Linoleum << luh NOH lee uhm >> is a smooth-surfaced floor covering made from linseed oil. It was the first smooth floor covering to be manufactured on a large scale. Linoleum blocks are often used for block printing (see Block printing).
To make linoleum, a manufacturer first mixes purified linseed oil and oxygen in a tank, creating a rubbery substance. Heat and certain gums are added to strengthen the mixture. The resulting linoleum cement is then stored for several days to give it even greater toughness. The manufacturer then mixes the cement with pigments and such filler materials as ground cork and wood flour. A machine calenders (presses) the substance until it is glossy and applies it to a backing sheet of burlap or felt. In a process called stoving, the backed linoleum is dried and hardened in an oven. The product is then coated with lacquer or wax.
Manufacturers produce linoleum in solid colors and in a variety of designs. They cut designs from two or more sheets of different solid colors and put the pieces together on a backing sheet to create inlaid patterns. In another method for producing patterns, manufacturers grind sheets of various colors and then put the resulting granules through a series of stencils onto the backing sheet. Manufacturers can also mix granules of two or more colors loosely on a backing to produce a pattern similar in appearance to marble or granite.
Linoleum was invented about 1860 by Frederick Walton of England. He found that linseed oil, when exposed to air, became a rubberlike material. The oil comes from the flax plant, and so he called the product linoleum, from the Latin words linum (flax) and oleum (oil). In the early 1900’s, Walton invented a straight-line inlay machine, which produced linoleum in various patterns. Manufacturers still make linoleum by Walton’s basic method, but the modern process is much faster. The use of linoleum started to decline during the 1950’s as floor coverings made of plastics replaced it in many homes and offices. In the late 1900’s and early 2000’s, linoleum gained in popularity again. People concerned about the environment have helped promote the product because it is made entirely of natural materials.
