THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[November 1, 1919. 



an organic accelerator. In fact, it is rather probable that the 

 acetone extract consisted in part of such accelerator. Owing to 

 the smallncss of the samples no attempt was made to identify the 

 nature of the latter. It was clearly evident, however, that none 

 of the organic bases that are in general usage in this country 

 to-day for accelerating vulcanization had been employed. Prob- 

 ably the accelerator present was a piperidine derivative. 



For the purpose of determining the physical properties of the 

 synthetic products the following formula was employed : 



Parts. Paris. 



Rubber 50 Sulphur 5 



Zinc 45 Hexametliyleneamine Yi 



It will naturally be asked whether this method of synthesizing 

 rubber is capable of large scale technical application. In other 

 words, is there any reasonable possibility of synthetic rubber 

 becoming the competitor of the products of the plantations? 



Prophecy is always dangerous and frequently idle. On the 

 basis of the above samples, however, closely confirmed by rumor 

 and hearsay, very big improvements must still be made in the 

 synthetic product in order that it may compete in quality with 

 natural rubber. It is not fair to assume that the scientific possi- 

 bilities of improving and cheapening plantation rubber are just 

 as great as the scientific possibilities of the present art of synthe- 

 sizing rubber? 



Dark Syxthetk 



Soft Rubber Good: 



Light Synthetic Block Rubber for Hard Rubber Goods. 



The samples being so small, the three crepes were blended 

 together and used as a whole. When put on the mill they dis- 

 integrated and fell apart rather quickly. In the course of a few 

 minutes, however, the particles began to agglomerate, and in due 

 time assumed the familiar plastic condition of broken-down 

 rubber. The mass differed from natural rubber in that, notwith- 

 standing its plasticity, it was exceedingly tough and this tough- 

 ness became more marked after the addition of a portion of the 

 compounding ingredients. As the latter were added the toughness 

 of the rubber continually increased, although its plasticity was 

 such that the minerals were readily absorbed. 



The mixture was vulcanized in a press for forty-five minutes 

 at forty-five pounds. The physical tests obtained are tabulated 

 below. For the sake of comparison, there is inserted the phys- 

 ical tests obtained from an average sample of first latex crepe 

 vulcanized in the same compound. 



Synthetic First Latex . 

 Rubber. Crepe. 



Tensile strength 910 lbs. 280O lbs. 



Elongation at breaking point 750% 675% 



Permanent set 25% 25% 



In order to determine the aging properties of the synthetic 

 rubber the vulcanized samples were subjected to a temperature of 

 150 degrees F. for seven days. The following results were 

 obtained : 



Rubber. Crepe. 



Tensile strength SOO lbs. 2230 lbs. 



Elongation at breaking point 650% 650% 



Permanent set 25% 25 /o 



The results of the physical tests do not compare very favorably 

 with those of a high-grade natural rubber. They are, in fact, more 

 comparable to the properties of an inferior brown crepe. The 

 whole general appearance of the vulcanized synthetic rubber, and 

 especially its flabby and lifeless condition, reminded one very 

 strikingly of vulcanized brown crepe. 



The complete victory of synthetic indigo over the natural dye- 

 stufif would have taken a different course had the indigo planta- 

 tions been as scientifically operated as are the rubber plantations 

 to-day. 



It cannot be denied that the production of this rubber is an 

 astounding chemical accomplishment. It may be said, without 

 much danger of contradiction, to represent the climax of modern 

 synthetic chemistry, in that for the first time it has been possible 

 to produce upon a commercial scale a representative member of 

 the group of enormously complex substances known as colloids. 

 As such it marks the beginning of a new era in chemical syn- 

 thesis. It is very problematical, however, whether the benefits 

 of this discovery will accrue directly to the rubber industry. 

 Chemistry as a whole becomes enriched and especially that branch 

 of chemistry dealing with colloids. It has become generally 

 recognized during recent years that nearly all biological processes 

 are colloidal in their nature, and it is in the further study and 

 synthesis of colloids that the knowledge gained from the synthesis 

 of rubber should receive its greatest application. 



COLONEL OSTERRIETH GREETS HIS KING. 



Conspicuous among those prominent in the greeting of the 

 Belgian King and Queen in New York City early in October was 

 the commanding figure of Colonel Leon Osterrieth, military at- 

 tache of the Belgian Embassy. Colonel Osterrieth, it will be 

 recalled, was a crude rubber merchant in Antwerp and owns 

 rubber plantations in Java and Malaya. He was the delegate for 

 Belgium at the International Rubber and Allied Trades Expo- 

 sitions of 1911 and 1914 and was on his way to the Rubber Con- 

 gress in Java when war was declared in 1914. After gallant 

 service in the Belgian Army he came to America with the 

 Belgian Mission in 1917 and is now stationed at Washington. 



