692 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



JlNE 1. 1921 



insulated without the surface cracking. The "tendering" ctTcct 

 of fatty acids produced by oxidation of the varnish tilm can 

 be kept at a minimum only by careful control of the temperature 

 of storing. If this is too high, a hard film forms on the surface 

 of the varnish while the varnish imprisoned below gradually 

 oxidizes on storing, and as the fatty acids cannot escape they 

 cause great damage to the cotton fiber. Varnished silk, adhesive 

 tape and varnished paper are material specially referred to. It 

 has been known for some time that Vickers, Limited, has been 

 interested in the synthetic resins of the phenol formaldehyde con- 

 densation type and it is here stated that where, in addition to 

 electrical properties, a built up sheet or cylinder has to with- 

 stand a sudden stress or shock, as in transformer work, the use 

 of a synthetic gum is preferable to shellac. I note the term gum 

 is used instead of resin. In the case of shellac, there is no 

 chemical change after applying it to the paper, but with synthetic 

 resins the cyhnders wound with it are subsequently baked to com- 

 plete the condensation which insures a body of great hardness 

 and insolubility in alcohols and oils. With regard to the use of 

 synthetic resins, the demand exceeds the supply and the two or 

 three makers are certainly not working short time. 



It is said that a fusion of interest has been made between 

 holders of American and German Bakelite patents of which 

 there seems to be any number, but this combine does not cover 

 all those who are engaged in the exploitation of synthetic resins 

 which are bound to prove a very serious competitor to vulcanite. 

 It is clear that high scientific control of electrical insulation is 

 of the greatest importance because of the increasing tendency to 

 higher voltages and larger units and Vickers has done good 

 service in allowing its results to be published. It is noticeable, 

 however, that no details of the formulas of the varnishes are 

 given, a fact which will not cause widespread surprise. 



BRITISH NOTES 



W. H. Davis, formerly a director of the United Oversea Co., 

 Lim.ited, of London, in charge of the rubber department, has 

 now opened offices at Thames Chambers, Beer Lane, London, 

 E. C. 3, as a produce commission merchant, making a specialty 

 of crude rubber. 



Irwell & Eastern Rubber Co.. Limited, Ordsalle Lane, Salford, 

 Manchester, England, has changed its name to The Greengate & 

 Irwell Rubber Co., Limited, at the same address. 



CHEAT BRITAIN KEDUCES TIRE PRICES 



In Great Britain tire prices have been reduced approximately 

 10 per cent, and in one case a further reduction of il ($4.8665 

 at normal exchange) a tire is noted. A number of accessories 

 have also been reduced ten per cent. 



BRAZIL AT THE LONDON RUBBER EXHIBITION 



Brazil is to be represented at the forthcoming London Rubber 

 Exhibition by Hypolito de Vasconcellos and Hannibal Porto. 

 Both gentlemen are well-acquainted with the industry and pos- 

 sibilities of Brazil. Mr. Vasconcellos is also well-known in 

 London, where he was Brazilian Consul, while Mr. Porto is a 

 well-known writer on economic and agricultural problems of 

 his own country. 



NORWAY REGULATES PNEUMATIC TIRE SIZES 



The Norwegian authorities have found it necessary to regulate 

 traffic to suit the roads instead of building the roads to carry the 

 increased traffic. This is due to the enormous expense which 

 would be involved. New regulations provide that motor trucks 

 of 15-:(-'ons capacity, and less, are not permitted on the roads un- 

 less equipped with pneumatic tires. It is specified that tires from 

 1 to 2 inches greater than the standard size would have to be 

 placed on American trucks if they were to be used on the Nor- 

 wegian roads. Also that the weight of the truck and the load 

 together must not exceed 5 tons. This practically limits the 

 trucks to 2^-ton sizes or less. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN EUROPE 



B) a Si>erial (iorrespoiident 



FRANCE 



■ I 'HE Socicte Fran(;aisc de Caoutchouc "Montsouris," 33 rue 

 *■ \'ohaire. Puteaux, has raised its capital to 2,000,000 francs. 

 This firm maiuifactnrcs all kinds of articles of hard an<l soft 

 rubber. 



It is reported that the Manufacture Parisienne de Caoutchouc, 

 19 rue de la Pepiniere, Paris, is actively engaged in completing 

 the factory bought from Forges aux Etablissement Fredet. 

 M. Giraudin is in charge of the management of this factory, 

 where the rubber to be used at the other factories of the com- 

 pany will be treated. The factory will be ready to operate in 

 a few months' time. 



It may be recalled that the Manufacture Parisienne de 

 Caoutchouc last year acquired three other factories specializing 

 in rubber manufacture and belonging to the Colonial Rubber 

 Co. and to Maison Michel Jackson. These three factories are 

 situated at Prouvy-Thiant, near Valenciennes, at Halluin (in the- 

 north), and at Menin (Belgium), and since their acquisition 

 have undergone considerable changes in the way of reconstructioa 

 and expansion, which are at present almost completed. 

 GERMANY 



Recently published official statistics for September, 1920, show 

 that the total German foreign trade in rubber for that month 

 amounted to 3,700 quintals (one quintal equals 220.46 pounds). 

 Of this, 800 quintals were imported and 2,500 quintals were 

 exported. The total imports for the period January to Sep- 

 tember, 1920, came to 18,100 quintals, while exports were 20,000 

 quintals, in comparison with 34,500 and 152,300 quintals, re- 

 spectively, for 1913. 



The value of exports in September, 1920, was 26,3(X),00Q 

 marks and for the nine months ended September, 1920, 184,600,000. 

 Only soft rubber goods were imported in September, 1920, and 

 amounted to 800 quintals ; for the first nine months of 1920 these 

 articles were imported to an amount of 17.9(X) quintals, against 

 33,700 quintals in the same period of 1913. In September of 

 last year the exports of soft rubber goods were 2,700 quintals; 

 for the months January — September, 1920, the figures were 18,900 

 quintals as compared with 141,200 quintals during the correspond- 

 ing period of 1913. Imports of hard rubber goods were 2(X) and 

 800 quintals for the first nine months of 1920 and 1913, re- 

 spectively. Exports of these gocxis came to 200 quintals in 

 September. 1,100 quintals during January — September, 1920, and 

 11,100 quintals for the corresponding period in 1913. The value 

 of soft rubber goods amounted to 22,5(X),00O marks for September 

 and 158,000,000 for the months January— September, 1920, while 

 the value of the exports of hard rubber during the same periods 

 averaged 3,800,000 marks and 26,600,000 marks, respectively. 



Dr. F. Knhlemann, a director of the Vereinigten Gumniivvaren- 

 fabriken, Ilarburg-Wien, Germany, returned last month after 

 a brief business visit to the United States. 



GERMAN RUBBER COMPANIES' PROFITS 



--\n examination of the annual reports of the most important 

 German rubber manufacturing firms shows that in general satis- 

 factory profits were made during 1920. A,s in other countries, 

 business was better durin.g the first part of 1920 than toward the 

 latter part of the year. More than one concern complains of 

 difl'iculties due to the coal situation in Germany, while the 

 high cost of production was also a more or less disturbing factor. 



The Continental-Caoutchouc- und Gutta-Percha-Compagnie, 

 Hanover, reports that in spite of the greatest efforts to obtain 

 sufficient coal, work had to be partly stopped from time to time. 

 During 1920, the sum of 52,684,668.14 marks was spent on coal 

 alone. However, it is expected that the recent purchase of 

 the greater part of the shares in a coal-mining company will help • 

 to improve matters as far as coal is concerned. 



