THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[Skitkmber 1, 1920. 



without the heat, however. This naturally brings up the 

 question as to whether all dry heat goods can be thus treated, 

 carriage cloth, clothing, blankets and the like, and the answer 

 sounds like yes. 



Still considering dry heat processes, may boots and shoes 

 be thus cured? Granting that the new process brings about 

 a very dense condition in the finished product, is the result 

 likely to be as good as that obtained by the pressure cure 

 now generally used in footwear manufacture? If so, are the 

 big old-time dry heaters, minus their heating equipment, 

 likely to come into vogue again? The question of finish, of 

 course, will be important. Footwear is a varnished product 

 and it is likely that a coating of boiled oil varnish on the 

 outside of a shoe would keep the sulphur gases out. That, 

 however, is not important, as a Peachey process varnish 

 could doubtless be added that would be more elastic and 

 brilliant than one made of linseed oil. 



TOUCHING NEW COMPOUNDING INGREDIENTS. 



It is in the line of new applications of rubber and its wider 

 use of new compounding ingredients, however, that one is 

 minded to investigate. 



The fact that the process is one that is free from the de- 

 structive influence of heat opens up many new compounding 

 possibilities. Organic substances have been used with diffi- 

 culty in rubber compounding in the past. Today, glue is 

 about the only one that is largely used, and that took much 

 careful experimentation before it was a success. The right 

 kind of cold process, however, would admit the use of almost 

 any kind of gelatin, animal or vegetable, of which the sea- 

 weed gelatines are the most interesting. There is also the 

 possibility of the incorporation of such animal products as 

 dried milk and casein. Indeed the utilization of almost any 

 kind of dried animal refuse would seem to be feasible. Al- 

 though the gases in themselves are not particularly pleasant, 

 the process would seem to admit of the use of a great variety 

 of essential oils and perfumes that would not only do away 

 with the smell of the vulcanizing ingredients but would im- 

 part a pleasant odor heretofore difficult to obtain in manu- 

 factured rubber goods. As a case in point, Chinese rubber 

 shoes with a distinct odor of sandal wood would doubtless 

 find a ready market in the Flowery Kingdom. 



ON THE USE OF VARIOUS PRODUCTS. 



There is also an opening for the utilization of a variety 



of vegetable fibers not heretofore used because injured by 



heat. Thus there would be nothing to prevent the use of 



wool shoddy, bristles, horsehair or cowhair. 



Speaking of vegetable products, the flours of rice, barley, 

 rye, oats and wheat, once the prices come down, might make 

 good compounds. Indeed a very little of the cold process 

 rubber added to the macaroni compound would produce 

 white tubing comparable to some of that which today ap- 

 pears in the open market. 



Ttje inventor has already mentioned the field now occupied 

 by the products known as linoleums. There is no doubt that 

 rubber as a binding material is infinitely superior to oxidized 

 linseed oil. If in addition it is self-vulcanizing, the product 

 that should be produced would be much more durable and 

 at much less cost. Furthermore, the same conditions should 

 apply to table and shelf oilcloth. 



It is in the line of repairs, particularly in rubber factories, 

 that some such process should have its first development. 

 In spite of constant inspection, goods that are defective are 

 ■often scrapped. This is largely because they will not stand 

 revulcanization without burning. .\ filler that will thoroughly 

 vulcanize applied to a damaged section would, therefore, be 

 of the greatest value. So too in the line of general repairs 

 of all sorts. Such a jelly would find a very general use. 



RUBBER GLUE POSSIBLE. 



It is a well-known fact that the leather slun' manufacturers 

 are very large users of rubber cements. These cements are 

 used more for their waterproofing qualities than for holding. 

 A channel cement that would be self-vulcanizing and thus 

 add to the strength of the shoe would be a step in advance. 

 The glues, animal and fish, have long been in a class by 

 themselves as adhesives and for sizing. A rubber cement 

 that is self-vulcanizing is likely to find a field that will 

 seriously crowd glue. In holding veneers, in book-binding, 

 in many lines where waterproof qualities and a degree of 

 elasticity are of value, rubber glue should be far superior to 

 the organic product. 



POSSIBILITIES OF COLD PROCESS HARD RUBBER. 

 There is no suggestion that the Peachey process produces 

 hard rubber. On the other hand, with the investigations and 

 experiments that are toward a self-vulcanizing compound 

 that turns itself into ebonite will one day appear. When it 

 does it will occupy a large part of the field now held by such 

 products as celluloid and galalith. .Accustomed as we are to 

 only two or three colors in vulcanite, it is difficult to appre- 

 ciate the tremendous field for hard rubber goods once they 

 can be made in all colors and shades without overloading 

 with detrimental pigments. Sufficient to say that a cold 

 process like Peachey's applied successfully to hard rubber 

 would produce ornaments in jade, amber, tortoise shell and 

 the like, infinitely superior to any celluloid or casein products. 

 While in lacquers, elastic varnishes and japan, rubber would 

 have the field all to itself. 



The possibility of a pure white hard or semi-hard rubber 

 leads the thought at once to pottery. The fragile plates, 

 cups and saucers are a constant source of trouble and ex- 

 pense, particularly in hotels and on shipboard. The cost of 

 breakage alone is very great. A semi-hard white, odorless 

 and strong dish would be a boon and it is not an impossibility. 

 We are minded here to speak again of hard rubber wood, 

 the production of which would be immensely hastened by 

 cold process vulcanization. Hard rubber wood is coming 

 anyway and fortunately is not dependent on revolutionary 

 processes. 



Vulcanized fiber is a product that is very important in the 

 arts, large factories being employed in producing it. The 

 one troublesome quality of the material is that it absorbs 

 moisture. To counteract fhis it is shellacked and surface 

 treated. An analogous product containing a very little self- 

 vulcanizing rubber would doubtless drive tlie old time fiber 

 out of this market. 



SUGGESTS RUBBER IN PAPER MAKING. 

 Rubber has in times past been tried in paper manufacture. 

 Its high cost and the necessity for hot vulcanization ren- 

 dered it of no value, however. Today, with cheap rubber and 

 a cold process that does not injure fiber nor discolor, there 

 are possibilities of rubber as a pulp binder finding a new and 

 wider field of usefulness. It is likely also that many fibers 

 heretofore useless might become valuable. Paper makers say 

 that paper that crackles is not looked upon with favor and is 

 unsalable. Possibly a little rubber in the harsh pulp might 

 correct this evil. However this may be, a certain amount 

 of rubber would greatly strengthen any paper; a sufficient 

 portion would render it not only tough, but waterproof as 

 well. And this applies not only to book and wrapping 

 papers, but to wall papers and tapestries. 



Furthermore, paper boxes, bottles, containers and cartons, 

 cigar boxes, paper plates and scores of other paper products 

 are likely to be made more sanitary and useful by this binder. 

 It is also entirely possible that the Peachey process may be 

 the necessary touch to make German paper clothing a suc- 

 cess. Even today hundreds of Englishmen are wearing 



