July 1, 1912.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



493 



MACHINERY IN GERMAN RUBBER FACTORIES. 



from a stntistical return quoted in the "Gummi Zeitung" there 

 •was a marked increase of the average motive power of individual 

 German rubber factories in 1907, compared with 1895, as shown 

 iy the following figures: 



Average Horse- 

 Number of Total power per 

 Factories. Horsepower. Factory. 



1895 153 8,453 55 



1907 252 23,347 93 



In the United States, according to the statistics quoted in the 

 Way issue of The Ixdi,\ Rubber World (page 374), the follow- 

 ing has been the rate of development: 



Average Horse- 

 Kumber of Total power per 



Factories. Horsepower. Factory. 



1899 308 71,464 232 



1904 285 87,956 309 



1909 295 125,512 425 



A comparison of the above figures shows the respective degree 

 of the concentration and development of the rubber industries of 

 the two countries. 



drying more quickly at a higher temperature. These and other 

 properties of this oil, have retarded its adoption for technical 

 purposes, but further trials are recommended. 



USES OF RtJBBER IN FACTORY LABORATORIES. 



In a recent issue of the "Chemiker Zeitung," Herr F. Gross- 

 man deals with the most important rubber articles for factory 

 laboratories. In the lirst place are tubes for water, acids, 

 lyes, steam, alcohol, oils, gas, etc. Rubber being more or less 

 pervious to gas. tubes with an internal coating of gelatine are 

 preferred. There is a marked increase in such perviousness if 

 the gas contains sulphuretted hydrogen. Rubber tubes can like- 

 wise be used as cooling — or heating — coils. Rubber tubes in 

 separate pieces serve other laboratory purposes, such as the pro- 

 tection of glass tubes and burettes, as well as of chemical ther- 

 mometers ; for holding test-glasses, and likewise as a means of 

 protecting electric wires against acids. 



Besides tubes, rubber stoppers constitute an indispensable 

 requisite. These stoppers are more or less conical in shape, be- 

 ing solid, or else with one or several cavities, or with other 

 ■specialties of form. Rubber caps drawn over the openings of 

 bottles, retorts, etc., serve as air-tight stoppers, and for pro- 

 tection against dust. Rubber receptacles are likewise used for 

 liolding gas with tube and shut-off faucet. Another serviceable 

 laboratory adjunct is the rubber sponge, for taking up spilt 

 liquids and cleaning laboratory tables. 



In addition to soft rubber articles, those of hard rubber are by 

 no means unimportant in laboratory practice; including hard 

 rubber faucets, with one or more openings, replacing fragile glass 

 faucets. Funnels, tubes, drying trays, pumps and other utensils 

 of hard rubber are likewise seen. Besides these articles of gen- 

 eral use, there are many special utensils for which rubber has 

 been found suitable. Rubber mats are recommended as floor 

 covering; in addition to rubber aprons, gloves, finger cots, as 

 ■well as rubber garments, for the protection of workers against 

 the effects of acids. 



TECHNICAL USES OF RUBBER SEED OIL 



In reply to an inquiry, the "Gummi-Zeitung" remarks that 

 although the efforts hitherto made to employ the oil from rubber 

 seeds in the manufacture of soap and varnish, or as a lubricant, 

 have proved unsuccessful, it is advisable still to seek for an op- 

 portunity of its technical utilization. Such a course, it is added, 

 is all the more necessary, as with the development of rubber cul- 

 tivation, there is a constantly larger quantity of seeds becoming 

 available. 



The color of this oil is greenish-yellow-, and the odor like that 

 of olive oil; being slow-drying at an ordinary temperature, while 



RUBBER SUBSTITUTES FROM A FRENCH STANDPOINT. 



One of the results of the rubber boom was to stimulate the 

 quest for an artificial or natural product, which, when added 

 to rubber, would not affect either its qualities or properties, 

 while effecting a notable saving in the manufacturing cost. 



These various products, known as "rubber substitutes," are 

 classified by French chemists into three descriptions — elaterite, 

 oil rubber and vulcanized oils. 



Elaterite is a true fossil rubber as to the origin of which 

 opinions differ. Some scientists claim that it is the fossil latex 

 of a real plant; others, on the contrary, attributing to it a 

 mineral formation, resembling that of naphtha, petroleum, or 

 ozokerite. 



Oil rubber is obtained b}' chemically treating certain siccative 

 oils with suitable acids. 



It has been claimed that in the rubber industry, the rubber 

 substitutes made from vulcanized oils have met with principal 

 favor. Their use became more general from the time when it 

 was discovered that by adding chloride of sulphur to a vege- 

 table oil at an ordinary temperature, the oil almost immedi- 

 ately solidified and would even become very hard. The use of 

 chloride of sulphur for vulcanizing was the next stage, easily 

 reached. 



Certain French chemists state that rubber substitutes have 

 no property which would allow them to be compared with, or 

 substituted for rubber. It is claimed that chemically they do 

 not combine with it, but can always be detected and even sepa- 

 rated from the rubber which they accompany. 



RUBBER CORSETS. 



Reports from Paris speak of the growing popularity of rubber 

 corsets, as affording a welcome relief from the stiff, inflexible 

 fabric garment. The principal object in view is to avoid as far 

 as possible the disadvantages of the fabric corset, and to im- 

 part a graceful outline to the figure, without impeding its free- 

 dom of movement. 



FRANCE AS AN OUTLET FOR AUTOMOBILES AND ACCESSORIES. 



The Paris correspondent of the 'Gummi-Zeitung" deduces from 

 recent statistics that France has about reached the limit of its 

 productive capacity as regards automobiles, and is obliged to 

 import them in augmented proportion, although French manu- 

 facturers are protected by a high import duty. 



Comparative figures of French imports of automobiles show 

 that imports from England, Germany and the United States had 

 largely increased in 1911 as compared with 1910. The increase 

 in the last named case was from the equivalent of $152,000 to 

 $479,600. 



These figures, it is remarked, would indicate that France pre- 

 sents better prospects than at any previous time as an outlet for 

 automobiles, and likewise for automobile accessories, including, 

 of course, rubber tires. 



RUBBER AT THE VIENNA INTERNATIONAL AVIATION EXPOSITION. 



Prominent among the features of the recent Vienna Aviation 

 Exposition were the exhibits of the rubber industry, notably 

 those of the United Harburg-Wien Rubber Factories, and of the 

 Austrian-American Rubber Factory. These exhibits were much 

 appreciated, as illustrating the importance of rubber manufac- 

 turing to aviation. Of special interest were the models of vari- 

 ous dirigible balloons shown by the first-named concern, and sam- 

 ples of balloon fabrics, displaj-ed by the latter. Rubber clothing 

 and various other accessories of aviation, were exhibited by both 

 concerns. 



