What is Fullers made of?

agent5 · Post by **agent5** » Wed Sep 11, 2002 5:15 pm

If any of you who have used Fullers before could tell me what it's compounded of I would apprecite it. I was wondering if I were to put Fullers all over my PB or my Optimo for Halloween if that could damage it in any way possible? Would I need to take the hats in to get cleaned properly or is there a way I could clean them myself after a small coating? I read on the website that the natural Fullers is not supposed to damage garments but will prolonged use cause damage of any kind? Any info would be very helpfull.

IndianaJames · Post by **IndianaJames** » Wed Sep 11, 2002 7:53 pm

I have personally used it on a couple of my leather jackets, both of which are from different manuf. and different leathers. Hasnt done any harm yet and it comes off rather easily. Of course if you need to, just take a trip to the local gas station and use the air hose!!
Fullers Earth is a substance called "Pyrolite"
No, I dont know what it is....
Cheers!

golpeo_rapidamente · Post by **golpeo_rapidamente** » Tue Sep 17, 2002 5:45 am

Fullers earth is also found in Brit army NBC Kits so im curious as to what its for in the real world

Marcus Brody · Post by **Marcus Brody** » Sat Sep 21, 2002 6:36 pm

"Pyrolite is a gypsum based fireproofing which has excellent physical properties for interior/ Architectural uses."

http://www.carboline.com/Carbolineweb/Products.html

geordie jones · Post by **geordie jones** » Sun Sep 22, 2002 5:45 am

Yes it is in UK NBC kits(ive used it), it is used for decontaminating yourself and equipment when in a nuclear/chemical warfare scenario. I dont know if anybody else heard about this but this might put the cat among the pigeons it was reported after filming of the planet of the apes that the production crew/staff was to sue the producers of the film as they had found that they may be the potential for health problems to occur after they had been subjected to prolonged use of fullers earth. This was reported in a few of the national papers in the UK and some entertainment magazines. This got me thinking and a little concerned as I had been using it for sometime during my time with British Army.

jock123 · Post by **jock123** » Thu Oct 03, 2002 7:27 am

I was listening with half an ear to a TV programme on mediaeval history the other night, when the speaker said that fullers [the people who originally used fuller's earth] were mighty unpopular, as they would collect human urine by the bucket-load and keep it in vats for some technical purpose of theirs... Nice on a hot day, I am sure...

I don't know what the effects of fuller's earth is on the human frame, I just hope they washed their hands before making it...!

falconau · Post by **falconau** » Wed Oct 09, 2002 6:54 pm

Since the question has been asked…
Wool needs to be cleaned free of the lanolin grease with which sheep make themselves warm and waterproof. The substance used to wash the raw wool is found, some hundreds of feet thick, in Middle Jurassic strata between the Inferior and the Great Oolites, and is known as Fuller's Earth. It is a clay-like rock, rich in a hydrous aluminium silicate mineral, and which happens to have the ability to absorb oil.
When mixed with water the substance has the property of Fulling, or leaching the greasy lanolin from lambswool. Hence, it was called ‘Fuller's Earth’. The active ingredient of Fuller's Earth is an expansive clay mineral, montmorillonite, which is a phyllosilicate in that it is made up of parallel sheets of silica between which water and other minerals can be accommodated, so as to give it detergent-Iike qualities. The mineral is distinctively pink, and named for the French town (Montmorillon) in which it is found in abundance. It occurs in rocks as a decay product of volcanic rocks.

Indiana Joe · Post by **Indiana Joe** » Thu Oct 10, 2002 7:00 am

falconau wrote:Since the question has been asked…
Wool needs to be cleaned free of the lanolin grease with which sheep make themselves warm and waterproof. The substance used to wash the raw wool is found, some hundreds of feet thick, in Middle Jurassic strata between the Inferior and the Great Oolites, and is known as Fuller's Earth. It is a clay-like rock, rich in a hydrous aluminium silicate mineral, and which happens to have the ability to absorb oil.
When mixed with water the substance has the property of Fulling, or leaching the greasy lanolin from lambswool. Hence, it was called ‘Fuller's Earth’. The active ingredient of Fuller's Earth is an expansive clay mineral, montmorillonite, which is a phyllosilicate in that it is made up of parallel sheets of silica between which water and other minerals can be accommodated, so as to give it detergent-Iike qualities. The mineral is distinctively pink, and named for the French town (Montmorillon) in which it is found in abundance. It occurs in rocks as a decay product of volcanic rocks.

Falconau,

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I.J.