Yahoo Answers is shutting down on 4 May 2021 (Eastern Time) and the Yahoo Answers website is now in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

What is ebonite? Is it actually a wooden material or any alloy of metals? How do we get it?

We come across ebonite being rubbed with fur acquires negative charge and ebonite is an insulator. Actually what is ebonite? Thanks in advance

5 Answers

Relevance
  • 7 years ago
    Favourite answer

    Ebonite was a brand name for very hard rubber first obtained by Charles Goodyear by vulcanizing rubber for prolonged periods. It is about 30% to 40% sulfur. Its name comes from its intended use as an artificial substitute for ebony wood. The material is known generically as hard rubber and has formerly been called "vulcanite", although that name now refers to the mineral vulcanite.

    It is often used in bowling balls, electric plugs, smoking pipe mouthpieces, fountain pen bodies and nib feeds, saxophone and clarinet mouthpieces as well as complete clarinets (barrels/upper & lower joints/bells). Hard rubber is often seen as the wheel material in casters. It is also commonly used in physics classrooms to demonstrate static electricity.

    Hard rubber was used in the cases of automobile batteries for years, thus establishing black as their traditional colour even long after stronger modern plastics were substituted. It is used in hair combs made by Ace, part of Newell Rubbermaid, which survive, essentially unchanged, from the days of the US Civil War.

    You can buy it on ebay. or Amizon.com, see second link.

  • 7 years ago

    I agree with billrussell42. It cannot be a metal as we hold the charged ebonite rod and do not lose its charge even by earthing our body. Secondly you asked whether it is wood. Its is not exactly wood but is a like wood is it obtained by processing plant product, latex to make rubber first and then it is given the form of ebonite as described by billrussell42.

  • ?
    Lv 4
    7 years ago

    its a bit tricky to say I know that there are crystals used in rituals called ebonite but the commercial ebonite is 'vulcanite,' used in the production of rubber and tyres which is related to vulcanisation.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    7 years ago
  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    LOL hmmm alloy- mixture of metals right? idk

Still have questions? Get answers by asking now.