Vol.11 "ZINC BUTTON"
●ZINC BUTTON(Zinc button)
Zinc buttons have played an important role in the history of the US military. It was used widely by various military forces, especially during World War I and World War II.
Several companies, including Waterbury Button Company, Scovil Manufacturing Company, and United Carr Fastener Corporation, were contracted to manufacture the buttons.
These companies produced a variety of metal parts, including uniform buttons, pocket buttons, and collar buttons.
The history of zinc
The history of zinc has been found in ruins in India and Iran around the 9th century BC.
The ancient Persians, Greeks and Romans used zinc for a variety of purposes, including as a component of brass alloys.
By the time the 13th century method was developed in India to distill zinc from ore.
This is a method of heating zinc ore in a crucible to collect and condense zinc vapor to obtain metal zinc.
The European discovery was said to have been that German scientist Andres Margraf was the first to isolate pure metal zinc in 1746.
During the Industrial Revolution, advances in technology and metallurgy increased the importance of zinc and its popularity.
Zinc has become widely used in galvanizing to prevent rusting of iron and copper.
Furthermore, zinc also plays an important role in the manufacture of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, and has become used for a variety of purposes, including money, machinery and ornaments.
●The development of the zinc button industry in the United States
The first US production of zinc buttons was the Waterbury Button Company, founded in 1812 in Waterbury, Connecticut.
There was a time when Gordon Burnham was also a partner since 1824, and was called Benedict & Coe, Benedict & Burnham Manufacturing Co. During this time, we have produced copper and copper alloys, door handles, furniture knobs, safety pins, rivets, bolt hinges, lamp burners, insulated wires, copper wires for telegraph wires, and more, increasing the production volume and type.
It was not until the 1850s that the company began producing zinc buttons on a large scale.
Waterbury Button Company quickly became one of the leading button manufacturers in the country and has continued to hold its position for many years.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, other companies also began to enter the zinc button market.
This is also based in Waterbury, Connecticut.Scovil Manufacturing CompanyIt is.
The Scovil Manufacturing Company was founded in 1802 and initially produced brass buttons.
However, as the 1870s began, the company moved to producing zinc buttons.
In the early 1900s, Scovil became one of the largest manufacturers of zinc buttons in the world.
During World War I, zinc buttons were used extensively in military uniforms, resulting in a significant increase in demand. This led to further expansion in the US, with many new companies entering the market.
Demand for buttons continued to grow even after World War I, and by the 1920s, the United States became the world's largest producer of zinc buttons.
However, during the Great Depression, the industry faced great challenges as the economic downturn reduced demand for buttons.
During World War II, zinc buttons were used in military uniforms, and demand once again surged. However, after the war, competition with overseas manufacturers, mainly in Japan, became intensified.
Furthermore, due to the widespread use of plastic buttons, zinc buttons in the United States have declined.
Today, the US zinc button industry is a fraction of its size than its former size.
However, there are still a few companies that make zinc buttons, such as Waterbury Button Company and Scovil.