PETROLEUM — FIELD 251 



and because of openings remaining between the fibers, adequate 

 ventilation is assured. 



Rust prcA-entives are another group of products designed for war 

 service. Protection against rust has always been a problem but it 

 was made more difficult by military requirements. Metal objects both 

 large and small had to stand shipping on boats all over the world where 

 exposure to salty air and high humidity was ideal for rapid rust 

 formation. Practically all metal articles used by the armed forces 

 were coated with one of many rust preventives developed, and in many 

 instances the rust preventive was subsequently removed before use of 

 the article, adding to the problem. Practically all these rust preven- 

 tives contained a petroleum base. The knowledge gained here should 

 find ready application in preserving metal machinery such as farm 

 tools and machinery frequently stored for long periods without use. 



Two new developments in the field of asphalt are prefabricated air- 

 port runways and asphalts which will satisfactorily coat wet stone. 

 In the first development burlap is saturated with asphalt, coated with 

 small stones and rolled up as is common asphalt roll roofing for ship- 

 ment. It is put down by employing a 60 percent overlap and cement- 

 ing together with an asphalt cut-back. A large amount of this was 

 employed by the armed forces. 



The nonstripping type of asphalt contains additives which increase 

 its adhesion to stone, even if applied when the latter is wet. Roads 

 may thus be laid in rainy weather and in addition give better and longer 

 service. 



Other developments in processing materials derived from petroleum 

 include plasticizers and softeners for synthetic rubbers, special oils 

 that are heavier than water for mosquito control, and high refractive 

 index oils for use in examining quartz crystals which are cut into 

 oscillators to control wave length in radar and radio equipment. 



SYNTHETIC RUBBER FROM PETROLEUM 



Much has been written about this country's synthetic-rubber indus- 

 try, claimed by some before the atomic bomb announcement to be the 

 greatest technical achievement of all time. Large quantities of buta- 

 diene and styrene were needed to make the Government's all-purpose 

 rubber known as GR-S. There are several methods of producing 

 butadiene from petroleum but the best method consists in dehydro- 

 genating certain C4 hydrocarbons to form butadiene. As an example 

 of the commercialization of butadiene production the Government- 

 owned plant of the Neches Butane Products Company producing 

 butadiene from petroleum is rated at 100,000 tons of butadiene per year 

 and has produced at a rate far in excess of this. New uses for 

 butadiene can be expected now that this material is commercially 



