Ebonite is one of the earliest forms of plastic. A hard, rigid and shiny resin, it was intended as an artificial substitute for ebony wood. It is actually a very hard rubber first obtained by Charles Goodyear by vulcanizing rubber for prolonged periods. As a result, it is about 30% to 40% sulfur. It is often used in bowling balls, smoking pipe mouthpieces, fountain pen nib feeds, and high-quality saxophone and clarinet mouthpieces. Household items made out of plastic. ... Resin of a pine Insect trapped in resin. ... Binomial name Diospyros ebenum Koenig ex Retz. ... Rubber is an elastic hydrocarbon polymer which occurs as a milky colloidal suspension (known as latex) in the sap of several varieties of plants. ... Charles Goodyear, as illustrated in an 1891 Scientific American article Charles Goodyear (December 29, 1800 - July 1, 1860) was the first American to vulcanize rubber, a process which he discovered in 1839 and patented on June 15, 1844. ... Vulcanization, or curing, of rubber, is a chemical process in which individual polymer molecules are linked to other polymer molecules by atomic bridges. ... General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... Saxophones of different sizes play in different registers. ... Two soprano clarinets: a Bâ™­ clarinet (left) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... The mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument is that part of the instrument which is placed partly in the players mouth. ...