December i, 1904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER ^?VORLD 



71 



an advance. From present indications, rubber prices are likely 

 to become higher before they are permanently lower, and in 

 this connection we may mention that prices for the better 

 grades have already gone beyond the limits of a very compre- 

 hensive table recently brought out by a London house, giving 

 equivalent figures in English, American, French, and German 

 money, for comparing market reports on rubber. The table is 

 not applicable to rates higher than $1.33?^ and its equivalent 

 in the money of other countries. 



A CLOSE STUDY OF THE MANY PATENTS that have been is- 

 sued in America and abroad for processes for vulcanization re- 

 veals very little that is new for the last thirty years ; that is, 

 new in principle. There are to-day three lines of practice that 

 are generally followed. The first of these is where live steam 

 is made the vehicle for carrying the heat, commonly known as 

 the " wet heat " cure ; the second where dry air or steam heated 

 metal is the heat carrier, known as the " dry heat " cure ; and 

 the third where the goods are exposed to the action of chloride of 

 sulphur, known as the " cold " cure. These are all old in prin- 

 ciple, although revised and improved from time. It is there- 

 fore interesting to note that an entirely new type of cure 

 has been developed in the utilization of electric heat, or the 

 " electric " cure. A superficial examination of the claims that 

 cluster about the process would lead one to prophesy for it a 

 very wide application. Experimentally it is all that could be 

 desired, and if it proves itself commercially it will rank as one 

 of the few departures from the old line practice that rubber 

 manufacture has beheld. 



This is the date, according to a report in the Mexican 

 Herald, for the resignation to take efifect of the Hon. Edward 

 M. Conley, for the past y/^. years vice and deputy consul gen- 

 eral of the United States in the City of Mexico. Our readers 

 will remember that Mr. Conley recently distinguished himself 

 by an official report in wliich he declared the rubber plahting 

 business to be based upon fraud. But even if honestly in- 

 tended, he could see no future for rubber cultivation, in view 

 of the probable production of synthetic rubber. Considering 

 how dark all things appeared to Mr. Conley, there is an ele- 

 ment of appropriateness in his choice of a new occupation, 

 which is reported to be the manufacture of wood charcoal. 



" Rabbit weed " has been discovered again. We do 

 not make this assertion upon our own responsibility, but upon 

 that of Mr. B. F. Spencer, of Denver, who is quoted in the 

 Santa Fe New Mexican, of October 21, 1904,33 saying: " I dis- 

 covered this plant at Glorieta [New Mexico] September 7, 

 1902." We wish that he had recorded also the hour and min- 

 ute of the great discovery. But this, perhaps, is a detail of less 

 importance than the further announcement by Mr. Spencer : 

 " Later, we expect to erect a factory at or near Santa Fe." In 

 view of the definiteness of this statement, it will hardly be 

 worth while to look for the new factory earlier. Of course a 

 rubber factory is referred to, and Mr. Spencer adds : "The rub- 

 ber trust has offered us 85 cents a pound for our entire output." 

 Not the least interesting point in this connection is that, 

 through Mr. Spencer, our old friend the "rubber trust " has 

 been discovered again. 



MAKING BLACK SUBSTITUTE. 



AMONG the so-called "substitutes" used by the manufac- 

 turer of rubber goods are " Black sub," " Corn oil," etc. 

 As one of the titles suggests, it is made from corn oil. Its 



manufacture is such a simple matter as to lie easily within the 

 means of factories of ordinary capacity. It is assumed that 

 the factory has the ordinary conveniences, and is piped for 

 illuminating gas, for, in the manufacture of " black sub," great 

 heat is important, and is supplied by gas quickly and economi- 

 cally. 



A tank of boiler iron should be provided, cylindrical in 

 shape, capable of holding one or more barrels of corn oil, and 

 placed so it may be filled at its top. Such a tank, located in 

 the factory basement, could be filled from barrels on the main 

 floor with little trouble or waste, by placing the tank immedi- 

 ately beneath the floor which had been provided with a small 

 hatchway or trapdoor. Tank should be provided with faucet 

 for drawing off oil as required, or it may be piped directly to 

 the kettle for boiling. Gas jets should be arranged around the 

 base of this tank so its contents can be heated in advance of 

 use. This is simply economy in time. Within convenient dis- 

 tance of the tank should be another cluster or circle of gas jets 

 in a chamber shut in at the sides, open at the top, properly 

 constructed and of a strength to sustain a kettle having a capa- 

 city of 8 gallons. 



Still another cluster of gas jets should be provided over 

 which sulphur can be melted. Also a cooling box, 2X3X5 

 feet, constructed of wood. The apparatus now consists of a 

 boiler iron tank for holding the supply of corn oil, a heater for 

 boiling the oil, a heater for melting sulphur, and a cooling 

 box. 



Two strong men are required to handle the work properly. 

 Eight gallons of corn oil are drawn from the tank, and 20^';^ 

 pounds of sulphur weighed into a large dipper, and each placed 

 over its respective heater. The oil having been previously 

 heated, attains the boiling point quickly, and for 30 minutes 

 should be kept at a temperature of 470* F., and constantly 

 stirred. The sulphur, being now melted, is added to the boil- 

 ing corn oil. It must be added hot to prevent crystallization. 

 The workmen must be prepared for prompt and skilful action 

 at this point, for no sooner does the sulphur mix with the boil- 

 ing oil than the contents of the kettle rise rapidly, and before 

 it can boil over must be removed and emptied into the cooling 

 bDx where it may be stirred. When cold it is dumped upon and 

 tied up in large cloths, or placed in pans ready for use, as con- 

 venience or necessity suggest. 



In this manner black substitute is manufactured. 



The boiling will reduce the quantity somewhat, say 2 per 

 cent., and from a weight of 69X pounds material, a batch 

 should result weighing about 68 pounds. The cost of such a 

 quantity is as follows : 



Corn oil — 8 gallons (49 pounds) f r- 5* 



Sulphur — 20,'/ pounds 51 



Labor — two men Jj liour 15 



Gas — at $1 per 1000 feet 05 



Total , I2.23 



Or, say .0328 cents per pound. 



The cost of gas was taken during production of 2074 pounds, 

 1300 feet being consumed. It will be noted that something 

 over 41 per cent, of sulphur is requited to make this substitute, 

 while to oxidize cotton seed oil or rape seed oil requires but 

 26 per cent. A recipe which has been given for making substi- 

 tute from rape seed oil is as follows : 



Rape seed oil %, gallon. 



Benzine I gallon. 



Sulphuric acid ... 14 ounces. 



Magnesia: ^ ounce. 



J. \V. C. 

 Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 7, 1904. 



