iVlAKCH 1, 1917.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



341 



Interesting Letters from Our Readers. 



RUBBER RECLAIMING BECOMING A GREAT 

 INDUSTRY. 



To THE Editor of The India Rubber World : 



DEAR SIR — It does the heart of a practical rubber technolo- 

 reclaiming of old rubber, the enhanced value of reclaimed 

 rubber, due to the scarcity of crude rubber, and the extended use 

 of the better grades of reclaimed rubber in compounding has 

 acted as a stimulant upon the reclaiming industry. An extensive 

 business is being done in sorting and trimming all grades of scrap 

 rubber, and specialization is becoming a custom among reclaimers. 

 Two reclaimers, for instance, are making special stocks for tire 

 treading and shoe soling. Their aim is to supply to the small 

 manufacturer, who is without an expert rubber technologist or 

 laboratory facilities, a compounded stock that will supply his 

 needs. 



The demand for good grades of soling stock was never so great 

 because of the high price and often the poor quality of the 

 leather used for this purpose. The rubber sole, being durable 

 ' and waterproof, is rapidly superseding the leather sole on the 

 score of economy and efficiency. The "non-skid," noiseless char- 

 acteristics of the rubber sole also appeal to the walking public. 

 Aside from the several qualities enumerated, there is another one 

 whose importance is underestimated because its value is not well 

 known. This is the beneficial physiological action that the rubber 

 heel and sole exert upon the nervous system through its non- 

 concussive elTect upon the spinal column. By the use of several 

 new compounding ingredients made available by the strides of 

 commerce and manufacture, the ordinary rubber soling compound 

 can be improved to a certain degree. 



Two new reclaiming factories, the Phoenix in Akron and an- 

 other in Chicago, will begin operations early this year. Many of 

 the larger rubber manufacturing firms are now reclaiming their 

 own scrap and several others are preparing to do so. The war 

 has contributed a valuable reclaiming agent. Several new re- 

 claiming patents have been issued and secret processes are being 

 exploited. 



Nothing very novel in reclaiming methods has become common 

 knowledge, however. The big idea is circumvention. In reclaim- 

 ing, the important steps are defabricizing, plasticizing and 

 utilizing, all well-known methods. A close examination of the 

 109 United States patents, and almost as many foreign ones, 

 covering "processes for restoring old rubber" indicate that it 

 would be a difficult matter to work out an original idea on tlie 

 subject. However, there are still a few open links in the chain. 



A study of these patents shows that very little has been done 

 in saving the by-products of reclaiming. Just why valuable by- 

 products should be dissipated can be explained only by the fact 

 that in the past the profits of the industry have been so large that 

 there has been no incentive toward conservation. In the future 

 it is doubtful if reclaiming will pay such high dividends, and 

 economy in buying, manufacturing and selling will characterize 

 the methods of successful reclaimers. Attention will then be 

 given to the by-products that heretofore have been thrown away. 



C. P. F. 



Cleveland, Ohio, January 30, 1917. 



GROWING RAW MATERIALS IN THE AMERICAS. 



To THE Editor of The India Rubber World : 

 ■pvEAR SIR — It does the heart of a practical rubber technolo- 

 *-^ gist good to note that leading rubber manufacturers are at 

 last manifesting active interest in the proposition to provide 

 within our own borders the raw materials essential to the rubber 



industry. Recently we have heard much about preparedness, and 

 the international situation today emphasizes the reasons for it as 

 never before. In our own line, substantial progress has been 

 made in Imperial Valley, California, toward providing the long- 

 staple cotton necessary for tire fabrics. It has been demonstrated 

 that we can, if need be, maintain that industry without cotton 

 imports. But America in the future must be prepared to produce 

 its own rubber. 



Heretofore commerce has followed the flag. In the case of 

 rubber production the flag must follow the plow. Our land-grant 

 colleges should offer special instruction in tropical agriculture and 

 make rubber culture a requirement. The Americas have the soil 

 as well as the conditions, and though handicapped by the cheap 

 labor of the Orient, American methods, aided by American ma- 

 chinery, will be successful. 



J. C. Harvey, that pioneer in rubber culture, who gathered 

 from the many corners of the earth the various kinds of rubber- 

 bearing plants and grew and studied them on his Mexican 

 hacienda, had in his collection the Hevca. Specimens of this 

 tree planted and grown under poor conditions had made, a few 

 years ago, as good an appearance as many. of the Malayan repre- 

 sentatives did in their early life. Had these trees been given the 

 benefit of cultivation and time, what might have been the result? 

 Harvey's work, while left unfinished, was not lost. Who will take 

 up the thread? 



Another matter not entirely devoid of interest is the possibility, 

 though remote, of the production of crude rubber in the Tem- 

 perate Zone. The milkweed idea is not wholly deceased, and 

 during 1917 a small-scale experiment to determine the exact 

 economic value of the Asclcf>ias in the production of rubber, fiber 

 and oil (from seed) will be tried out in the fertile soil of the Big 

 Miami Valley where the plant reaches its maximum growth. 

 During the past season Willis Knickerbocker, New Lenox, 

 Illinois, has experimented with the fruit of the Osage orange. He 

 has tried waterproofing cloth with Osage "orangeade" and I have 

 seen worse results. In Arizona the ocotillo (Fouquieria 

 splendens) is being extracted for the wax, which is said to be a 

 good substitute for chewing-gum. This plant under suitable treat- 

 ment should yield another product valuable as a compounding 

 ingredient. 



A local rubber concern has acquired land in Salt River Valley, 

 Arizona, and will grow its own supply of cotton there. In con- 

 nection with this enterprise the conditions are ideal to test the 

 Lloyd system of growing guayule. The rabbit-weed or pingue 

 (Picradenia Aoribunda) would probably give even better results. 



Writing about fibers for auto tires leads to the suggestion of 

 the use of some of our uncommon native fibers. Many years ago, 

 the East Indian Abutilon was introduced into the United States, 

 and has now become a troublesome weed throughout the Central 

 States. The plant produces a strong fiber. Our moraceous wild 

 Indian hemp (Cannabis saliva) produces a good fiber as well as 

 rubber. In the Pecos district of western Texas thousands of 

 acres are overgrown with the Spanish bayonet. This plant has 

 an excellent fiber in its leaf and a valuable glucoside in its root. 



Altogether there are still several lines of considerable promise 

 worthy of investigation and experiment at the hands of pro- 

 gressive, forehanded rubber manufacturers. 



Progressive. 



Akron.Ohio, February IS, 1917. 



"Rubber Machinery," Mr. Pearson's newest book, filled with 

 valuable information for rubber manufacturers, is now ready for 

 mailing. Price, $6. 



