Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-09
SYNTHETIC RUBBER
EXPER|MENTSFA|L
Science Unable to Discover
Product to Relieve Worlds
Shortage.

Science so far has failed to discover
synthetic product TO relieve the
worlds rubber shortage. the American
Chemical Society was told today.
John VI. Bierer Of Boston. chairnan
Of the society's rubber division. who
presided at world symposium on
raw rubber declared rubber technolo.
world shortage through synthetic rub
Der.
Up to the present" Mr. Bierer
declared. not single pound OF syn
thetic rubber suitable for the manu-
facture Of rubber tires has been made,
The synthetic age has not yet over
taken the rubber industry and there
Is no indication that 1t is likely to
do so"
Some Hope for Future.
Speakers at the symposium agreed,
however. that there were three factors
that would materially aid in meeting
the rubber shortage.
The most promising source. it was
stated, was guayule rubber obtained
from the guayule shrub now being
grown in New Mexico. Texas and
southern California. The chemistry
ri guayue rubber was described by
David Spence. general manager of the
Eorwalk Tire and Rubber Co., Nor
walk, Conn.
The second method of increasing
the worlds supply of rubber, it was
said. was through substitutes for raw
rubber, not necessarily synthetic.
Thirdly, it was explained, the in
dustry vas looking for relief through
reclaimed rubber. But. il was pointed
out. there has been no real develop
ments in reclaimed rubber in % wears.
science having failed TO discover a
method of reversing the effects OF
vulcanizing to bring back rubber to
it's original condition.
Through research" Mr.. Bierer told
the symposium. lit is believed a
means will be discovered to reverse
the vulca nization and get back the
rubber more nearly to its first state.
The supply of crude and reclaimed
rubber then would he much more
than equal to the consumption.
Great Lag" i'm Production.
"One big difficulty in connection
with consumption and production is
that there is a tremendous lag in pro
1uction. In other words. trees planted
In 1921 only commence 10 bear IN
1926" he said.
Dr H NJ. Nhiteferd of New YORK.
exnert Of the Rubber Association Of
America. giving the results of an m
vestieation of rubber-groWlng possl
hjlittes in South America. mace pA
thN Department Of Commerce, eA-
rressed the view that the labor sup
,,lv 1T Brazil was inadequate TO ma
terialy increa Sc production. ana tina,
The government OF Brazil wouio no;
enter into an agreement with capI'a
such as to justify investment III pa"
tations. ,lh 10 ,he
,.r;cal source of supply. as rubber
rrou-s naturally there. From the com
n,ercial point of view, he S2ld' pos
y;hi,;ties of obtaining increaseh sup
nl;es of rubber from South Amer "a
were small.
Research Work Described.
nr A. van Rossem OF Dent, to-,
land told of the results OF reseai. ..
IA raw rubber at the lnstitu'e
ducted by the government :" ~
Netherlands. Sulphur WAS lou,'u ~
Re present in raw ruppe'' rs art.in
!, .Tss proved that iron under ceI'aii'
conditions has a detrimental eHect. ~
roost comparable with that OF copper
the rubber becoming tachy.
Henry p. Stevens of LONDON. ao-
y,ser for the Rubber Growers Asso
citation of England, which produces %
.a. ca,t of the worlds rubber. SAID
present methods OF production OF
ala ntation rubber were on the whoie
satisfactory and radical alteration ol
the methods in use were unlikely ne
aim, he said. was greater uniiofmnH
In all respects and freedom from
hlemishes. o,,;.
r. r, Dinsmoor of Akron. ONO.
of tho society :
ruhher division for next year; ~. L.
risher of Akron, was chosen vice
president, and A. H. Smith, also OF
Akron, secretary.
Potash Problem Discussed.
Small potash chemical plants. stu
sted strategically with respect 10 the
agricultural areas to be served ana
operating on nearby raw materials
and producing by-products TO snare
the costs OF the potash produced, Is
the only way this country can nope
10 effect its complete emancipation
from the German French monopoly.
according to j. W. Turrentine. direc-
Tor of potash investigations. United
states Department of Agriculture.
Recently discovered Texas deposits
~ ash were described by MIR. Tur-
rentine. but he expressed the opinion
that the agricultural industry or
America never could be supplied with
potash from a single source. Texas
potash, he asserted. however, would
make the agricultural Southwest In
dependent Of the German product.
Potash production today. he de.
clared was chemical problem and
no longer a purely mining operation.
and he urged the development of by
products to help meet the cost OF
rota sh production.
The iron age is about TO pass be-
Cor the advance Of the age OF alloys,
the society was told Yesterday.
DR.. Irving Langmuir. assistant
director Of the General Electric co.
research laboratory. Schenectady. \.
r. in telling of the dawn of the new
era. declared the plain metals no
longer are sufficient for the worlds
work.
He envisoned the day when sky
scrapers would he constructed OF
allowed steel welded together instead
If riveted With the elimination Of
he noisy riveter. he said. our cities
would become better places in which
10 live.
Farmers in the storm swept areas
= Porto Rico are busy rebuilding.