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the begging
in 1797 he opened the first alum works in Scotland. -
Charles Tennant
Together with Charles Tennant, he invented an easily carried bleaching powder which made a considerable fortune for the two men. -
Scottish chemist Charles Macintosh patented a method for making waterproof garments
In 1823, Scottish chemist Charles Macintosh patented a method for making waterproof garments by using rubber dissolved in coal-tar naphtha for cementing two pieces of cloth together. -
In demand
While trying to find uses for waste products generated by gasworks, he used naptha, a by-product of the distillation of coal-tar, as a solvent for rubber. This was applied to two pieces of cloth which were then pressed together. Despite early problems with the strong smell of rubber, the patent he took out on the process in 1823 meant that by 1836 "Macintoshes" were much in demand -
creating of the garments
While he was trying to find uses for the waste products of gasworks, Macintosh discovered that coal-tar naphtha dissolved india rubber. He took wool cloth and painted one side with the dissolved rubber preparation and placed another layer of wool cloth on top.
