Titanine was an aviation coatings (
Aircraft dope
Aircraft dope is a plasticised lacquer that is applied to fabric-covered aircraft. It tightens and stiffens fabric stretched over airframes, which renders them airtight and weatherproof, increasing their durability and lifespan.Crane, Dale: ...
) originally manufactured by
Holzapfels, Ltd., of Newcastle, at their Felling-on-Tyne works, where they had been carrying on business as manufacturers of anti-corrosive paints and varnishes for marine purposes. Titanine continues to be manufactured in a range of paints and coatings used in the aviation industry, including a range of military colours.
History
In 1881, the German brothers Max and Albert Holzapfel, and Charles Petrie founded the ''Holzapfel Compositions Company Ltd.'', in
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...
, UK, producing marine coatings for the local shipping industry. The name ''International'' was then coined as their paint
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
. The company expanded for many years, moving first to larger premised
Gateshead
Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, ...
, and in 1904 to a large factory in
Felling-on-Tyne, where the 21st century headquarters are still located.
[Wood, Andrew]
"It began in 1881."
''AkzoNobel'', 2009. Retrieved: 15 May 2012.
Holzapfels, Ltd. transferred their interests in Titanine, a new dope to the British Aeroplane Varnish Co. Ltd., with Theodore W. Holzapfel, as managing director. The chief advantage claimed for Titanine was that it was neither
tetrachloride nor a spirit derivative of
chlorine
Chlorine is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between ...
, nor was
amyl acetate
Amyl acetate (pentyl acetate) is an organic compound and an ester with the chemical formula CH3COO H2sub>4CH3 and the molecular weight 130.19g/mol. It is colorless and has a scent similar to bananas and apples. The compound is the condensation pr ...
used in its composition. Approximately 1,000,000 gallons of titanine were manufactured during the First World War.
Titanine, Incorporated (Union City, New Jersey) {{short description, Defunct industrial company based in Hudson County, New Jersey, US
Titanine, Incorporated (Union City, New Jersey) was an industrial company which produced finishes for the aircraft industry. This included lacquers and aircraft ...
was a subsidiary company opened in the United States to serve the American aircraft industry. Other plants were opened in Italy and Germany in the years before the Second World War. The company went on to produce a range of paints and coatings used in the aviation industry including a range of military colours.
In 1947, the Titanine company was instrumental in the insolvency proceedings taken against the
Miles Aircraft
Miles was the name used for aircraft and associated businesses of British engineer Frederick George Miles, who, with his wife – aviator and draughtswoman Maxine Blossom Miles, Maxine "Blossom" Miles (née Forbes-Robertson) – and his brother ...
Co of Reading, England which led to that company being wound up.
In the 1950s, Titanine were one of the manufacturers for
anti-flash white used on nuclear bombers, the
Handley Page Victor
The Handley Page Victor was a British jet-powered strategic bomber developed and produced by Handley Page during the Cold War. It was the third and final ''V bomber'' to be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the other two being the Vickers ...
in particular. This increasing demand led to an increase in profits for Titanine, from £40,000 (nett) in 1952 to a post-war record £82,000 in 1953. Similar paints would go on to be used for the developing civil aircraft fleets of the 1960s.
Timeline
**1915: Company founded as British Aeroplane Varnish Company] Ltd.
**1918: Name changed to Titanine Ltd.
**1921: Acquired British Emaillite Co. Ltd.; name changed to Titanine-Emaillite Ltd.
**1936: Public company founded to acquire Titanine-Emaillite Ltd., then in voluntary liquidation.
***Dufay Titanine formed.
** 1962: Company acquired Modern Industrial Finishes Ltd.
***
DeSoto Inc., of
Des Plaines, Illinois
Des Plaines () is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 60,675. The city is a suburb of Chicago and is located just north of O'Hare International Airport. It is situat ...
, purchased a 50% interest in Dufay Titanine plc for £4m.
"Industry."
''Pigment & Resin Technology,'' Vol. 15, Issue 9, pp. 23–25.
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
* Amos, Peter. ''Miles Aircraft – The Early Years: The Story of F.G. Miles and his Aeroplanes, 1925–1939''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2009. .
* Brown, Don Lambert. ''Miles Aircraft Since 1925''. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. .
* Temple, Julian C. ''Wings Over Woodley – The Story of Miles Aircraft and the Adwest Group''. Bourne End, Bucks, UK: Aston Publications, 1987. .
{{refend
External links
Chemical companies of the United Kingdom
Companies based in Newcastle upon Tyne