Rubber raincoats, also known as Mackintoshes, are worn to protect clothing and the wearer from rain. Charles Mackintosh invented the waterproof fabric in 1823, but early models were heavy and uncomfortable until Thomas Hancock discovered the vulcanization process in 1843. Modern rubber raincoats are made from lightweight materials and have improved waterproofing.
Like other raincoats, a rubber raincoat is traditionally worn over other layers of clothing to protect them and the person underneath from the rain. As a coat, a raincoat can also be worn over other coats that provide more warmth, because raincoats are usually made of a fairly thin material for easy storage and transport. Like other coats, a rubber raincoat is generally longer than your average coat and hangs around the mid-thigh area to cover additional areas of the body during a rain storm. A rubber raincoat is made from fabric that has been coated with rubber, a process that makes the fabric waterproof and rain-repellent. Since its invention, the rubber raincoat has often been referred to as the Mackintosh, referring to Charles Mackintosh, a British chemist who first patented a waterproof fabric in 1823.
Charles Mackintosh’s purpose in creating rubberized fabric was to create a product that would help people deal with Britain’s rainy weather. He originally tested the idea by using coal tar naphtha to melt rubber into thin sheets, which he then laminated onto woolen cloth. Early rubberized wool models turned out to be heavy, stiff and uncomfortable. Also, rubber often melts in hot weather. The many problems of early Mackintoshes were countered by Thomas Hancock’s discovery of the vulcanization process in 1843.
Vulcanization is a process that makes rubber stronger by adding sulfur or other chemicals during the melting process to cure it. Hancock’s vulcanization patent solved the problem of rubber melting. However, the problems of comfort and rigidity and the lack of portability of early raincoats were not resolved until manufacturers began using lighter materials in the production of rubber raincoats in the late 19th century.
Throughout the 20th century, Mackintosh coats have been produced using cotton and other lightweight fabrics that make them more comfortable, lighter, and easier to carry. The rubberizing process has also been perfected to make the coating much thinner and more durable. Manufacturers also apply solution and/or tape to the seams of the rubber raincoat to further seal the shell against possible spots where rain could seep through the shell. All of these processes strengthen the coats while making them more flexible, allowing them to be folded up and held in all varieties of bags so they can be on hand anytime a storm might strike.
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