Show artificial SILK MERE IMITATION OF REAL THING the news that the world famous firm of 0 courtault Court auld Is to build more artificial sill silk factories in lancashire cumes comes at an appropriate ti time me for this year Is tile fiftieth anniversary of the afie registration of the first patent of a process for producing artifice artificial fal silk on a commercial scale in those fifty years a revolution in clothes has taken place the output figures prove its extent in 1891 the total production of tile new wonder fabric was about pounds today I 1 it t Is in the region of 0 pounds like most great inventions artificial sill silk was brought about by strokes strobes of luck and much patient work on the part of several men over a period of years it was some children making chains of cherry stones by rubbing out fibers from the stones on a grindstone who gave a german weaver the idea of the tent production of wood pulp today wood pulp Is the origin of viscose artificial silk for your stockings really come from trees the invention of guncotton or to give it the scientific name nitro cel was another step towards artificial silk fifteen years later then count hilaire de dc chardonnet watching silkworms noted the way they made their silk and tried to imitate the process artificially using the pulp of mulberry trees he made cellulose then nitro bellu lose which he squirted through tiny holes into heated air na as a silkworm exudes its gummy silk substance this gave him filaments of a stuff lie hoped to weave in issa lie he patented this process but the french government would not allow him to manufacture because ills his silk was highly inflammable for five fire years ears he worked to remove this danger then followed two years of experiments to overcome production difficulties but by 1891 artificial silk was being made today its manufacture Is one of our greatest industries london tit bits |