Ai'uiL 1, 1913 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



351 



Rubber Washing in Bahia. 



In September, of the year 1910, the Jequie Rubber Syndicate, 

 •^ Limited, erected a custom washing plant at 59 Avenida Luis 

 Tarquinho. Bahia. This was the first plant designed for general 

 rubber washing to be established in Brazil. The buildings were 

 erected and tlic machinery set by Mr. George A. MacNab, a 



First Rlbher \V.\shing Pl.\nt in Br.\zil— Jequie Rubber 



SVNnitWTE, l-I.MITEIl. B-\HI.\. 



competent rubber machinery expert, for some time in the employ 

 of David Bridge & Co., of Manchester, England. The washing 

 machinery consisted of 2 Dessau washers producing irregularly 

 shaped chunks weighing from 14 to J^S pound each — the product 

 being called "Rock" rubber — and 3 roller washing and creping 

 machines, built by David Bridge & Co. The capacity of the 

 plant was I'A tons per day. The charge per cleaning the rubber 

 was from 30O to 400 reis per kilo (from 414 to 6 cents per pound), 

 according to the dirtiness cf the rubber. 



.According to the law passed in April, 1912. a premium of 

 100:000|. (about $30,000) was to be paid for the first factory 



There is still another washing factory in Bahia, a small one 

 owned by S. Hess & Co., which is now in operation. Still a 

 third one is now being erected by the Villa Nova Estates and 

 Trading Co., of London and Bahia. and associated with the 

 Companhia Nacional de .-\rtefactos da Borracha. Local directors 

 are Sr. Jose Gama da Costa Santos and Theodore Oedekoven, 

 Esq. The plant consists of a 70 h. p. engine and a Cochran 

 Vertical Tubular boiler; one Werner & Pfleiderer Universal 

 Roller Washer for producing "Rock" rubber; four David Bridge 

 &• Co.'s Roller Washers for sheet and crepe rubber; pumps, tanks 

 and water heating apparatus; and also a separate cement-lined 

 well set in the floor to collect the impurities, in order to obtain 

 accurate data as to the quantity and character from each washing. 



The plant is to have the capacity of 2.000 kilos (4,400 pounds) 

 per day. and like the Jequie Rubber Syndicate's plant, is being 

 erected by Mr. Geo. A. MacNab. 



There are also several washing plants connected with the 

 lurKcr plantations; for instance, that of the Lafayette Rubber 

 Estates. Limited, located at Machado Portella. Illustrations of 

 the exterior and interior of this plant are here shown. 



\\.\SII1.NU Pl.\XT of THE L.\K.\VETTE RuBBER EsTATES, LIMITED, 



M.^CHADO Portella, Bahia. 



established in Bahia for the washing of Manicoba and Manga- 

 beira rubber. The Jequie Rubber Syndicate, Ltd., applied for 

 this premium, but it was claimed that they had not complied 

 with certain provisions of the act, and they were never able to 

 collect it. 



Interior View of the Washing Plant — Lafayette Rubber 

 Estates, Limited, Machado Portella, Bahia. 



It is interesting to note that the washing of the rubber in 

 such tropical places as Bahia has developed difficulties that do not 

 appear in the temperate zone, and many batches have been in- 

 jured rather than helped by the washing. Some of the "Rock," 

 fur example, softens and breaks down before it reaches Europe 

 or America. The Manihot is the easiest to wash, and the Manga- 

 beira the most difficult. The latter, if badly coagulated, seems 

 to decompose more easily after washing than before. Some 

 of the Manitoba also is so dirty that it costs 600 reis per kilo, 

 or about 9 cents per pound, to wash. Air drying is accomplished 

 in all the plants in Bahia by hanging the rubber on poles, in 

 dark, well-ventilated lofts. Ten to twelve days are required to 

 complete the drying process ; when the rubber is ready to be 

 boxed and shipped. 



BUBBEB IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



The report of the manager, W. .\. .Anderson, at the annual 

 meeting of the Nahiku Rubber Co. and the Hawaiian-American 

 Rubber Co., gives assurance that the rubber industry will be- 

 come established on a profitable footing in Hawaii. A total 

 yield of 10.000 pounds is expected this year. 



