October I, 1916.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



It is a pity that time does not permit me to name the many 

 eminent chemists — English, German, French and American — 

 whose research work as set forth in books, pamphlets and 

 essays constitutes some of the most valuable of the world's 

 technical literature. Such a list, with an adequate descrip- 

 tion of the work done, would, however, far exceed the limits 

 of this paper. 



The fact being, then, that the chemist has not only estab- 

 lished hitnself, but has practically taken over the industry 

 that should have been his from the beginning, leads one to 

 ask, "What of the future?" Are the problems all solved? 

 To an imaginative man it doesn't seem that much more than 

 a beginning has been made. The remembrance of the be- 

 ginning of "Bakelite," a real competitor for hard rubber, and 

 of the "Cravenette" process an equally real competitor of rub- 

 ber clothing, is exceedingly suggestive. Rubber is and always 

 will be an expensive commodity. It is individual in its ex- 

 treme elasticity and resiliency. Why, then, where the plas- 

 ticity of rubber is alone made use of, as in clothing, belting, 

 packing, hose, matting and a score of other things, should 

 not some other plastic, waterproof of course, dispossess it, 

 and isn't the chemist the man who will doubtless accomplish 

 that? That would give much more rubber for the millions 

 of automobile tires that are in sight for the next few years. 

 It would also leave sufficient rubber for thread, elastic bands, 

 and goods for which no other plastic is fitted. There is a 

 suggestion, also, of a rubber compound for footwear that will 

 be waterproof from the outside and will allow insensible 

 perspiration to work out from the inside. Why, too, as long 

 as rubber sheets can be made absolutely inextensible, should 

 they not be a compound for tires, to do away with the 

 necessity for strengthening fabrics, either woven or cord? 



Again, looking at the rubber processes from a distance, 

 it seems a bit awkward that so much heat and pressure and 

 expensive machinery should be needed to accomplish vul- 

 canization. Why should not the chemist of the future add 

 some substance to the rubber mass which in the course of 

 a few hours will effect vulcanization without the application 

 of heat? Were this possible, its value in colored rubber 

 goods would probabl}' be incalculable. If this compounding 

 vulcanization did not darken the mass, how easy it would be 

 to make hard rubber goods pure white — to rival and even 

 surpass celluloid and "galalith" in all their gaudy colors. Or 

 if the chemist finds himself unable to do this, let him recall 

 the fact that in the East there is a rubber tree the latex of 

 which, on coagulation, is bright blue. It is his privilege to 

 discover what gives that particular color, and by applying 

 it to the great orchards of the Far East, produce rubber of 

 all the colors of the rainbow. 



Coming down from the realms of imaginary triumphs to 

 those directly before the chemist, there are in his own factory 

 quite enough and more than he can intelligently solve in 

 years to come — those are individual. For the trade at large 

 there is the standardization of almost everything that goes 

 into the mill and comes out of it, and then, for our own 

 country's preparedness, the production of a cheap, high-grade, 

 synthetic rubber. 



The succeeding papers were confidential communications that 

 will not be released until further experiment has been carried on 

 and the results checked up. Owing to lack of space the rest of 

 the essays will appear, however, in the November issue of The 

 India Rubber World. An exceedingly interesting symposium, 

 led by Dr. Geer and participated in by some 20 other rubber 

 chemists, will also be treated at length in the Xovember issue. 



THE CHEMICAL EXPOSITION. 



■ I 'HE National Exposition of Chemical Industries was held at 

 *■ the Grand Central Palace during the week, and nearly 

 two hundred displays filled the main floor and gallery of the 

 great exhibition hall. Of these, comparatively few were 

 specially devoted to the rubber industry, but those that were 

 included several of the most striking variety. 



