Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

[Wayne K.]

Going through some old things and found some old ( must be from the 60's ) Du Pont Tire Black. The Composition is 7% carbon black, 23% gilsonite, and 70% aliphatic hydrocarbons. It is in a pint can and readyb to use ( very thin ). I know it was used as a finish for tires but would like to know based on its composition what else it could be used for. Thanks for any replies.

[mikemccagh]

Re: Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

years ago when you took your family-mobile to the local gas station(thats no longer there) old joe gas pumper would wash your car and paint its blackwalls with Dupont Tire Black. its also works super on rubber floor mats. haven't seen it for years. mike

[Joe L.]

Re: Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

Wayne-----

This product would work on any BLACK rubber surface for which you wanted to "improve" the COSMETIC APPEARANCE. It is not a preservative or much of a protectant, though, and the finish that it imparts is NOT like the natural finish of the rubber products which it may be used on. I would absolutely NOT recommend its use on any weatherstrips if that crosses your mind as a "black rubber" candidate.

There are modern products which will do a far better job of restoring cosmetic appearance and preserving the rubber.

By the way, "gilsonite" is an asphaltic material which is a natural bitumen. The "aliphatic hydrocarbons" are mainly a carrier and penetrant.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

Yep, I remember it, Mike. When the family sedan was pretty new, it would get the "works"...oil and filter change, front end chassis grease, and a wash job with the shiny black tires to cap it all off. This was when Sinclair was a major oil company, "Ike" was president, and the days of innocence were slipping away.

[Donald M.]

Re: Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

Wayne, the respondents are correct, tire black is the great grandaddy of the many tire dressings we see today although their chemical makeup is not anywhere close to tire black. Tire black was all the rage in the 40's and 50's "when the air was clean and sex was dirty" (right, Mike?).

[Dick W.]

Re: Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

The hydrocarbons also attacked the rubber on the tires. Over a period of time the tires would crack really bad, worse than normal..

[Larry S.]

Re: Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

By the way, "gilsonite" is an asphaltic material which is a natural bitumen. The "aliphatic hydrocarbons" are mainly a carrier and penetrant.

Thanks for clearing that up for us

[Mike M.]

Re: Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

WHICH IS WHY IT WASN'T A GOOD IDEA TO PAINT ONE'S CONDOMS WITH TIRE BLACK. MIKIE

[Tracy C.]

possibilites for a responce to this are endless...

but I think I'll pass and let DC have the honors..

tc

[John H.]

Re: Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

And Port-A-Walls were in fashion for the financially-challenged

[Mike M.]

Re: Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

Believe those old porta-walls were under a buck apiece.Boy, were they UUUUUUGLY.mike

[Chuck S.]

Re: Du Pont Tire Black, any chemists out there ?

Talk about financially-challenged!!! I didn't own a set of real white walls until I graduated from college! Western Auto was the place to get your porta-walls.

Porta-walls looked pretty good until you started the wheels turning...everything went downhill after that. If you forced the break point (sidewall to bead "flap") down under the rim, they would lay pretty flat; otherwise those suckers would ballon out about 1/2" from the tire and look like a starched collar.

Often they would just start slipping out of the tire bead and look perfectly awful, or possibly get flung off during street-racing highjinks. I can still see the vision of a high school bud's 49 Mercury with those porta-walls sticking out...now that's the pictural definition of UGLY.