362 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist, 



61,500 TONS OF PLANTATION ROBBER. 



The world's aunual consumption stands now at 

 about 70,000 tons. Now our estimates of pro- 

 bable outputs have been very conservative, and 

 we have taken no account of additional acreage 

 which might be tappable in 1913. but it is clearly 

 very improbable that the total output of plan- 

 tation rubber in 1913 will do more than equal 

 the present world's consumptiou of rubber. 

 That consumption, in the natural course of 

 events, may be expected to increase by 1913, 

 and then, of course, there is the question of 

 the price. No one in his senses supposes that 

 the present price oi rubber will be maintained 

 for ever. We have seen various estimates of the' 

 probable average prices of rubber during 

 the next few years, in technical journals, in 

 prospectuses and elsewhere. We think we 

 are perfectly safe in estimating that the ave- 

 rage price for plantation in 1913 will not 

 be less than three shillings, or two shillings 

 per pound profit on a well-managed estate. At 

 three shillings per lb. any number of new uses for 

 rubber would be found practicable, and experts 

 are agreed that a heavy drop in price would be 

 followed by a largely increased consumption. 

 We have, of course, only dealt with the question 

 generally, and all estimates must necessarily be 

 somewhat vague, but we think we have produced 

 enough facts to show that the question of over- 

 production is not one which need be considered 

 for some years to come. — Malay Mail, Aug. 25. 



A NEW PROCESS FOR PRODUCING 

 PURE RUBBER. 



A London chemist, Mr U Aubrey Elias, 

 F.C.S., of 123, Waller Street, New Cross, 

 claims to have discovered a new process for pro- 

 ducing pure rubber. Ho has given to a Press As- 

 sociation representative some interesting parti- 

 culars concerning his discovery, which, he says, 



WILL REVOLUTIONISE THE METHOD OF RUBBER 

 PROPUCTION. 



His invention relates to a new process 

 for instantaneously coagulating Para rubber 

 latex, while it incidentally retards fermen- 

 tative changes, which are attributed to the 

 presence of sugars, proteids and other impuri- 

 ties that are by this method apparently removed 

 or rendered inert in the finished product. The 

 process produces a superfine rubber and tends 

 to convert all "Para fine" latex into a uniform 

 standard and staple quality. This in., thod uti- 

 lises all the latex, and abstracts a considerable 

 portion of moisture from the caoutchouc, thus 

 greatly faciliting the process of drying. The 

 mother liquid is left quite clear and transparent, 

 and maybe used again with advantage for coagu- 

 lating a further supply of the rubber milk. A 

 single grain of this substance, if used in the pure 

 or concentrated form, will almost instantane- 

 ously coagulate several hundred tim6s its own 

 weight of Para rubber milk. 



Mr Elias explained that several rubber pro- 

 ducing countries, such as Amazona and Ceylon, 

 have recently devoted a great deal of attention 

 to obtaining rubber in the pure form. The diffi- 



culty in this respect is due to the fact that co- 

 agulation of the milk or latex from the trees 

 takes place slowly and the rubber retains a cer- 

 tain amount of albuminous matter and other im- 

 purities. This proteid matter is responsible for 

 the development of micro-organisms, causing 

 "tackiness" or "heating'' of the raw rubber. 

 Fresh latex contains from I '9 to 27 per cent of 

 albuminous matter, or approximately 3 to 4 per 

 cent of the dried coagulated product. The un- 

 desirable conditions have been overcome by the 

 new method, which is inexpensive and economi- 

 cal, saving much time and labour by doing 

 in a few minutes what hitherto took about 

 24 hours to accomplish satisfactorily. 



IMMEDIATE COAGULATION OF THE RUBBER CAN 

 NOW BE EFFECTED, 



and the coagulum may be at once pressed free 

 from moisture, and dried without further treat- 

 ment. The caoutchouc, he states, does not un- 

 dergoany deterioration, and the quality is much 

 improved both in appearance and elasticity, 

 elements of considerable importance to the 

 factors when selecting the raw material in the 

 market for manufacturing into articles which 

 are now almost indispensable to mankind. 



At present the rubber is produced mainly by 

 two methods, by drying the milk in thin layers 

 in the presence of the antiseptic vapour of bur- 

 ning palm, or by the use of acetic acid. Both 

 processes are faulty. In the case of the first, 

 rubber, which is obviously dark in appearance, 

 is obtained, while in addition the operation, 

 which is tedious, is exceedingly detrimental to 

 the health of the native producers, about 3 per 

 .cent of whom die from phthisis or other dis- 

 eases which are the result cf the conditions 

 under which they labour. In regard to the 

 second process, the fact that the amount of pure 

 acetic acid necessary for the coagulation is so 

 difficult to gauge forms a most serious drawback, 

 apart altogether fr< m the troubles which often 

 arise in connection with the transit and use of 

 the acid. Mr Elias declares the now method 



HAS NONE OF THE DRAWBACKS OF THE OLD 

 PROCESSES, 



although it will not be more costly. The rubber 

 produced is better, and consequently fetches a 

 higher figure. The market price of best Para 

 rubber ranges from 7s 6d to 8s per lb , and rub- 

 ber produced by the new process has realised 4d 

 per lb. more. Analyses of two samples show that 

 they contained no proteids, and the analyst, in 

 his report states : "These rubbers should have 

 a high market value, particularly as they con- 

 tain no undesirable albuminous matter, and are 

 not likely to decompose or become 'tacky.'" 

 The fact that decomposition will not set in is 

 due to the absence of proteid matter, rubber 

 produced under the new method thus being 

 superior to that obtained under the old in this 

 respect, and also because any analine colour can 

 be added to the milk. Consequently, it is not 

 surprising that 15 per cent more should be offered 

 for rubber produced by means of the new 

 method. Questioned as to the general effect of 

 this invention, Mr. Elias remarked that it would 

 revolutionise the process of rubber production, 

 and he expressed the opinion that in course of 



