742 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[September 1, 1917. 



ability would be greater than ever. He added that during ma- 

 turing o.xidation took place, weakening the surface. After dis- 

 cussing the action of inorganic accelerators, Dr. Twiss went on 

 to speak of organic accelerators and said that one of the most 

 powerful of these organic catalysts is aldehydi- ammonia, its 

 effectiveness far outweighing what might be expected of its am- 

 monia content. It was a remarkable circumstance that almost 

 the whole of the known effective organic accelerators are basic, 

 their activity depending upon their relative alkalinity. The 

 alkali hydroxides were strong accelerators. For a long time it 

 had been known that alkali reclaimed rubbers vulcanized with 

 exceptional rapidity. It had been shown that a small percentage 

 of powdered caustic potash caused a greatly increased rate of 

 vulcanization in a mixture of rubber and sulphur. He came to 

 the conclusion several years ago that the action of both in- 

 organic and organic acids depended upon their basicity and that 

 the action of the latter was more pronounced only because they 

 were soluble in rubber and therefore more evenly distributed. 



Dr. Twiss then went on to describe some interesting e.xperi- 

 ments he had made with a 25-per cent solution of caustic potash 

 in glycerol. Some results were using a mi.xture of 95 per cent 

 rubber and 5 per cent sulphur, residual free sulphur 3.6 per 

 cent, with 2 per cent glycerol accelerator 0.31 free sulphur; with 

 1 per cent aldehyde ammonia 0.17 free sulphur; with 1 per cent 

 para-nitroso dimethylaniline 1.5 per cent free sulphur. The 

 nitroso compound was much more effective in mixings contain- 

 ing a high percentage of sulphur than with those with a rela- 

 tively low proportion and this would account for its very partial 

 success in low sulphur, litharge or antimony mixings. Turning 

 to other topics, he mentioned that the evidence for the supposed 

 vulcanization of a rubber sulphur solution at the ordinary tem- 

 perature by ultraviolet light was imconvincing. In concluding, 

 he expressed the view that what he had said was not only indi- 

 cative of great activity in rubber chemistry, but would also in- 

 dicate how wide are the gaps of knowledge which at present are 

 bridged over by mere theories and need to be filled up with a 

 solid mass of experimental evidence. 



This paper was followed by one on "The Scientific Needs of 

 the Rubber Industry," by B. D. Porritt, chemist to the North 

 British Rubber Co., Limited. This paper was in the main a 

 plea for the establishment of more laboratories in rubber works, 

 it being pointed out that the industry required research labora- 

 tories as well as the routine laboratories which had sprung up 

 since the advent of the much abused specification. While the 

 laboratory might be accepted by some manufacturers as a valu- 

 able adjunct, it was as yet not recognized as an essential. The 

 research laboratory he recognized would be only within the 

 means of the largest works, but with the more general coopera- 

 tion which might now reasonably be expected the results could 

 be used to benefit the trade as a whole. A beginning had been 

 made by the inclusion of some rubber manufacturers on an Ad- 

 visory Research Committee of the Imperial Institute, but there 

 was room for a much greater measure of commercial and scien- 

 tific cooperation, this being a good time for this development 

 because the abnormal trade conditions and national needs had 

 for a while deadened trade competition and petty jealousies and 

 had necessitated many conservative manufacturers abandoning 

 the traditions of a lifetime. In the course of the interesting 

 discussion which ensued. Dr. Twiss said that too much blame 

 seemed to be laid on the manufacturers for neglecting research. 

 The manufacturers were not out to benefit other people and had 

 no sympathetic regard for the constitution of rubber, which 

 seemed an unimportant matter from their point of view. A good 

 deal of research had been done, but from mistaken motives the 

 manufacturers had not allowed it to be published. A good deal 

 of the research done in accelerators, for instance, had been crude 

 and disconnected. Altogether there was a much greater excuse 

 for the rubber industry not having raised its pure chemistry to 



a higher stage than would appear at the first casual glance. 

 Dr. Stevens said that now was the time for the manufacturers, 

 through their association, to make arrangements to start re- 

 search. Mr. Sproxton said he thought that the sting of the 

 paper had been drawn by the paper which went before, and the 

 president of the society, Dr. C. C. Carpenter, agreed with this 

 remark, the previous paper having told them that there were, at 

 any rate, some manufacturers who were far seeing and who under- 

 stood the value of scientific investigation and, what was more 

 important still, allowed the results of these investigations to be 

 brought to the notice of the industry generally. 



BRITISH WAR ORDERS. 



Proofers to the trade are now being kept busy by government 

 orders for proofed shoe lining. Great quantities of tan duck 

 are also being proofed to tan twill for government purposes such 

 as valises, stretchers, bags of all kinds and hold-alls, besides 

 cloth for gas-masks. The latter take a very long time in proof- 

 ing, as a number of rubber coatings are necessary before the 

 required specifications are attained. The government has also 

 put out orders for covers for caps, bonnets, breech-loaders and 

 Lewis guns. 



Large quantities of rubber thigh boots have been secured by 

 the War Office for winter use in the trenches. These were for- 

 merly obtained from Canada and the United States, as practi- 

 cally only one British firm could produce such boots, but now new 

 firms have taken up their manufacture, and it is no longer neces- 

 sary to depend on supplies from overseas. 



BRITISH REQUISITION OF CARNATJBA WAX. 



The Army Council intends to take possession of all stocks of 

 carnauba wax, excepting stocks of less than two tons, that are 

 at present or may arrive in the United Kingdom. All holders 

 must, therefore, make full returns of their stocks, giving par- 

 ticulars of quantities, descriptions and cost prices to the Director 

 of Army Contracts. 



BRITISH INDIAN AUTOMOBILE CONCESSION WITHDRAWN. 



In connection with the prohibition of the importation into 

 British India of motor cars, motorcycles, and parts, it is learned 

 that the Indian Government will withdraw the concession under 

 which it was decided to admit, under license, cars, motorcycles 

 and parts actually paid for before December 23, 1916, except in 

 the case of cars shipped before .'Vugust 1, 1917. 



SUSPENSION OF THE KEW BULLETIN. 



The announcement that this important journal is to be sus- 

 pended under pressure of war economy and scarcity of printing 

 materials, has roused a storm of protest. This organ not only 

 serves to circulate the results of scientific activities at Kew, but 

 also places at the disposal of the economic and scientific gardens 

 in India and the colonies the latest facts in pure and economic 

 botany that may be of importance to them. 



THE EXCESS PROFITS DUTY AND PLANTATION RUBBER. 



From the very outset the Rubber Growers' .Association, Lon- 

 don, England, has, under the best advice obtainable, taken vig- 

 orous measures to procure some amelioration of the hardship 

 and inequalities to which many plantation rubber companies are 

 subject under the Excess Profits Duty provisions of the British 

 Finance Act of 1915, which imposes a uniform 10 per cent 

 standard on the basis of capital. Particular attention has always 

 been given to the interests of what have been termed "young 

 producer" companies which are so heavily hit by a datum line 

 based on the inadequate percentage standard allowed by tht 

 Board of Referees and figured on profits earned prior to the 



