Catalin
of Farm Hill Road, Waltham Abbey, Essex. Telephone: Waltham Cross 3344. Cables: "Catalin, Waltham Abbey"
1928 [1] The Catalin Corporation was formed in New Jersey, USA, to exploit the process of Cast Phenolic Resins and made rapid headway, largely because the cast products were in an attractive variety of colours: whites, ivories, pastel shades, vivid reds, yellows and blues, etc., in strong contrast to the dull browns and blacks of the moulded phenolics.
1937 To exploit the market in Europe and the Commonwealth, Catalin Ltd was set up in England, not as a subsidiary of the American concern but autonomous - although using the latter's technology. Dr Riesenfeld, who had acted as consultant in America and was one of the inventors of the process, became technical director. (There were at this time two other companies producing cast phenolics: Marblette in the USA and Raschig in Germany, with processes differing in some respects from that of Catalin.) The British company was installed in the large building in Waltham Abbey, Essex, that had housed the Nobel company in the First World War which made munitions. The building provided ample space to accommodate a battery of six nickel reaction vessels (called 'kettles' in the American style) and six large circulating hot-air ovens for curing (i.e. hardening) the cast resins in their moulds, together with ancillary pumps, boiler, workshops, laboratories and offices.
1947 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of "Catalin" Cast synthetic Resin Rods, Sheets, Cyliners and Profile Sections. "Catacol" Synthetic Adhesives, "Catalast" Casting Resins, "Cataform" Tooling Resin, "Catament" Brush Setting Cement, "Catamuls" Bonding Resins, "Catalac" Bases and Lacquers. (Earls Court, 1st Floor, Stand No. 796) [2]
1981 Manufacturer of industrial resins and resin-treated paper; acquired by Ruberoid Co[3]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ [1] The Plastiquarian
- ↑ 1947 British Industries Fair p56
- ↑ The Times, Jul 21, 1981
[[Category: Building Materials