biology

Linoleum

Linoleum is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Linoleum rather than just read about it. In short: Linoleum is a floor covering made from materials such as solidified linseed oil (linoxyn), pine resin, ground cork dust, sawdust, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most commonly on a hessian or canvas backing. Pigments are often added to the materials to create the desired color finish.

Key takeaways

Linoleum belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Linoleum to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Linoleum from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Linoleum is a floor covering made from materials such as solidified linseed oil (linoxyn), pine resin, ground cork dust, sawdust, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most commonly on a hessian or canvas backing. Pigments are often added to the materials to create the desired color finish. Due to the pigment being mixed directly into the linoleum cement, the finished color of the tile remains visible even after years of wear. In the past some of these pigments were iron oxide, red lead or lithopone. It gained popularity as a flooring option in the late 19th century and is still used today. Commercially, the material has been largely replaced by sheet vinyl flooring, a plastic alternative made of polyvinyl-chloride, though many still call it linoleum. This is mainly due to the fact that its plastic counterpart is less costly and much faster to produce. The finest linoleum floors, known as "inlaid", are extremely durable, and are made by joining and inlaying solid pieces of linoleum. Cheaper patterned linoleum comes in different grades or gauges, and is printed with thinner layers which are more prone to wear and tear. High-quality linoleum is flexible and thus can be used in buildings where a more rigid material (such as ceramic tile) would crack.

Chemistry

Linoleum in essence consists of two components, a polymerized organic compound and a collection of fillers, pigments, and catalysts. The polymerized precursors are rich in polyunsaturated fats, especially derivatives of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. Such fats are called drying oils because they "dry" (harden) upon exposure to the oxygen in air. The drying process results in cross-linking of the fat molecules. This cross-linking process is often slow, thus catalysts and heat are applied to give a durable material. During this cross-linking, fillers and pigments are mixed with the resin.

Sustainability Linoleum is a sustainable choice when looking for flooring options in comparison to many other plastic alternatives. It is created from multiple renewable resources that are non toxic and fully biodegradable. It is very durable, and will last at least 20 years if maintained correctly. This means that linoleum's ecological footprint is very small in comparison to many other material choices on the market. Linoleum is considered an environmentally friendly alternative to PVC as it is derived from renewable, natural, biodegradable material. Many companies that manufacture linoleum sheets have environmental certifications such as some of the leading brands Artoleum and Marmoleum. Furthermore, off-cuts created during the manufacturing process are fully recyclable and can be ground or cut up and mixed into new batches of the linoleum cement. One of the main flax sources for the linseed oil used in linoleum's manufacturing is Canada due to its annual crop abundance in the Canadian western prairies.

History

Linoleum was invented by Englishman Frederick Walton. In 1855, Walton happened to notice the rubbery, flexible skin of solidified linseed oil (linoxyn) that had formed on a can of oil-based paint and thought that it might form a substitute for India rubber. Raw linseed oil oxidizes very slowly, but Walton accelerated the process by heating it with lead acetate and zinc sulfate. This made the oil form a resinous mass into which lengths of cheap cotton cloth were dipped until a thick coating formed. The coating was then scraped off and boiled with benzene or similar solvents to form a varnish. Walton initially planned to sell his varnish to the makers of water-repellent fabrics such as oilcloth, and received Patent No. 209 on 27 January 1860 for the process. However, his method had problems: the cotton cloth soon fell apart, and it took months to produce enough of the linoxyn. Little interest was shown in Walton's varnish. In addition, his first factory burned down, and he suffered from persistent and painful rashes. Walton soon came up with an easier way to transfer the oil to the cotton sheets, by hanging them vertically and sprinkling the oil from above, and he tried mixing the linoxyn with sawdust and cork dust to make it less tacky. In 1863, he applied for a further patent, which read: "For these purposes canvas or other suitable strong fabrics are coated over on their upper surfaces with a composition of oxidized oil, cork dust, and gum or resin ... such surfaces being afterward printed, embossed, or otherwise ornamented. The back or under surfaces of such fabrics are coated with a coating of such oxidized oils, or oxidized oils and gum or resin, and by preference without an admixture of cork." At first, Walton called his invention "Kampticon", which was deliberately close to Kamptulicon, the name of an existing floor covering, but he soon changed it to Linoleum, which he derived from the Latin words linum (flax) and oleum (oil). In 1864, he established the Linoleum Manufacturing Company Ltd., with a factory at Staines, near London. The new product did not prove immediately popular, mainly due to intense competition from the makers of Kamptulicon and oilcloth. The company operated at a loss for its first five years, until Walton began an intensive advertising campaign and opened two shops in London for the exclusive sale of Linoleum. Walton's friend Jerimiah Clarke designed the linoleum patterns, typically with a Grecian urn motif around the borders.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Linoleum

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Linoleum claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Linoleum before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Linoleum ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Linoleum

In research: Linoleum appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Linoleum in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Linoleum is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Brands that became generic, Composite materials, Floors, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Linoleum outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Linoleum in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Linoleum means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Linoleum out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Linoleum in simple terms?

Why does Linoleum matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Linoleum?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Linoleum.