December i, 1908.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



95 



The Grading of Scrap Rubber. 



By Alfred W. Leslie. 



IN a paper on "The Universal Standard Grading of Scrap Rub- 

 ber" read by Mr. Alfred William Leslie, of London, before 

 the recent International Rubber Exhibition he says : "Without 

 the pecuniary advantages derived by the use of scrap rubber, 

 the prices of a great number of manufactured articles when 

 made from pure Para or other high-class rubber alone would be 

 entirely prohibitive in the majority of cases." 



After speaking of the comparatively recent period when what 

 is at present known as scrap rubber was discarded as value- 

 less, the author says : "Now all this is changed, and every par- 

 ticle of disused rubber is carefully saved, and in due course 

 finds its way from the small dealer to the wholesale merchant, 

 and thence to the mills. But the wholesale merchant cannot 

 deliver his scrap rubber to the mills as he receives it from the 

 collectors in unsorted bulk — that is to say, in parcels which 

 contain various grades." 



After dealing with past conditions of the trade, when, partly 

 from the carelessness of the dealer and perhaps from want of 

 knowledge, the delivery of parcels of mixed grades has proved 

 less profitable than a more systematic manner of doing busi- 

 ness might have been, the author proposes a plan of classifica- 

 tion of scrap rubber as an attempt at standardization which may 

 prove beneficial to manufacturers of reclaimed rubber, as well 

 as to dealers in scrap. This classification is repeated in full in 

 these pages, and may be regarded as fairly typical of practice 

 in the English scrap rubber trade. 



As to the volume of this trade, Mr. Leslie has compiled fig- 

 ures to indicate the consumption within the last three years in 

 Europe of about 96,000 long tons of reclaimed rubber, and in 

 the United States and Canada of about 174,000 tons, or a total 

 of, say, 604,800,000 pounds. This consumption, at a mean aver- 

 age price of only 5 pence per pound, works out at the enormous 

 total of ii2,6oo,oco. 



One other point from Mr. Leslie's paper will have attention 

 here. He says: "During the last few years the prices of scrap 

 rubber, I will admit, have been, to some extent, exceedingly 

 high, and for this the dealer has always had to bear the blame. 

 While there may be cases, here and there, in which such blame 

 can be justified, I cannot admit that the high prices have been 

 caused solely by the dealer. Take an example : Mr. A., the 

 manufacturer, wants to purchase, say, 100 tons of automobile 

 tires. Instead of accepting the quotation given him by one 

 reliable dealer, he wanders round to B., C. and D., who are all 

 dealers trading in competition with each other, and divides his 

 100-ton order up between them. 



"What is the result? B., C. and D., being open competitors 

 in the market, immediately proceed to fulfil their contract with 

 A., as all such contracts are necessarily subject to the proviso 

 that they be executed within a given time ; each unwittingly 

 bids against the others in the open market for that particular 

 grade of scrap rubber, so as to complete Mr. A.'s order within 

 the period named, but none of them possibly, and certainly not 

 all of them, make a reasonable profit in carrying out the order; 

 in many instances they are all out of pocket. 



"But the trouble does not end here; by and bye Mr. A., the 

 manufacturer, wants to buy another 100 tons of the same ma- 

 terial at the same price, and is surprised when he calls on B., 

 C. and D. to find that each of them requires a higher price per 

 ton for their goods. 



"The reason is not far to seek. Neither B., C. nor D. having 

 made a reasonable profit on their last deal with Mr. A., nat- 

 urally seek to guard against a repetition of such a catastrophe 

 as occurred on the last occasion. Though he may not realize 



it, Mr. A. is himself to blame for the enhanced price. He has 

 himself indirectly infiated his own market, and this could have 

 been obviated had he in the first place entrusted his entire order 

 to either B., C. or D., who would then have been enabled to 

 execute it without the competition of the other dealers. 



"This example shows what I mean when I say that the manu- 

 facturer should place greater confidence in the dealer, and also 

 when I say that increased prices are not caused solely and en- 

 tirely by the dealers." 



GRADING OF SCRAP RUBBER. 



L Bicycles and Auto.mobile Grey Inner Tubes. 3 Grades. 



Ai. Prime Floating Bicycle or Automobile Inner Tubes 

 should be delivered free of canvas seatings and canvas 

 patches, also free from perished or crusty tubes. The goods 

 should be very elastic, and when cut or torn should present 

 a black, glossy surface. 



A2. Second quality Floating Bicycle or Automobile Inner 

 Tubes. These to be delivered free of canvas seatings and 

 canvas patches, also free from perished or crusty tubes. 



While this packing will float on water it is distinctly under- 

 stood that when cut or torn it will not present a black glossy 

 surface as above mentioned, but will be more or less of a dull 

 grey gloss, and will not have the elasticity and tensile 

 strength as Al. 



A3. These are nonfloating and should be delivered free 

 of canvas seatings and canvas patches, also free from per- 

 ished or crusty tubes. 



II. Red .Automobile Inner Tubes, i Grade. 



These to be delivered free of valve seatings, canvas patches, 

 if any, and free of crusty tubes. 



HI. Surgical Red. i Grade. 

 This packing consists of a great variety of rubber articles, 

 such, for example, as Air Cushions, Bladders, Enemas, To- 

 bacco Pouches, Rings, Valves, Washers, Surgical Tubes, Bands, 

 etc. The goods, when cut or torn, should present a bright, 

 glossy surface, and be free of crusty or perished material. (All 

 soft goods.) 



IV. Co.m.mon or Ordinary' Red. 2 Grades. 



1. Ordinary collection of Common Red. Although in 

 some instances red Perambulator and Cushion Tires have 

 been rejected, in such a parcel as this by some manufacturers 

 in the past, in view of the multitude of other articles of a 

 high quality included in this packing, the same should be 

 accepted as a good delivery, when tendered, unless it be 

 particularly specified to the contrary by the buyer. This 

 packing would contain, for example. Rubber Pedals, Rubber 

 Heels, Soles, Handle Grips, Perambulator and Cushion 

 Tires, Valves, Buffers, Enemas, Tobacco Pouches, common 

 Bottle Rings, Bladders, etc. 



These goods, when cut or torn, being of a lower grade, 

 would present a dull surface. The parcel to be free of 

 crusty or perished material, and also of canvas. 



2. This to be entirely of American sheet or packing, and 

 not to be included in No. i packing, unless the percentage be 

 disclosed to the buyer before delivery. 



V. Rubber Threads, i Grade. 



This scrap is usually made from the finest quality of rub- 

 ber. No other grade should be included in this packing. 



VI. Billiard Scrap. 3 Grades. 



I. Pure or Native Rubber. This should be delivered, free 

 of wood and cloth. 