By far the largest exhibit was that of the iluffalo I'oundr}- 

 & Machine Co.. Buflfalo, New York. This occupied the 

 entire end of the main hall, and included an installation of 

 "Buflovak" apparatus — a 1,600-gallon nitrator for manufac- 

 turing nitro-benzol ; a 2,S00-ga!lon caustic box for making 

 caustic soda; a 700-gallon sulphonator; an 8-foot horizcjiital 

 type evaporator; vacuum drum dryer in operation; vacuum 

 surface condenser; two-stage vacuum pump; vacuum shelf 



dryer; fusion kettle, equipped with stirring device; autoclave, 

 crystallizing pan and a fully equipped nitric acid plant. All 

 these huge pieces of apparatus bore their names in bold 

 lettering. Around the booth were transparencies showing 

 photographs of apparatus made by this company. 



J. P. Devine Co., tnanufacturer of vacuum dryers, Buffalo, 

 New York, exhibited a complete installation of a double drum 

 vacuum dryer, the first one built in America. This included, 

 besides the dryer, a surface condenser and motor drive. It 

 is especially designed for drying, in vacuo, viscous heavy 

 liquors and pastes. Another notable feature of the exhibit 

 was a high pressure cast steel autoclave built to withstand 

 a pressure of 1,000 pounds to the square inch. The Devine 

 nitrating kettle was another feature of the exhibit, as was 

 also a series of photographs of various forms of dryers, etc. 



The Werner & Pfleiderer Co., Saginaw, Michigan, had on 

 exhibition a number of their kneading and mixing machines, 

 including the rubber masticator for dry compojnding, which 

 was described in The Indi.^ Rubber World of September 1. 

 There was also shown a huge vacuum type "Universal" 

 kneading and mixing machine with a heavy double agitator, 

 and a copper bowl rapid dissolver, machines well known in 

 rubber and chemical manufacturing circles. 



The Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co., East 

 F^ittsburgh, Pennsylvania, devoted its space maiiily to an 

 exhibit of controllers for electric motors. Among these was 

 a Type F automatic control for alternating current motors, 

 and a Type CS motor control. 



The Bristol Co., Waterbury, Connecticut, showed recording 

 instruments, including a recording thermometer for vulcanizers, 

 an operation recorder for automobile tire presses which gives 

 upon the traveling sheet 20 distinct operation records, and a new- 

 wet and dry bulb recording thermometer showing continuously 

 the moisture content of the atmosphere. 



E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co. and associated com- 

 panies, including the Du Pont Chemical Works, Du Pont 

 Fabrikoid Co., Fairfield Rubber Co. and The Arlington Co., 

 had a very interesting exhibit of their products, including 

 several cliemicals used in the manufacture of rubber goods, 

 their "habrikoid" for upholstery purposes, and rubberized 

 cloth made at the Fairfield factory. There was also an ex- 

 hibit of articles manufactured from "Pyralin," a substitute 

 for hard rubber. 



.'\nother substitute for hard rubber, "Bakelite," was shown 

 in the exhibit of the General Bakelite Co., New York City 

 and Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 



The exhibit of The J. H. Day Co., Cinciimati, Ohio, manufac- 

 turers of machinery used in mixing and compounding rubber, 

 was most complete and interesting. 



The Barrett Co., New York City, was well represented by a 

 large and comprehensive exhibit, showing among other chem- 

 ical products, toluol, benzol and carbolic acid, that are used 

 by the rubber trade. 



The Barber Asphalt Paving Co. had on exhibition among 

 its asphalt products the "Genasco" mineral rubber, which is 

 well known in the rubber trade. The Corn Products Refining 

 Co., New York City, among other articles not used in the 

 rubber trade, showed its well-known rubber substitute "Para- 

 gol," which is a sulphonated corn oil used as a filler. 



The Luzerne Rubber Co., Trenton, New Jersey, exhibited 

 hard rubber pipes and fittings, stop cocks, etc., for the con- 

 duction of acids, and also showed color boxes, photograi)hic 

 tanks, electrolytic cells, check ball valves and acid buckets. 



Whitall Tatum Co.. Millville, New Jersey, had an excellent 

 exhibit of laboratory apparatus. 



The exhibition was well patronized during every day and 

 evening, not only by the members and guests of the American 

 Chemical Society, but also by the general public. Moving pic- 

 tures devoted to the exhibition of manufacturing and chemical 

 engineering work were shown. 



