Personal Narrative of the Origin and Progress of the Caoutchouc or India-Rubber Manufacture in England

An informed and illustrated 1857 account of the commercial exploitation of natural rubber by one of England's leading rubber manufacturers.

Thomas Hancock (Author)

9781108069281, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 February 2014

332 pages, 16 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 1.9 cm, 0.42 kg

Over the course of three decades, the English businessman and inventor Thomas Hancock (1786–1865) took out sixteen patents relating to the potential applications of natural rubber. Hancock's fascination with this material, the properties of which had not been fully appreciated in England, drove him to experiment extensively with manufacturing methods. This led to the development of the mechanical process of 'mastication' and the chemical process of vulcanization, the end product of which was used by Macintosh to create waterproof garments. This illustrated account of Hancock's discoveries and methods was first published in 1857. It covers the origin of his interest in natural rubber and his subsequent experiments and patents. Also included are details about the plants from which natural rubber is extracted. The result is an informed chronicle of the commercial exploitation of a versatile and lucrative resource.

Preface
Origin and progress of the india-rubber manufacture in England
Plants from which caoutchouc is obtained
Appendix
Index to specifications.

Subject Areas: Botany & plant sciences [PST]