

THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[Dkcember 1, 1914. 



RUBBER SOLVENTS IN GERMANY DURING THE 



WAR. 



IN addition to a shortage of rubber in Germany it appears 

 that the question of solvents i- also pressing. With char 

 acteristii thoroughness the German scientists are studying 

 this lesser phase of the rubber problem and trying to find a 

 solution. 



1 ine might think that with the import of crude rubber 

 absolutely shut off this all important question would entirely 

 occup} the German mind, bul no) so. The smallest detail 

 is carefully worked out by the scientist in co-operation with 

 the government or with the large firms. 



It must be remembered that Germanj produces practically 

 no petroleum within her borders, that Austria-Hungary in 

 the province of Galicia is a large producer, but that this 

 province was overrun by the Russians, who have seemingly 

 retreated from some parts; but it is sale to say that what 

 they left was not ol much value, and product ion will be crip- 

 there for a long time. Rumania seems to be becoming 

 also more unfriendly since the death of the ruler, so that the 

 gasoline problem is increasingly more serious. This war is 

 t on gasoline as the motive power to a large extent. 



i . rmany has an immense coal tar industry, but this consists 

 in manufacturing the crude materials into high-priced articles 

 like dyes and medicines. Germany lias tor years imported 

 England a largi amount of crude coal tar products. 

 Therefore the coal tar product- will he substituted for gasoline 

 tor motors: hut this is only a drop in the bucket compared 

 with the gasoline requirements. As showing the recognition 

 of this condition and the preparation for it it is said that the 

 Committee on Provision of War Necessites wheh was ap- 

 pointed by the German Government to look out for the future 

 needs started up the Belgian coke ovens at Liege within two 

 after the Germans took the town. This will furnish coal 

 tar a- a 1> product, which will in turn furnish the benzol and 

 or s]urit. 



Dr. Fr. I rank and Dr. E. Marckwald, of Berlin, have discussed 

 this problem in the columns of "Gummi Zeitung" of recent 

 date. Some of their remarks will be abstracted here, as they 

 may supply useful hints for the American trade and will at 

 least inform us of what is being done abroad. 



I oal tar benzol mixed with gasoline has been extensively 

 ti-ed in motors in France and Germany, as have also alcohol 

 and benzol mixed and separate: but alcohol only furnishes 

 about six tenths the power per gallon that gasoline does 

 The German Government took possession of all stocks of 

 benzol and gasoline on the outbreak of the war. so that all 

 manufacturing of rubber articles requiring solution stopped. 

 Plants wr ment contracts were allowed to use SOm< 



solvents vvhen i i but were obliged to exercise caution and 



not waste anything. 



It is now thought that Germany and Austria may be able 

 e substitute product-. With this in view an 

 effort will be made to use thosi less volatile. It is believed 

 that the Xylenes, which bod at about 140 deg. C, would be 

 suitable solvents and might be supplied at a reasonable price. 

 It is said that there is no hope of the rubber manufacturers 

 getting any benzine, or what we call naphtha, except wdiat is 

 allowed to those who an working on government contracts. 



Carbon tetra-chloride is discussed, but as it is remarkably 

 heavy and the fumes and \. disagreeable, it is thus 



obje* and while it dissolves crude rubber satisfac- 



torily yet in cold vulcanization it penetrates deeply and the 

 product is usually too hard. Fusel oil is also thought of. but 

 its supplj i- to' limited. The terpines are also mentioned 

 with the statement that their boiling point is too high. 



Carbon bisulphide is also recommended in spile of its odor 



and poisonous character, and the danger of fire. It is said 

 that industrial hygiene litis progressed in Germany to such a 

 point that this can now be used with safety. Mixing with car- 

 bon tetra-chloride is recommended so as to reduce danger 

 of fire. 



In a later article these same authors state that as the supply 

 of benzine (or gasoline I litis been found to be sufficient for use 

 in the army, some benzol may be supplied to the rubber manu- 

 facturers, who will thus be enabled to continue operations. The 

 objections to benzol and xylol have been overcome to a great 

 extent by the rubber manufacturers though these are found to 

 retain w titer much more than the naphthas. 



A mixture of equal parts of carbon bi-sulphide and carbon 

 tetra-chloride having a specific gravity of 1.4123 has been 

 found to be the most suitable mixture of these two solvents, 

 but lire risk- are not entirely eliminated and the odors are 

 quite disagreeable. Five per cent, alcohol added to this mix- 

 ture is said to have remarkable influence on the solvent prop- 

 erties and the viscosity. Considerable quantities of rubber are 

 said to dissolve in this mixed solvent in a few minutes, form- 

 ing a clear and thin solution Fear is expressed that the 

 alcohol mixture may cause some trouble on account of the 

 residue of water thus introduced into the rubber. The ex- 

 periments were made with absolute alcohol. The latest in- 

 formation is that heavy benzine will be allowed to be used 

 in technical work. 



GROWTH OF GERMAN RUBBER IMPORTS. 



Recent figures of the German Statistical Office show that the 

 national population has grown from 62.900,000 in the middle of 

 1908, to 67.800,000 at the same period of 1914, being an increase 

 of 4,900,000, or more than 7 per cent. This increase of popula- 

 tion litis been accompanied by a growth in the imports of raw ma- 

 terials, particularly rubber. 



German - rubber imports for the last 5 years were: 



Quantity Value 



1909 tons 15.500 $33,700,000 



1910 18.70.1 55.500.000 



1911 20.000 42,387,500 



1912 20.600 40.675.000 



1913 20.500 24,800,000 



Within the last 5 years the German imports of rubber have 

 thus increased in quantity, while they show^ a falling off in value. 



Exports from German East Africa. Camerun and Togo rep- 

 resented: 1909, 2,138.7 tons; 1910, 2,840.4 tons; 1911, 3,709.5 tons; 

 1912, 4,180.2 tons. 



GERMANY'S CABLE EXPORTS. 



According to English statistics, the total German exports of 

 electrical machinery and apparatus for 1913 represented a weight 

 of 133.855 tons and a value of $69,000,000; of which land cables 

 weighed 47.571 tons and had a value of $9,550,000. The chief 

 countries to wdiich this quantity was exported were: Holland, 

 6,955 tons; Argentina, 6,835; Norway. 3.655; Japan. 3,724; Dutch 

 Indies. 3.616; Sweden. 2.281, and British South Africa, 1.195— 

 the exports to these countries representing about 70 per cent, of 

 the total weight. In addition, there wen 4.739 tons of submarine 

 exported. German electrical exports had increased in 

 a iout 50 per cent, since 1910. 



SHOW CASE FOR RUBBER HEELS AND TIPS. 



A German has recently taken out a patent in his country for 

 a show case constructed to hold all the different sizes of rubber 

 heels and tips made for the German trade. The purpose of the 

 case is to make it possible for the salesman to find in a moment 

 the exact size of heel or tip required. 



