Galalith: Difference between revisions
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'''Galalith''' ('''Erinoid''' in the United Kingdom), derived from the Greek words ''gala'' (milk) and ''lithos'' (stone), is a trade name for one of the earliest [[plastics]]. |
'''Galalith''' ('''Erinoid''' in the United Kingdom), derived from the Greek words ''gala'' (milk) and ''lithos'' (stone), is a trade name for one of the earliest [[plastics]]. |
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In 1897, the [[Hanover]] factory owner Wilhelm Krische was commissioned to develop white school boards that could be wiped off but that would not burn, as German teachers no longer wanted to write on blackboards using white chalk.<ref name=ganoksin>{{citeweb|url=http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/milk-stone.htm|title=Jewelry Stone Make of Milk|author=Christel Trimborn|publisher=GZ Art+Design|date=2004-08|accessdate=2010-05-17}}</ref> The resultant horn-like plastic made from the milk protein [[casein]], was developed in cooperation with the chemist (Friedrich) Adolph Spitteler (1846 - 1940). Although the final result was unsuitable for the original purpose, at the beginning of the 20th century, [[France|French]] chemist J.C. Trillat, discovered the means to insolubilize casein by immersion in [[formaldehyde]].<ref name=ganoksin/> |
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Although it could not be moulded, and was hence produced in sheets, it was inexpensive to produce. Milk stone could be cut, drilled, embossed and dyed without difficulty, thus producing [[gemstone]] imitations that looked strikingly real. No other plastic at the time could compete on price, and with ivory, horn and bone products becoming far more expensive, it found a natural home in the fashion industry.<ref name=ganoksin/> |
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| ⚫ | The material revolutionized the [[button]] industry,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buttoncountry.com/synthetic.htm|title=Synthetic Polymers (Section 12)|last=Button Country|year=2010|publisher=Peach State Button Club|accessdate=6 March 2010|location=Georgia, USA}} (To view reverse of button, hover mouse over image.)</ref> with its capacity to create structural effects and imitate all sorts of material: horn, tortoiseshell, ivory, wood, etc. |
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One of its great qualities is its [[porosity]], making it ideal for dyeing, by immersing white galalith in coloured baths. Galalith cannot be moulded, and is manufactured in the form of sheets of different thickness, sticks and tubes, and is therefore worked by hand. |
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In 1914, Syrolit Ltd gained the license for manufacture in the |
Marketed in the form of boards, pipes and rods, in 1913 {{convert|30000000|lt|gl}} of [[milk]] were used to produce Galalith in Germany alone.<ref name=ganoksin/> In 1914, Syrolit Ltd gained the license for manufacture in the [[United Kingdom]]. Renaming itself ''Erinoid Ltd,''' it started manufacture in the Lightpill former woollen mill in [[Dudbridge]], [[Stroud, Gloucestershire]].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=19120|title=A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 11: Bisley and Longtree Hundreds (1976)|publisher=british-history.ac.uk|accessdate=2010-05-14}}</ref> |
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It was also used in the 1930s for jewellery, pens, umbrella handles, white piano keys (replacing natural ivory). World production at that time reached 10,000 tons. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 15:54, 16 May 2010
Galalith (Erinoid in the United Kingdom), derived from the Greek words gala (milk) and lithos (stone), is a trade name for one of the earliest plastics.
In 1897, the Hanover factory owner Wilhelm Krische was commissioned to develop white school boards that could be wiped off but that would not burn, as German teachers no longer wanted to write on blackboards using white chalk.[1] The resultant horn-like plastic made from the milk protein casein, was developed in cooperation with the chemist (Friedrich) Adolph Spitteler (1846 - 1940). Although the final result was unsuitable for the original purpose, at the beginning of the 20th century, French chemist J.C. Trillat, discovered the means to insolubilize casein by immersion in formaldehyde.[1]
Although it could not be moulded, and was hence produced in sheets, it was inexpensive to produce. Milk stone could be cut, drilled, embossed and dyed without difficulty, thus producing gemstone imitations that looked strikingly real. No other plastic at the time could compete on price, and with ivory, horn and bone products becoming far more expensive, it found a natural home in the fashion industry.[1]
The material revolutionized the button industry,[2] with its capacity to create structural effects and imitate all sorts of material: horn, tortoiseshell, ivory, wood, etc.
Marketed in the form of boards, pipes and rods, in 1913 30,000,000 long tons ([convert: unknown unit]) of milk were used to produce Galalith in Germany alone.[1] In 1914, Syrolit Ltd gained the license for manufacture in the United Kingdom. Renaming itself Erinoid Ltd,' it started manufacture in the Lightpill former woollen mill in Dudbridge, Stroud, Gloucestershire.[3]
It was also used in the 1930s for jewellery, pens, umbrella handles, white piano keys (replacing natural ivory). World production at that time reached 10,000 tons.
References
- ^ a b c d Christel Trimborn (2004-08). "Jewelry Stone Make of Milk". GZ Art+Design. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Button Country (2010). "Synthetic Polymers (Section 12)". Georgia, USA: Peach State Button Club. Retrieved 6 March 2010. (To view reverse of button, hover mouse over image.)
- ^ "A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 11: Bisley and Longtree Hundreds (1976)". british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
External links
- Morrell, George (1935). ""Method of making casein buttons"". Sampling One Hundred Years of Button Patents. Georgia, USA: Peach State Button Club. Retrieved 12 March 2010.