November 1, 1920 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



105 



be used on direct-current or alternating-current circuits. — The 

 Cutler-Hammer Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 



liquid tight layer of nitro-cellulose. — Gesellschaft, fur Verwerth- 

 ung Chemicher Produkte, 11 Ehrenbergstrasse, Berlin, Germany. 

 British patent No. 145,544, not yet accepted. 



CHEMICAL PATENTS 



THE UNITEID STATES 



Water-Proof Sheet and Process. A flexible, tough and sub- 

 stantially water-proof sheet of material made up of uniform 

 intimately united layers, one of which is composed of nitro-cellu- 

 lose and rubber, and the adjacent layer being composed of rub- 

 ber. — Charles Weber, Newark, New Jersey, United States patent 

 No. 1,350,533. 



Coated Fabric and Process. The process consists in coating 

 a fabric with rubber, applying a liquid coating constituting a 

 clear vulcanizing varnish, embossing the coated fabric and then 

 vulcanizing both coatings simultaneously. — John A. Wilson, Eliz- 

 abeth, assignor to The Duratex Co., Newark, both in New Jer- 

 sey. United States patent No. 1,352,163. 



THE DOMINION OF CANADA 



Ebonite Substitute Process consisting in dissolving vulcan- 

 ized new rubber in drying oils to which melted paraffine wax, 

 stearine, resin or similar products have been previously added, 

 heating and mechanically mixing the mixture, subsequently add- 

 ing finely divided absorbing filling material and vulcanizing to 

 a soft elastic material. — The Naamlooze Vennootschap Neder- 

 landsche Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Optimietfabrieken, as- 

 signee of Salmon van Raap, both of Amsterdam, Holland. Ca- 

 nadian patent No. 202,817. 



Tire Filler. A composition of matter consisting of any heavy 

 vegetable oil, 32 pounds ; oxide of magnesium, about one pound ; 

 ultra-marine, about two pounds ; oakum, about one and one-half 

 pounds; and chloride of sulphur, from six to ten pounds. — Irv- 

 ing Gray, Qiampion, Alberta, Canada. Canadian patent No. 

 202,966. 



Coumarone Resin. The process of making coumarone resin 

 which comprises polymerizing the polymerizable constituents of 

 solvent naphtha boiling from 160-180 degrees C, settling, re- 

 moving any sludge, distilling the unchanged solvent naphtha 

 from the products of polymerization in subjecting the latter to 

 distillation under a high vacuum whereby a hard resin is ob- 

 tained. — The Ellis-Foster Co., Montclair, New Jersey, assignee 

 of Louis Rabinovitz, Pomona, New York. Canadian patent No. 

 203,100. 



Packing Ring. A molded and vulcanized piston packing ring 

 comprising in its composition rubber, sulphur, short asbestos 

 fiber, and ground sponge, the rubber constituting a minor pro- 

 portion of the mass by weight. — The H. W. Johns-Manville Co., 

 New York City, assignee of George Christensen, Plainfield, New 

 Jersey. Canadian patent No. 203.356. 



THE UNITED KINGDOM 



Synthetic Resins. Polymerized coumarone, etc. The acid 

 solution obtained by the treatment of solvent naphtha with sul- 

 phuric acid is neutralized by agitation with dry powdered alkali 

 carbonate or alkaline earth carbonate. The agitation is frequent- 

 ly effected by injection of air. Alkali or alkaline earth peroxides 

 may be added with the carbonate. The solution is clarified by 

 standing, filtering, or centrifuging, and freed from volatile hydro- 

 carbons by distillation. — G. S. Walpole, 121 Victoria street, West- 

 minster, London. British patent No. 145,415, not yet accepted. 



Compound Sheet Materials. A method of uniting two or 

 more layers of dissimilar materials, particularly plastic materials 

 which are difficult to stick together, as rubber with other plastic 

 materials. For example, a gas proof and liquid tight fabric may 

 be prepared by coating a fabric foundation with acetyl-cellulose 

 as a gas proof layer, then applying the intermediate layer before 

 the acetyl-cellulose is completely dry ; and finally applying a 



GERMANY 



Manufacture of Dimethyl-hutauiene. Pinacone chlorhy- 

 drin is treated with compounds which will combine with hydro- 

 chloric acid but do not contain hydroxyl groups, namely, am- 

 monia or organic bases. A mixture of water and dimethyl-bu- 

 tadiene is obtained by distilling a mixture of pinacone chlorhy- 

 drin and dimethylaniline between 60 degrees and 80 degrees C. — 

 Farbenfabricken formerly F. Bayer & Co., German patent No. 

 319,505. 



Vulcanization. Method for the acceleration of the vulcan- 

 ization of caoutcliouc. — Dr. Johann Francois Barthold van Has- 

 selt, Rotterdam, Holland. German patent No. 325,306. 



Substances Similar to Rubber. Method of manufacture.— 

 Gustav Rath, 136 Feldstrasse and Dr. Erich Asser, 19 Ahorn- 

 strasse, both in Wandsbeck, Germany. German patent No. 

 327,913. 



Caoutchouc Products. Method for the prevention of the 

 oxidation of synthetic caoutchouc products.— Badische Anilin- 

 und-Soda-Fabrik, Ludwigshafen, Germany. German patent ap- 

 plication No. 85,671, February 26, 1918. 



Synthetic Rubber. Method for the production of product 

 similar to caoutchouc— Badische Anilin-und-Soda-Fabrik, Lud- 

 Farbenfabricken formerly F. Bayer & Co. German patent No. 

 319,505. 



A NEW SOLVENT 



In a recent communication to the American Chemical Society 

 at St. Louis, Professor V. Leuber stated that the selenium oxy- 

 chloride obtained as a waste product in the electrolytic re- 

 finery of copper has remarkable solvent properties. It dissolves 

 all the unsaturated hydrocarbon such as acetylene, benzene, 

 toluene, etc., while the paraffine hydrocarbons sucli as gaseous 

 kerosene and the mineral waxes were unaffected. Some vege- 

 table oils react violently with the selenium oxychloride. This 

 easily dissolves vulcanized rubber as well as the unvulcanized 

 material, and bakelite, waterproof casein glue, asphalt and bitumen 

 also dissolve in the oxychloride. The reagent also extracts the 

 bituminous material from soft coal, leaving a carbonaceous 

 residue. 



INTERESTING LETTERS FROM OUR READERS 

 GUTTA PERCHA IN THE PHILIPPINES 



To the Editor : 

 pvEAR SIR:— 



•-^ Are not the opportunities that await American rubber 

 growers in the Philippines almost as great in the cultivation of 

 gutta percha in that territory of the United States? Nearly all 

 the gutta percha produced in the islands (and last year it was 

 38,030 kilos, valued at $18,476) was shipped to Singapore and 

 thence to Europe and the United States. According to the Secre- 

 tary of the Department of Commerce and Communications, a 

 considerable export trade in gutta percha with the United States 

 can be built up readily by having American buyers in the Philip- 

 pines, by establishing a regular market in the United States for 

 gutta percha, and by arranging for direct shipments. 



Carlos Luz 



Manila, P. I., September 10. 1920. 



Gutta percha cultivation is of course possible and greatly to 

 be desired. It would, however, be difficult to get capital to 

 back it. The reason is that the tree is of exceedingly slow 

 growth and many years must elapse before a profitable crop 

 could be gathered. So far the only successful cultivation of 

 gutta is that begun years ago by the Dutch in Java, the funds 

 being supplied by the Government. — The Editor. 



