Rubber Raincoat

Rubber Raincoat

Actually rubber raincoats originated in the UK.

The birth of raincoats in the modern sense originated from an accident in rubber production.

In ancient Rome, the working people wore a hooded cloak called Penula to protect them from the cold and rain, similar to today's simple hooded poncho. "Penula is made of thick undercoat fabric or animal leather, with an opening in the middle for easy extension of the head. It is usually sleeveless, but also has an opening from the left.". Until today, Europeans often wear similar coats when hiking or in mountain areas. In the 16th century, Scottish sailors applied lubricating oil and fish oil to the canvas to make the ship move faster. Seafarers often cut out old canvas to make coats and cloaks so that they can work on the deck without getting wet by the wind and waves.

The word rubber comes from the Indian language cauuchu, which means "a tree that sheds tears.". Legend has it that long ago, Indians would apply rubber to their cloaks to prevent rain. In 1747, French engineer Fran ç ois Fresno produced the world's earliest raincoat. He used latex obtained from rubber wood to dip cloth shoes and coats in this latex solution for waterproofing. One day in 1823, a rubber worker named Macintosh in Scotland accidentally dropped some rubber liquid onto his clothes while working. He hurriedly applied it with his hands, but the rubber liquid gradually spread to the side, covering an increasingly large area, and sticking very firmly, making it impossible to clean the roots. "At work, it rained heavily, and Macintosh had to run home in the rain because he didn't bring an umbrella.". The pouring rain turned him into a drowned rat, and when he arrived home to change his clothes, he suddenly found that the place stained with rubber juice had not been soaked through by the rain. So the next day, he coated all his clothes with rubber liquid, which was the first rubber raincoat in the world.

Later, Macintosh continued experimenting with making the ideal waterproof raincoat, and he found it difficult to apply rubber fluid evenly to the clothes. After some research, he chose to use two layers of cloth, like making a sandwich. First, he poured a layer of rubber liquid on one piece of cloth, and then covered the other piece of cloth. This way, the rubber could not be seen on the surface of the cloth, making it more durable and durable. "He made a raincoat out of this double layer cloth with rubber, and found that the effect was very good, so he applied for a patent.".

The growing reputation of rubber raincoats has attracted the attention of British metallurgist Parks. Parks found that clothes coated with rubber fluid, although impermeable, were hard and brittle, making them both unattractive and uncomfortable to wear. By 1884, he had invented the technology of using carbon disulfide as a solvent to dissolve rubber and produce waterproof products, and applied for a patent. Since then, rubber raincoats have quickly become popular worldwide. However, people have not forgotten the contribution of Mackintosh. The word "raincoat made of waterproof fabric" is called "Mackintosh" in English.

                                                                                         -----Gomiek Raincoat