What Is Ebonite?

Ebonite is the brand name for a type of hard rubber used for a variety of products from clarinet mouthpieces to bowling balls. Its name derives from its intended use as a substitute for ebony wood. Ebonite is also known as vulcanite because it is created through vulcanizing rubber. Scientists and engineers working in the United States and Great Britain first made the material in the late 1830s.

History

Charles Goodyear invented vulcanite in 1839 by heating rubber with sulfur for a long period of time--a process called vulcanization. He gained a patent for vulcanization in 1843. A British scientist, Thomas Hancock, patented a similar process at about the same time.

Features

Ebonite, or hard rubber, is usually black and has a shiny surface. The material is smooth, hard and inelastic.Manufacturers developed a reddish-colored hard rubber in the 1930s, but celluloid and acrylics eventually replaced it.

Function

In addition to bowling balls and mouthpieces for musical instruments, ebonite has been used to make combs, fountain pens, pipe stems, buttons and jewelry. It has also been used in electrical insulation and battery cases.

Considerations

Ebonite originally was made from natural rubber, but today, manufacturers use various types of synthetic rubber to make ebonite, either alone or in combination with natural rubber.

Trade Name

Ebonite also is a brand name of bowling balls manufactured by Ebonite International, a U.S. sporting goods company. Ebonite bowling balls have been produced for more than 100 years.

Warning

High heat, strong light or prolonged exposure to water can damage ebonite. The sulfur will begin to leak out of the material, causing the shiny surface to dull and the material to flake or crumble.