Graphite and Diamond Dust: Pencil lead and jewels

Graphite Lump ~~~ Pencil ~~~ Cut Diamond ~~~ Graphite Structure Graphite and Diamond Dust: Pencil Lead and Jewels Several mattresses are described as having foams or fibers infused with graphite or diamond particles. Graphite and diamond are two kinds of carbon crystals. Both are pure carbon, but they differ in the crystalline structure. The structural difference makes diamond extremely hard and graphite relatively soft. Real diamond particles (a.k.a. diamond dust) are very abrasive and...

Steel Bed Frames

  [caption id="attachment_1275" align="alignnone" width="205"] Glideaway Bed Frame[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1276" align="alignnone" width="231"] Mantua Metal Bed Base[/caption]   Steel Bed Frames For two or three generations, most beds consist of a mattress, a foundation (box spring, box platform or slatted box) and a bed frame. The bed frame for these is usually side rails, cross bars, and (for larger sizes) a center beam, made of angle steel. These frames have...

“Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite”

"Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite" A very old wish for a good night's rest is "Sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite." This is testimony to the fact that bed bug bites can disturb sleep, robbing a person of needed rest. Bed bugs have been recorded in ancient history, being mentioned as early as 400 BC. The historical accounts of these insects indicates their spread from the Mediterranean region to northern Europe, then to North America. Our word "bug" is derived from bugge, the original...

Natural or Organic?

  Natural or Organic? Many producers and sellers label or describe their merchandise as "natural" or "organic" products. "Organic" and "natural" food, clothing, bedding and many other goods are fashionable. Significant numbers of shoppers now ask, "Is it natural? Is it organic?" Two concerns drive this trend: health and the environment. There is also, for some, a philosophical or religious undertone, a belief that there is an intrinsic value to being as natural or organic as possible....

Sleep: How Much Is Enough?

Sleep: How Much Is Enough? Suppose someone taking a survey asked you, "Do you get enough sleep?" How would you answer? The answer to this depends on knowing the answers to two other questions: "How much sleep do you get?" and "How much sleep do you need?" How much sleep do you get? For most of us that means how long do we sleep in bed at night? That is, minus interruptions. New parents know all about this, waking up to check on the wee one, responding to a cry or a whimper in the dark,...

Foam Springs

Foam Springs In February 2014, I posted an article about wood coils, a new kind of mattress innerspring invented and developed by a Hungarian company. Not long before the launch of wooden coils in the bedding market, another new kind of mattress spring was invented and introduced into the market by Willy Poppe, a Belgian. Poppe is CEO of a family-owned bedding manufacturer, Diamond Spring Company, in Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders, Belgium. Willy Poppe *** Logo of...

Nylon

[caption id="attachment_862" align="aligncenter" width="382"] Uses of Nylon[/caption] NYLON Nylon is a thermoplastic amide polymer.* Invented in 1935 by DuPont chemical engineer Wallace Carothers and first used for toothbrush bristles, nylon is the most used synthetic fiber. In 1940 it was introduced as a substitute for silk in stockings. Nylon is very similar to silk, and with Japanese occupation of China the supply of silk was restricted. Then in 1942, nylon replaced silk in parachutes....

Natural Plant Oils in Foam

[caption id="attachment_852" align="aligncenter" width="501"] Plants used as sources of oils for manufacturing foam[/caption] Natural Plant Oils in Foam Several manufacturers claim that some or all of the foams used in their mattresses are either partially or wholly made from plant oils. Terms used for these are soy foam, plant-based, botanical-oil, natural oils, etc. Plant oils used include those extracted from soy beans, castor beans, canola (rapeseed), palm kernel, coconut, peanuts, and...

Damask

[caption id="attachment_834" align="aligncenter" width="539"] Italian Silk Damask, 14th Century[/caption] Damask Damask is not a fiber, but a style of weaving, named for Damascus, Syria, where silk and linen were woven in this manner in the early Middle Ages. In damask weaving, patterns are created by longer warp threads on top (satin) for the foreground, and longer woof threads (sateen) for the background. This pattern is reversible, meaning the the negative image appears on the back side...

Cashmere

[caption id="attachment_823" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cashmere Goat, Spring Gate Farm[/caption] Cashmere Cashmere is also known as cashmere wool, though it is not really wool (like that shorn from sheep), but a type of goat hair. It is considered a luxury fabric, more expensive than wool. Whether woven or knit, it is a fine fabric which becomes softer with use. Commonly used in shawls, sweaters, scarves and hats, cashmere is also used by some manufacturers in the covers of select...

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