Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2004-12-01 17:15
The early synthetic clarinets were made of a mixture containing natural rubber, sulphur (for the vulcanization aspect), carbon black (for the color) and lead (for God alone knows what reason; back in the day, there was added lead in a lot of industrial products). Same general compounding as the old black bowling ball, same density and so forth.
Rubber is one of a number of "natural" polymers (use "plastics" as a working equivalent) that started the massive industry that we now have. The problems associated with machining the black woods used in clarinets along with the procurement issues involved made clarinet making of synthetics an early target for the manufacturers.
And, while a "rubber" or plastic clarinet has the cachet of being "for the kids", many pros from the old days played on them and loved them. Lazarus was one, by way of example.
Rubber (and all "plastics") have de-polymerization issues involved with same. With rubber, it's the gradual separation of the rubber from the sulphur used to stabilize it. (Remember, it's not a "chemical" mix, but rather a mechanical mixture of the materials included; think of a Damascus or samurai sword blade for a metal equivalent.) As the mixture separates, the rubber and sulphur (and other contents, one would assume) migrate in different directions, giving "old" vulcanized rubber the greenish yellow tint. I've got a favorite very old HS* mouthpiece to which this has happened.
Similar problems can affect some of the thermo plastics. Styrene gradually loses its "plasticizer" component, becoming more and more brittle as time goes on. Others, like polypropylene, don't have this problem as long as they are not too exposed to UV light.
The Bakelite plastics (phenol based, very nasty stuff to manufacture) are different. Old telephones from the 1920s and 1930s look a little dusty, but saw through one of their plastic parts and you'll find that there's little changed within. Phenol based plastics are thermo set; heat them up and they only get harder and start charring. (Most "plastics" are of the thermoplastic variety, getting softer as they are heated. Rubber and styrene fall into this last category.)
As for trade names, if a term sounds "commercial", there's a good chance that it is. Ebonite and Vulcanite are "trade names" for someone's clever implementation of the hard rubber principle. On the other hand, Resonite, Resotone, and anything with resin implied in the construct are takeoffs on commercially available plastic resins.
The number of "trade names" for polycarbonate plastics (think Lexan) almost defies comprehension, but you have to allow people to toot their own horn, I guess.
Now, what about German silver (which is neither German nor contains any silver)?
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
Post Edited (2004-12-01 17:17)
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The Clarinet BBoard
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