Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The Origin of Tires-Vulcan tire

You use your tires every day when you are driving, but do you know the way they came to be made? Vulcan tire

The origin of tires dates back to the 1800s, when Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber. Goodyear was a bankrupt hardware merchant trying to make a comeback with a rubber valve he had invented for life preservers. However, he found that hardware stores were reluctant to buy rubber products, because they tended to melt in hot weather. As a result, rubber products were thought about a wash in the U.S.

Goodyear found himself intrigued by rubber - & also found himself jailed for debt. While in jail, he had his spouse bring him some rubber, which he played with while in jail. He reasoned that by mixing rubber with magnesia powder, he would be able to keep the rubber from getting sticky as the weather grew warmer.

His experiments often met setbacks, often ending in smelly, melted junk. However, after he added nitric acid to a failed experiment, he noticed things - the rubber had turned black, & the rubber was now smooth & dry. He was close to making his discovery, but still had trouble getting backing & promotion for his product. He & his relatives found themselves living in abject poverty.

In 1839, Goodyear had an accident that led to the discovery of vulcanization-  Vulcan tire

The story goes that while he was excitedly gesturing in conversation with some friends at a general store, the rubber he was playing with flew from his hand & landed on a stove. When Goodyear retrieved the charred rubber, he noticed that it was tougher & ticker than before, but still springy & flexible. Excited, Goodyear knew that he had made a breakthrough.

It took even longer for Goodyear to ideal his system, but one time he did, he found that he could make  any product out of rubber. However, Goodyear lacked business sense, & did not file proper patents for much of his work. As a result, plenty of companies began using his system without paying him royalties. Goodyear remained stricken by poverty & heath issues for the remainder of his life, even receiving the Cross of the Legion of Honor from Napoleon while he was in debtor's jail in Germany.

The term "vulcanization" was officially coined by a mate of Thomas Hancock, an English inventor who had received a sample from Goodyear & figured out how to engineer the system. Goodyear later unsuccessfully sued Hancock. "Vulcanization" came from the name "Vulcan," after the Roman god of fire.

It was through the creation of hard- Vulcan tire

weather-proof rubber through the vulcanization system that led to the creation of tires. Ironically, Goodyear Tire & Rubber would day become of the largest companies in the world - but it would have nothing to do with Goodyear or his relatives, having named themselves in his honor. But while they might have nothing to do with him personally, their work ensures that Goodyear's name will stay alive - & the use of rubber in every day life ensures that his work was not in vain.

No comments:

Post a Comment