CELLOPHANE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 January 1939, Page 8

CELLOPHANE

DEVELOPMENT OF POPULAR WRAPPING. MANUFACTURING PROCESS. It was in 1909 that J. E. Brandenberger, a chemist, employed by the Blanehisserie et Teinturerie de Thoan (Vosges) in France, developed a process for the manipulation of viscose into the form of flexible transparent cellulose sheeting. This thin form of transparent cellulose material was ideally suited for wrapping packages, and is the basis of transparent cellulose wrapping material as we know it today. The French company selected as its trade mark to denote its brand of transparent cellulose sheets the word “cellophane,” which is derived from two words: “cellulose,” indicating the organic base, and the Greek word “phaneros,” meaning "clear, transparent.” First registered in France, the word “cellophane” has since been registered as a trade mark in many countries all over the world. Within many parts of the British Empire the source of supply of “cellophane” cellulose film is British Cellophane Ltd., and a very large modern factory has been erected by this company at Bridgwater, Somerset. The various stages in the manufacturing process involve two series of operations; the first is devoted to the preparation of the viscose solution; the second to casting the solution into “cellophane” film. The chief ingredient, wood pulp, is delivered in sheets to the factory, where it is placed in a press and steeped in a solution of caustic soda. The resultant compound, alkali cellulose, is reduced to a fluffy mass by shredders, and is then aged in covered containers at carefully regulated temperatures. This alkali cellulose is mixed in rotating barrels with carbon disulphide, which change to orange-coloured crumbs called “cellulose xanthate.” The xanthate is then mixed with a diluted solution of caustic soda to form an orange-coloured liquid called “viscose,” which is then conveyed to large storage tanks for ripening. The casting operations begin by forcing the viscose under pressure through a narrow slit into an acid bath, where it coagulates and forms a continuous film of material of the required thickness. A set of rollers carries the film through washing and bleaching processes into a bath containing softeners, which increase the pliability of the material. The film is then dried over heated rollers, and emerges as ‘cellophane” cellulose film in the form which is so familiar to everyone.

There are two main types of “cellophane” cellulose film, the plain transparent, and the moisture-proof transparent. The moisture-proof film is impervious to atmospheric moisture, and thus as a wrapping for goods which are liable to deterioration from, exposure to moisture, or else as a means of retaining original moisture in goods which might otherwise become dry and spoiled, is invaluable. “Cellophane” film is also manufactured in a range of colours and in various thicknesses, the thinnest film available being about 8-10,0Q0in thick. Manufacturerse all over the world have not been slow in realising the immense sales aid that “cellophane” film can give to their products, whether they be shirts, cocktails, confectionery, cigarettes, dried fruits, soap, or a thousand and one other products. In it, they had the answer to then’ sales problems. “Cellophane” film has become popular in fields other than wrapping. It is woven in thread form into' textiles for women’s wear, and has won acceptance through its elusive sparkle with foremost fashion creators both here and abroad. It is widely used in the electrical industry, interior decorators, in furnishing a room in the modern style, employ it with effect. Shop window dressers in London, New York, and most of the large cities of the world, have found its attractiveness to be a great asset in drawing attention.

In a word, there seems to be no limit to the uses of this versatile material, and there are few industries in which it is not capable of rendering valuable service.—“ Spalding’s Quarterly.”