December i, 1909.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



/o 



Balata and Its Applications. 



GR0WIN5 USE OF BALATA BELTING. 



BALATA belting, first used in Europe in sugar beet factories, 

 has gained ground, until it is found in nearly every form 

 of industrial establishments. Its use has also extended 

 to the United States, where it is asserted that several millions of 

 feet are in use, either for driving machinery or in conveying plants. 

 The waterproof character of balata and its capacity for resisting 

 acids give belts treated with this material a great advantage 

 under conditions where leather or canvas would be impracticable. 

 Advantages are also claimed for balata belting over rubber for 

 various purposes. The impregnation of a cotton duck belt with 

 balata involves the solutionizing of the balata, and in this form 

 the gum is forced into the fabric, after which it is allowed to 

 dry. The belts are not vulcanized. Balata belting is in use to-day 

 in very many large factories throughout the United States, in a 

 wide variety of industries — shoemaking, hat making, bleacheries, 

 breweries, wood working, dye houses, slaughter houses, tanneries, 

 and so on. For conveying purposes balata has found a wide use, 

 in mines particularly. For the most part the balata belting used 

 is imported. The European balata industry was reviewed in 

 The India Rubber World, February 1, 1908 (page 150). 



THE MERITS OF BALATA BELTING. 



To the Editor of The India Rubber World : The occasional 

 appearance in your pages of references to balata belting for ma- 

 chinery suggests to us that perhaps your readers would be in- 

 terested in something further on the subject. 



Being probably the largest importers of this type of belting 

 into the United States, the firm now writing you naturally would 

 like to see the widest possible sale of the class of goods referred 

 to. Yet it must be admitted that all the makes of balata belting 

 have certain limitations. For instance, if balata belting be run 

 into a room where there is more or less steam present, it dis- 

 integrates the plies. Balata should not be used in temperature 

 over 100 degs. to give the satisfaction and secure the length 

 that this belting should give. 



Doubtless users of every make of balata belting imported into 

 the United States have had trouble at some time or other for 

 the following reason : Many American manufacturers seem to 

 think that a belt is a belt. They put it on any old machine, in 

 any old place, and if it doesn't last as long as some other 

 belt specially adapted for the machine, they say the belt is no 

 good. Every belt, the same as every other article in industrial 

 use, is best adapted for certain conditions, and when properly 

 chosen will give better service than any other belt. In many 

 places a balata belt, for example, cannot compete with leather 

 or rawhide ; in many other places a balata is far superior to 

 leather or rawhide. 



Such balata belting as is now made in Europe we find has a 

 great tensile strength, and such belting, owing to the balata 

 compound with which it is impregnated imparts a surface to 

 the pulley which makes it one of the finest pulling belts in the 

 world. We have made the claim many times that if a cus- 

 tomer would take into consideration the increased efficiency 

 caused by the balata belting giving an extra amount of pulling 

 power from the main shaft to the machine, this element alone 

 would be found almost to cover the cost of the belt. 



Owing to the balata compound working constantly through the 

 belting the latter clings to the pulley, so that it is the finest 

 running belt that can be found. We have had a balata belt 

 run at a very high rate of speed on 100 feet centers without 

 the slightest waver. One advantage of the balata belt lies in 

 the fact that while there is any belt left no dressing is required, 

 as the balata compound keeps the belt soft and pliable until it 



is worn out. Most other kinds of belting require a large amount 

 of dressing. 



For such places as dye works, acid works, ammonia works, 

 and the like, balata belting stands absolutely at the head of the 

 list, for the reason that extreme cold or dampness does not 

 affect it. an importer. 



Xevv York, November 12, 1909. 



BALATA RESOURCES OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



Not only does British Guiana hold first rank in the production 

 of balata gum today, but there are indications that the balata 

 interest in this colony is on the eve of an important development. 

 In answer to the question why British Guiana has not been 

 better developed in respect of balata and india-rubber, it is 

 pointed out that up to the end of 1907 concessionaires for col- 

 lecting balata in the forests were only granted licenses practically 

 from year to year, or at the utmost for three years. Naturally 

 capital hesitated to embark in enterprises dependent upon a 

 tenure of this description. 



The laws since have been altered so as to grant rubber and 

 balata licenses for 15 years, and as these licenses are renew- 

 able, with the approval of the government, which approval is 

 not likely to be refused, this constitutes practically a freehold 

 tenure. Already an increased output of balata has resulted. 

 Whereas, formerly the exports did not exceed 500,000 pounds in 

 a year average, they have been during the last three fiscal years 

 634,242 pounds, 973,269 pounds, and 1,090,405 pounds, respectively. 



In view of the improved conditions of land tenure, mentioned 

 already, and encouraged by the evident growing demand for 

 balata in the industries, the extraction of this material is now 

 being planned under a better system than formerly, through the 

 consolidation of the producing interests, permitting the work 

 to be carried on on a larger scale. A notable new enterprise 

 in this connection is The Consolidated Rubber and Balata Es- 

 tates, Limited, registered lately in London, with £250,000 

 [=$1,216,625] capital. The purpose has been to acquire the 

 balata concessions held by a number of going concerns, some 

 of them long established, including — 



Garnet's Balata Co., Limited, who produced 218,112 pounds 

 of balata in 1908; S. Davson & Co., Limited, 150,396 pounds; 

 McKinnon & Co., 141,050 pounds; Downer & Co., 114,256 pounds; 

 The New Essequibo Exploration Co., Limited, and The Balata 

 and Rubber Corporation, Limited, formed recently to acquire 

 the licenses held by six other companies. The latter corporation 

 gathered during the year about 67,000 pounds of balata and over 

 6,000 pounds of rubber. In the aggregate the balata production 

 of the combination to be effected by the new company was, for 

 1908. nearly 690,000 pounds, and their plans look to the pro- 

 duction next year of more than 1,000,000 pounds. 



Among the statements of interest in the prospectus of The 

 Consolidated Rubber and Balata Estates, Limited, is that the 

 balata tree grows in belts, instead of being scattered generally 

 through the forest. Some of the belts are very small in extent, 

 while others embrace tens of thousands of trees, which grow to 

 an enormous size. The tree is best tapped only once in five 

 years, but the yield is 40 or 50 pounds in one season. 



It may be added here that the terms of the licenses granted 

 include regulations in respect of the method of bleeding the 

 trees. No tree may be tapped which does not measure 36 inches 

 in girth at 4 feet from the ground. A fine of $48 is imposed 

 for any violation of the tapping regulations. 



Without doubt a great deal of native Hevea rubber exists 

 in British Guiana, and the new company expect to develop an 

 important rubber interest. There is a disposition to engage in 

 planting rubber, which is encouraged by the new land laws. 



