Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2015-10-01 20:00
(Disclaimer - I sell Chedeville and Kaspar brand mouthpieces)
Oil, either organic or petroleum based for the most part will not harm hard rubber mouthpieces used rarely. On older mouthpieces with excess sulfur which was used as a catalyst in the vulcanization process it is best to wax the outer surface to reduce contact with air which over time, accelerated by heat and sunlight, may turn these mouthpieces lovely shades of tan or olive colors by reaction with sulfur.
Hard rubber mouthpieces are made from latex with heat, pressure, and a catalyst to form crosslinking between the monomer chains of latex. Other chemical stabilizers, UV inhibitors, colorants, hardening agents are also added in modern hard rubber. The old mouthpieces (1930's-40s) were machined from hard rubber rod stock made just from latex and sulfur, but modern mouthpieces, having a different composition of latex and catalysts, are molded first and then vulcanized under heat and pressure. There are also plastic (acrylic) mouthpieces which are molded.
L. Omar Henderson
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The Clarinet BBoard
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