526 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[August 1, 1912. 



THE NEW BRITISH SYNTHETIC RUBBER PROCESS. 



TN view of the interest exacted by recent English synthetic rub- 

 ' ber developments, it is of importance to consider what they 

 really consist of. In his paper read on June 17, before the So- 

 ciety of Chemical Industry, in London, Professor Perkin dealt 

 with the labors of the group of investigators who had been work- 

 ing on the subject; this group including himself. Dr. F. E. 

 Matthews, Sir William Ramsay and other scientists. 



The results obtained tended in two main directions: (1) The 

 production of isoprene and (2) its conversion into rubber; thus 

 covering the entire scope of the synthetic rubber question. In 

 connection with the first point, it had been found possible to 

 obtain fusel oil economically from starch by a process of fer- 

 mentation. From this fusel oil, by a series of fractionary proc- 

 esses, various alcohols were derived which would in turn yield 

 isoprene and its homologues ; the pivotal point of all synthetic 

 rubber processes. 



Isoprene having thus been obtained, its conversion into rubber 

 naturally constituted the next step. This, it is claimed, is effected 

 by the polymerizing action of metallic sodium, rapid transforma- 

 tion into rubber in quantity resulting from the process in question. 



While this latter point had been elaborated by Dr. Carl Harries, 

 of Kiel, Professor Perkin claimed for English scientists priority 

 in the discovery of "sodium rubber." In this connection it is of 

 interest to note from Dr. Harries' earlier paper read at Freiburg 

 (at the Congress of German Chemists) that he does not con- 

 sider the rubber obtained by means of sodium as identical with 

 the natural product. 



MUST HAVE CHEAP ISOPRENE. 



But, as Professor Perkin remarked, the discovery of a prac- 

 ticable sodium process would not be of practical utility, till means 

 have been found of producing the raw material (isoprene) at 

 such a price and in sufficient quantity to allow of the produc- 

 tion of rubber on a commercial scale. This, he urged, was recog- 

 nized by him and his associates as the crux of the whole matter. 

 In their search for a suitable substance as a basis, they had fixed 

 upon fusel oil, derivable from starch (in the form of cereals, 

 maize or tubers) at a price of Id. per pound. This fermentation 

 process has been elaborated by Professor Fernbach, of the Pas- 

 teur Institute, Paris, after experiments lasting 18 months. He 

 had likewise dealt with the production of acetone from starch. 



The different alcohols, such as isamyl and butyl alcohol, 

 separated from this fusel oil by fractional distillation, could be 

 converted into isoprene, or its homologues (butadiene, etc.), by 

 the action of chlorine. The only alcohol, however, which had 

 been obtained in commercial quantity was butyl alcohol, which is 

 the basis, not of isoprene. but of butadiene. Hence (as the "India 

 Rubber Journal" remarks), since Professor Fernbach has failed 

 in getting the alcohol which is the basis of isoprene, the material 

 which the investigating committee has adopted for the produc- 

 tion of isoprene — starch — seems so far to have been a failure. 

 Butyl alcohol when treated by chlorine, ultimately gives as a 

 derivative — butadiene, which, when brought into contact with 

 metallic sodium, forms a type of rubber, it is true, but not the 

 normal rubber, which is obtained through isoprene, acted upon in 

 a similar way. 



AT WHAT PRICE CAN SYNTHETIC RUBBER BE MADE? 



Thus, it is added, the cheap production of isoprene remains a 

 problem still to be solved, and unless such a method can be found, 

 the knowledge of a rapid method of converting it into rubber 

 will be comparatively valueless. 



While it has been claimed that the new process would allow of 

 producing rubber at 60 cents per pound, with a possibility of 

 arriving at 24 cents or less, Sir William Ramsay, who has been 

 interested in the experiments, has said : 



"Our experiments as to the best methods of producing 

 rubber will probably last for a couple of years. Then, when 



we have determined the best methods, we shall erect a manu- 

 facturing plant on a large scale." 



FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF THE CASE. 



Under these circumstances the action of the inventors in more 

 or less disclosing their processes (the results of which are as yet 

 incomplete) has, it is considered, been doubtless precipitated by 

 the offering on the stock market of 450,000 Preferred £1 shares 

 of the Synthetic Products Company, which, it is stated, have met 

 with a very poor reception. According to the London corre- 

 spondent of the New York "Times," Professor Perkin, Sir 

 William Ramsay, and other eminent scientists are interested in 

 the company, the total capital of which is £500,000. Profits are 

 expected at first to be derived from acetone and fusel oil. By 

 latest accounts, the company claims that over i80,(X)0 had been 

 subscribed, which would be sufficient for establishing the acetone 

 and fusel-oil plant, and for demonstrating the synthetic rubber 

 process on a large scale. The fact that the synthetic rubber 

 process needs more demonstrating, would seem to confirm the 

 evident view of scientists that it has not yet reached a stage of 

 finality. 



GERMAN OPINIOX. 



While the new process, according to the view of the English 

 rubber press, has not yet assumed a practical shape, German 

 e-xpert opinion has been in general to the same effect. The 

 "Gummi-Zeitung," while postponing detailed consideration of the 

 subject until it has had an opportunity of examining the full text 

 of Professor Perkin's paper, refers to the proposed exploitation 

 of the new process by a company with large capital. This com- 

 pany, it is remarked, would seem to contem.plate, in the first place, 

 the production of acetone from starch, and only in the second, 

 the manufacture of artificial rubber from fusel oil, which is a 

 by-product obtained in extracting acetone from starch. Fusel 

 oil, it is added, will not j'icld isoprene, but only butadeine, or 

 butadiene rubber, differing in an appreciable degree from natural 

 rubber. 



Thus the new process has been received with reserve in both 

 England and Germany, on the ground that its merits have to be 

 more fully tested than has been possible since its appearance upon 

 the industrial stage. 



Even without the publicity just recently directed to the subject, 

 tlie interesting papers read at Freiburg by Dr. Harries rmd Dr. 

 Hofmann, which will be dealt with ne-xt month, and which had al- 

 ready directed attention to the present situation of synthetic rub- 

 ber from theoretical and practical standpoints, would have 

 brought it to the front. The final result will be the "survival of 

 the fittest ;" illustrating the French proverb that "the better is the 

 enemy of the good." 



An interesting contribution has just been received from Dr. 

 Fritz Frank, of the Henriques Chemical Laboratory, Berlin, 

 upon the general question of synthetic rubber; likewise re- 

 ferring to Professor Perkin's recent statements. Being too late 

 for use in this number, it will be dealt with in the next 

 issue. 



FtrSIONS OF AUSTRIAN RUBBER COMPANIES. 



According to further details received, the fusion of the 

 Austrian-American Rubber Manufacutring Co. with the Calmon 

 Asbestos and Rubber Works Co., of Vienna, has been effected 

 through the co-operation of the Vienna "Bankverein" with the 

 Lower Austrian Discount Co. 



It is stated that at the same time the Austrian-American Rub- 

 ber Manufacturing Co. acquired the whole of the shares of the 

 Semperit Rubber Manufacturing Co In consequence of these 

 fusions, the nominal capital of the first-named company will be 

 increased by the equivalent of .$4(X),000, the new capital being 

 furnished by the two banking houses referred to. 



