12 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[October 1, 1912. 



under the direction of Dr. Hofmann. In September, 1909, Dr. 

 Hofmann submitted the new material to Dr. Gerlach, director of 

 the Continental Caoutchouc and Gutta Percha Company, of Han- 

 over, who was the first to confirm the fact that the product was 

 really rubber, 



COMPETITION" WITH PL.WTATION RUHI'.F.R. 

 While further experiments were in progress, with a view to 

 perfecting the successful method, the advance in rubber prices 

 of the spring of 1910 took place. As Dr. Hofmann remarked, 

 had the high prices of that time been maintained, the manufacture 

 of synthetic rubber on an extensive and highly profitable com- 

 mercial scale would have been ensured. He added that when the 

 prospective increased supply from Malaya becomes an accom- 

 plished fact, prices will doubtless fall to one-half their present 

 level. Thus, it is remarked, the producer of synthetic rubber 

 must so lay his plans, that his product may compete in price and 

 quality with natural rubber. While diligent efforts are being 

 made with that end in view, progress is only at a snail's pace. 

 Good things cannot be forced. The best reaction must be found ; 

 the determination of which is necessary before rational work is 

 possible. 



With reference to Malayan production Dr. Hofmann remarked: 

 "The bulk of the Eastern rubber plantations have not yet 

 reached the productive stage. But in a few years this situation 

 will have entirely changed. What is to be expected from Asiatic 

 plantations, in what quantity and quality, is illustrated by samples 

 of the rubber from that quarter, and still more, by the balance 

 sheets of the few older companies, which already show the full 

 utilization of their plantations." 



SYNTHETIC RUBBER IN THE WORLD'S M.\RKETS. 



Dr. Hofmann remarked, in conclusion : 



"Give us the 36 years the plantations have been at work, and I 

 think synthetic rubber will occupy an equal position with natural 

 rubber in the world's markets. . . . The further development of 

 serious work as to synthetic rubber should be as quiet as possible, 

 without beating of drums, or alarming newspaper articles. The 

 samples exhibited here show that we have progressed to a cer- 

 tain point, but we have really no cause for claiming anything 

 remarkable." 



FUSEL OIL AS BASIS OF SYNTHETIC RUBBER. 



GERM.\X CRITICISM OF PROFESSOR PERKIN'S SYNTHETIC 

 PROCESS. 

 A S was naturally to be expected, in view of the strenuous 

 ** rivalry that has existed during the last three years between 

 the English group of scientists and the German group of chemists, 

 in their pursuit of a practicable and economical process of making 

 synthetic rubber, the German chemists have not been slow to 

 discover flaws in the English synthetic process, recently set forth 

 by Professor Perkin, of Manchester, in his famous address of 

 June 17. 



Entirely apart from the lack of success which has so far 

 attended the financial flotation of the English synthetic rubber 

 enterprise, a number of German writers have found much to 

 discuss in regard to the scientific aspects of this new English 

 solution of the old synthetic problem. 



The "Giimmi-Zeitung" urges the necessity of devoting attention 

 to the scientific and technical aspects of the question. Reference 

 is made to a statement that in order to produce 10,000 tons of 

 synthetic rubber by the fusel oil process, it would be necessary 

 to plant 1,000,000 acres in potatoes to supply the necessary quan- 

 tity of starch. 



In discussing the subject a leading German authority on fer- 

 mentation remarks that: 



Professor Fernbach, of the Pasteur Institute, Paris, would 

 seem to have discovered a micro-organism which yields large 

 quantities of normal butyl-alcohol from starch or its derivates. 



such as grape-sugar. Such bacteria had already been discovered 

 at an earlier date, for instance, by Pcreire and Guignard in the 

 Paris water supply. But, perhaps, it is suggested, the Fernbach 

 microbe is in a position to produce a larger yield. 



Thi.-; I! — butyl-alcohol is evidently the "fusel oil" of the pros- 

 pectus, which is qualified as an unsuitable and unscientific designa- 

 tion. Real fusel oil contains isobutyl-alcohol in the propor- 

 tion of 10-24 per cent., and not normal butyl-alcohol. 



It is regarded as completely excluded from consideration that 

 any amyl-alcohol can be produced from starch by bacteria, a 

 supposition to that effect having been disproved by Ehrlich. 

 Of course it would be of technical importance for the synthesis 

 of rubber if a higher yield actually resulted from the Fernbach 

 process. This point, it is remarked, is not clear from the pros- 

 pectus, and is considered doubtful. 



Fernbach claims that under certain circumstances over 42 per 

 cent, of the starch used in the compound is changed into a high- 

 grade alcohol. Of this proportion about two-thirds is butyl- 

 alcohol. 



On the above basis it is calculated that out of 100 per cent, 

 starch there would be approximately only 30 per cent, of butyl- 

 alcohol. This, it is added, would be a very small result; the 

 question arising: What is to become of the rest of the starch? 

 On this depends the technical utilization of the process. 



WH.\T IS HIGH-GR.\DE ALCOHOL? 



This question arises in connection with the preceding estimate. 

 In the opinion of the fermentation expert, whose views have been 

 quoted, these terms seem to conceal the facts. To use his words : 



"The chemical and general public are apparently to be made 

 to think that the valuable higher homologues of alcohol are 

 meant, and in the first place, amyl-alcohols ! Such is, however, 

 not the case. Were it so, the authors of the prospectus would 

 certainly have underlined the word 'amyl-alcohol' a hundred 

 times," 



.•\s amyl-alcohol is much more valuable than butyl-alcohol for 

 the production of isoprene, surprise is expressed at the absence 

 of mention of the former in the prospectus, Froin this fact the 

 evident conclusion is that the so-called "high-grade alcohol'' is 

 nothing more than ordinary concentrated alcohol, probably the 

 chief product of the starch germs or bacteria, while the butyl- 

 alcohol is probably a kind of sub-product obtained in much 

 smaller quantity. Butyl-alcohol further produces butyric acid. 



Whether the quantity of ethyl-alcohol obtained in addition 

 to the butyl-alcohol will make the process very lucrative is 

 doubted, 



PRODUCTION OF ACETONE, 



On this subject it is remarked: 



"This substance has hitherto not been found to result from any 

 process of fermentation. Fernbach's work in this direction must 

 be questioned, until exact scientific proof has been adduced. 

 Acetic acid, it will be remembered, is a sub-product of the 

 decomposition of starch. The authors of the prospectus may 

 have thought to utilize this acid in the form of acetone, through 

 transformation into lime salt and distillation." 



In conclusion, doubts are expressed as to how any one could 

 figure out a profit from the whole process. 



Commenting upon the above statement. Dr. Frank, of Berlin, 

 adds : 



"These expert opinions coincide in all points with those of 

 Dr, Marckwald and myself on the matter. The fundamental 

 point is. and remains, that there are no real technical results 

 nor products. Moreover, as far as can be seen, it is not amyl- 

 alcohol (thus a basis for isoprene), but butyl-alcohol (the basis 

 of butadiene), that is formed. The rubber from the latter has 

 so far not proved satisfactory in anything, 



"The only patents which present actual prospects are probably 

 those based on the utilization of petroleum products, and of the 

 gases resulting from coal-tar distillation," 



