Linoleum

Summary

Linoleum is a flooring composite of oxidized linseed oil (linoxyn), pine resin, wood flour or cork dust, and mineral filler, calendered onto a jute or canvas backing. It is a long-lived resilient floor from renewable materials, distinct from vinyl, specified to ASTM F2034.

Cols

Image

Linoxyn: solidified (oxidized) linseed oil binder
Linoleum cement: binder mix of oxidized linseed oil and resin; ASTM F2034 sets a 30 percent minimum
Inlaid linoleum: pattern formed by pieces of colored linoleum set into the base
Battleship linoleum: heavy linoleum made to US Navy specifications

History and demand

Invention

1860: Frederick Walton filed English Patent No. 209 (27 January); further patent in 1863
1864: Linoleum Manufacturing Company founded at Staines; unprofitable its first five years
Inlaid linoleum 1882; straight-line inlaid 1898; embossed inlaid 1926

First uses in construction

Widely used in high-traffic areas and kitchens from 1860 until the 1950s

Sourcing

1877: Kirkcaldy, Scotland, the world's largest producer

Composition and production

Raw materials

2.5 mm Forbo Marmoleum by mass: wood flour 31 percent, linseed oil 20 percent, limestone 20 percent, tall oil 13 percent, jute backing 8 percent, pigment 4 percent, pine rosin 3 percent, acrylic lacquer 1 percent
Generic linoleum by mass: linseed oil 23.3 percent, wood flour 30.5 percent, limestone 17.7 percent, jute 10.9 percent, cork flour 5 percent, rosin and tall oil 7.8 percent

Manufacturing process

Linseed oil oxidizes (cross-links) with rosin into a binder, mixed with fillers into granules, then calendered onto jute
Curing takes long: some stages about 7 days, with total process longer

Product forms

Sheet and tile; 2.5 mm is a common sheet thickness

Properties

Durability

Service life of 20 years or more with maintenance

Standards

Material specifications

ASTM F2034: sheet linoleum floor covering; three types; at least 30 percent linoleum cement; F2034-18(2025) listed as active

Test methods

ASTM F2034 test list includes overall thickness, static load, chemical, heat, and light resistance, flexibility, static dissipation, and wear surface

Uses in buildings

Building elements

Resilient Flooring: sheet and tile floors in schools, healthcare, and commercial interiors

Pros and cons

Pros

Renewable constituents; biodegradable
Long service life with maintenance
Off-cuts can be reground into new batches

Cons

Long manufacturing and curing time
Requires maintenance to reach a 20-year life

Sustainability

Recycled content and end of life

Renewable and biodegradable constituents; flax for linseed oil largely from the Canadian prairies
Off-cuts reground into new batches

Manufacturing and cost

Main manufacturers and suppliers

Sources

Wikipedia: Linoleum, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linoleum
NIST BEES: Forbo Linoleum, https://ws680.nist.gov/Bees/(A(2J61dr4n3AEkAAAANTNkNWNmNDEtNTA5My00OWEyLWE5MDctMGVkNWYwOGU2MjE0piFeXEOKLZVyT6YGKNU2maazL7E1))/ProductListFiles/Forbo%20Linoleum.pdf
NIST BEES: Generic Linoleum Flooring, https://ws680.nist.gov/BEES/ProductListFiles/Generic Linoleum Flooring.pdf
ASTM: F2034 listing, https://www.technickenormy.cz/en/astm-f2034-18r25-standard-specification-for-sheet-linoleum-floor-covering/
Wikimedia Commons: Schody s linoleem.jpg, photo by Martin Strachoň (CC BY-SA 3.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schody_s_linoleem.jpg