THE STORY OF RAYON

By Arnold Hard

THE FIRST RAYON MACHINE

If asked to express an opinion as to which rendered the greater service to mankind, a novelist who painted delightful pen pictures of English village life, or an inventor who strove to produce an article which ultimately found employment for a considerable proportion of the population of almost every nation, we should choose the inventor. This thought was prompted by finding on a house in Plymouth Grove, Manchester, a tablet commemorating the fact that Mrs. Gaskell resided there, but in the same street, only a stone's throw away, lived Louis Schwabe, who made the first rayon spinning machine, and who was the first to draw filaments through fine holes. Perhaps the authority whose work it is will take the hint and remedy the omission. I shall be pleased to supply a suitable inscription for the plate.

WORK OF LOUIS SCHWABE OF MANCHESTER

Louis Schwabe was an important manufacturer of silk fabrics. His first works were at Commercial Buildings, Cross Street, Manchester, and later he had a large silk mill in Portland Street, on the site now occupied by the handsome establishment of Messrs. George Peak & Co., Ltd. At one time he lived at No. 21, Faulkner Street, but by his energy and business ability he was soon in a position to remove to what was then the fashionable residential quarter, Plymouth Grove, his house being No. 1, now a builder's warehouse. He made silks for H.M. Queen Victoria and also for the French Court, and it was his very intimate knowledge of real silk which prompted him to endeavour to make an artificial substitute. The possibilities and allurements of such a discovery were patent to a man of his attainments, and urged him on to great efforts. He invented a machine for spinning rayon and exhibited it in Manchester together with the filaments he had produced. At that time the British Association was holding its annual Meeting in Manchester, and he not only demonstrated his machine to the learned members of that Association, but also showed them "superb products of the jacquard loom."* In passing it is interesting to record that the previous year (1841) he patented a process whereby a "design, device or figure printed on yarn would be preserved when the yarn was woven into fabric."

USE OF SPINNERETS FIRST SUGGESTED

The report of the British Association states that Mr. Schwabe explained to the members his method of spinning glass and showed specimens of the glass thread and cloth woven from it; he also showed the spinning machine which he had employed for the purpose. He pointed out that he was not satisfied with the substance he was using to spin filaments from and therefore asked the Association to assist him in " carrying out experiments which would lead to the discovery of a substance which would form a homogeneous mass possessing the quality of ductility and susceptible of being drawn out through fine holes, or otherwise, into filaments or fibres possessing suitable strength and other properties to adapt it for manufacturing purposes." * When we remember Mr. Schwabe was "an eminent silk manufacturer" with his own dye works it is reasonable to assume that he had in mind the production of filaments similar to silk. Unfortunately, although the Association assisted several persons to pursue their studies they did not help Mr. Schwabe. The only conclusion one can draw from the way they ignored his request is that he was before the times with his idea, or in other words, they did not understand what he was talking about. What a pity. Nor did the Press take any heed of his machine or his appeal. In the " Manchester Courier" report his address is dismissed in one line, but although he was treated with such indifference he thanked the Association on behalf of the Manufacturers of Lancashire for their visit.

One very important point in his statement is that in which he speaks of drawing his mixing through fine holes in order to produce filaments. Thus he anticipated the use of spinnerets, and for this alone he deserves particular mention in any story of the rayon industry. Judging by the experience of other inventors of his day he might have done much better if he had made his appeal on the Continent. As it was his life ended in tragedy. On the afternoon of January 11 1856, he obtained some sulphuric acid from one of his workmen and took it home, explaining that he wanted it for experimental purposes. Within an hour he died of sulphuric acid poisoning. He was dispirited over his apparent failure, but there was another cause which made him very depressed at the time — he had just received word of the death at Dessau, Germany, of his father, to whom he was very much attached. He thought he had failed. In reality he had succeeded. He was the first man to use spinnerets such as those by which all rayon is now produced.

* "Manchester Courier," June, 1842. * 1842 report, British Association.