Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-07
SECRETS WORTH MILLIONS
Che mieaI Formulas That Have Baffied
- Scientists for Centuries.

Che mieaI Formulas That Have Baffied
- Scientists for Centuries.
It was announced few weeks ago
that a distinguished chemist OF the
Imperial Technical school Of Moscow
had solved the problem Of making ar
tificial rubber, and that he, could sell
the new product at about Is 4d a
pound.
Yet, in spite Of this widely dissem-
ineted piece Of news, the price Of rub
Der remains pretty much the same,
says Tit Bits. The reason may be
found by examining the patent office
records. During the past ten or
twelve years nearly 500 patents for
artificial rubber have been taken out.
Substitutes have been made from
petroleum, from coal tar, turpentine,
peat, from nitrated linseed oil and by
treating cereals with phyalin.
The latter invention made consid-
erable sensation so long ago as 1905;
yet, judging by the constantly increas-
ing demand 70 rthe natural product, 1t
has had little effect upon the real rub
ber market.
The chemist working in his labora-
tory, can take any substance and an
alyze it-that is, break 1t up into Its
original constituents and tell you what
they are, and how much Of each ele-
ment the substance in question Is COM
posed Of.
But when 1t comes to building up
the original substance out Of its prime
constituents there he is at sea. BY
dint Of long and patient experiments,
or perhaps by pure chance, he may
succeed in reproducing some few nat
ural products, but that Is as far as he
can go. ...-
Indigo dye took many years to syn
theize. A German chemist accom-
plished it at last, but the curious dis
covery was made that, II blended with
the natural product made from the in
digo plant, the color produced was
both more durable and brighter than
that made by either dye alone. So
artificial indigo has not yet ruined the
indigo planter.
Artificial camphor has also been
produced. 1t Is now made from pine
tree turpentine. But the chemist has
not yet succeeded in synthesizing gutta
percha. This commodity grows year.
ly more rare. Enormous quantities
are required for making golf balls and
for the covering Of submarine cables.
A fortune awaits a clever man who
can make artificial gutta percha at
price which will allow 1t to compete
with the juice Of the Dichopis gutta.
Cork is another substance of every
day use which seems to defy the in
ventor. The only substitute for cork
is paper treated with paraffln wax.
But such cork could not be used for
a bottle of wine. So far nothing has
been artiflcially made to compete with
the bark Of the cork oak.
At Delhi, the new capital Of India,
stands an ancient iron monument,
which though exposed to all weathers,
never rusts or decays. Yet 1t has no
protective covering. Here is a secret
which would be simply invaluable to
the world, which has been discovered
by some Indian artificer of old time
and most unfortunately been lost.
At recent meeting Of the Iron and
Steel Institute, Mr.. Cushman said that
we could face the future with compla-
cency II we could rediscover the Sc
cret. To shipowners alone 1t would
mean a yearly saving of millions. Rust
is the great enemy Of the steel ship,
and she has constantly to go into dock
to have her hull coated with anti-cor-
rosive solution.
The mortar made by the ancients
defies our laboratory workers Of to-
day. Many ancient dyes are more
durable than any modern ones. and
Of these, too, we have lost the secret,
as we'll as of the wonderful and prac-
cally everlasting ink which was used
hy the monks NJ old