sometimes sold under the brand names ebonite or vulcanite, and is
used to make hard articles such as bowling balls and saxophone mouth pieces.
Tire
A tire (or tyre)
is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel's rim to protect it and
enable better vehicle performance. Pneumatic elastomer tires, such as those for
automobiles and bicycles, provide traction between the vehicle and the road
while providing flexible cushion that absorbs shock.
The fundamental
materials of modern pneumatic tires are synthetic rubber, natural rubber,
fabric and wire, along with carbon black and other chemical compounds. They
consist of a tread and a body. The tread provides traction while the body
provides containment for a quantity of compressed air. Before rubber was
developed, the first versions of tires were simply bands of metal that fitted
around wooden wheels to prevent wear and tear. Early rubber tires were solid
(not pneumatic). Today, the majority of tires are pneumatic inflatable
structures, comprising a doughnut-shaped body of cords and wires encased in
rubber and generally filled with compressed air to form an inflatable cushion.
Pneumatic tires are used on many types of vehicles, including cars, bicycles,
motorcycles, trucks, earthmovers, and aircraft. Metal tires are still used on
locomotives and railcars, and solid rubber (or other polymer) tires are still
used in various non-automotive applications, such as some casters, carts,
lawnmowers, and wheelbarrows.
Latex
Latex is the
stable dispersion (emulsion) of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium.
Latexes may be natural or synthetic.
Latex as found in
nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms). It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars,
oils, tannins, resins, and gums that coagulates on exposure to air. It is
usually exuded after tissue injury. In most plants, latex is white, but some
have yellow, orange, or scarlet latex. Since the 17th century, latex has been
used as a term for the fluid substance in plants.[2] It serves mainly as
defense against herbivorous insects.
Latex is not to
be confused with plant sap; it is a separate substance, separately produced,
and with separate functions.
It can also be
made synthetically by polymerizing a monomer such as styrene that has been
emulsified with surfactants.
The word is also
used to refer to natural latex rubber; particularly for non-vulcanized rubber.
Such is the case in products like latex gloves, latex condoms and latex
clothing. Many people are allergic to rubber latex.
Latex clothing
Latex rubber is
used in many types of clothing. Rubber has traditionally been used in protective
clothing, including gas masks and Wellington boots. Rubber is now generally
being replaced in these application by plastics. Mackintoshes have
traditionally been made from rubberized cloth.
Latex rubber as a
clothing material is common in fetish fashion and among BDSM practitioners, and
is often seen worn at fetish clubs. Latex is sometimes also used by couturiers
for its dramatic appearance. Worn on the body it tends to be skin-tight,
producing a "second skin" effect. There are several magazines dedicated
to the use and wearing of it. Less commonly, latex clothing can be
loose-fitting.
Latex has been
used to make leotards, bodysuits, stockings and gloves, besides other garments.
Latex is also often used to make specialist fetishistic garments like hoods and
rubber cloaks.
Latex clothing is
generally made from large sheets of latex which are delivered in rolls. The
"classic" colour for fetishistic latex clothing is black, but latex
is naturally translucent, and may be dyed any colour, including metallic shades
or white. It can come in thicknesses which generally range from about 0.18 mm
to 0.5 mm. Instead of being sewn, latex clothing is generally glued along its
seams.
Because latex
sheet is relatively weak, latex clothing needs special care to avoid tearing.
Whilst latex can be repaired using materials similar to those provided in a
bicycle repair kit, the result is rarely as attractive as the original
appearance of the garment.
Latex clothing is
often polished to preserve and improve its shiny appearance.
Putting on latex
clothing can be difficult, because latex has high friction against dry skin. To
make it easier to put on, wearers often use talc to reduce friction against the
skin when putting the clothes on; then, because stray talc is very visible
against the rubber, wearers generally polish off any visible talc. Another
method of dressing is using lubricant (or 'lube') which provides a slippy
surface for the latex to glide over. A third method of reducing or eliminating
the high friction of latex when dressing is to chlorinate the rubber. Chlorine
in gaseous form is generated by the reaction of hydrochloric acid and sodium
hypochlorite. This chlorine bonds to the first few molecules on the surface of
the isoprene (latex) and transforms them into neoprene. This process affects
metallic colours, but does not affect strength.
Latex may also be
painted directly onto the body as latex in liquid form, which is also sometimes
used to close seams in the creation of latex clothing. Removal of a painted on
liquid latex garment can result in painful hair removal. Wearers avoid this by
preparing the skin by prior hair removal, the use of release agents to prevent
the latex adhering to the hair, or using products such as orange oil to weaken
the latex during removal.
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