Background
Charles Macintosh was born in Glasgow on December 29, 1766. His father was George Macintosh and mother, Mary Moore.
Charles Macintosh was born in Glasgow on December 29, 1766. His father was George Macintosh and mother, Mary Moore.
Charles Macintosh was educated at Glasgow and at Catterick Bridge, Yorkshire.
Charles Macintosh became connected with the St. Rollox chemical works and is said to have been the actual inventor of bleaching powder. In 1825 Charles Macintosh obtained a patent on a process for converting malleable iron into steel and assisted James Beaumont Neilson in bringing the "hot blast" process into use.
His endeavor to find a suitable use for coal naphtha, obtained as a by-product in the distillation of tar, led to the invention of the waterproof fabrics with which his name is associated, and which consisted, essentially, of cementing two thicknesses of fabric together with india-rubber dissolved in naphtha.
Charles Macintosh was married to Mary Fishe. They had one son, George Macintosh (1791–1848).