Evening star., 1940-06-06
First Tires Are Made
Of Synthetic Rubber;
U.S.. Defense Aid Seen
Price About One-Third
Higher, but Greater
Mileage Is Claimed
BY HOWARD P. BAILEY,
Star STAFF CbrresoonIept

NEW YORK, June 6.-Displaying
the mrs. automobile tires manufac-
tured exclusively from synthetic
rubber, John L. Collyer, president
Of the B. F. Goodrich Co., declared
last evening that the commercial
production of synthetic rubber
could be quickly expanded in case
OF emergency to supply the entire
demand for rubber in the United
States.
Addressing a group of 400 indus
trialists, scientists and Government
officials at the Waldorf Astoria, Mr..
Collyer revealed how petroleum,
which supplies the motive power for
automobiles and the oils to lubri-
cate the moving parts, now can sup
ply the essential basic material for
the manufacture of the rubber for
the tires on which the autos run.
During the cracking" step in the
processing of petroleum the natural
gas is recovered and from it COM
pound known as Butadiene is re-
moved This Butadiene. gas at
normal temperature, is liquef1ed at
a pressure of 40 pounds per square
inch. The liquid Butadiene is then
mixed with other gases contained in
natural gas and with soap having
a vegetable fat base. The emulsion
which results from the mixture is
treated with an acid, the nature Of
which was not disclosed, and lateX
similar to that produced from nat
ural rubber is precipitated. From
that point on the manufacture of
synthetic rubber follows the same
process as in the production of nat
ural rubber.
Product Named Liberty Rubber"
The Goodrich company has given
Its synthetic latex the name of
Ameripole and the finished product
Liberty Rubber 1t was disclosed
that the rubber has been in produc-
ton at pilot plant for about year
and half Now the first unit Of
large-scale production is under way
and by fall it is anticipated that be-
tween three and five tons of synthetic
rubber will be produced daily, or
enough, roughly, for a daily manu-
facture of 500 6OOxl6 tires
There was no claim that the new
tires would be lower in price than
those made from natural rubber.
To the contrary, it was admitted
that under present manufacturing
costs of Butadine the new tires
would probably be about one-third
higher in price The additional
cost, the company's experiments
were said to indicate, would be in
part offset by an increased mileage
of about IS per cent. The greater
resistance against heat and friction
claimed for the synthetic rubber was
credited with the greater mileage.
The point which Mr.. Collyer
stressed in his talk. however, was
not the immediate commercial ap-
plication of the new methods, but
rather the national defense benefits
to be derived from the guaranteeing
of source of rubber entirely inde-
pendent of importations.
United States Position Vulnerable.
The United States consumes
5000 tons of rubber year, or ap-
proximately half the entire world
consumption. OF this 80 per cent
comes from the East Indies, indi-
eating the vulnerable position of the
United States should this foreign
source be cut off suddenly.
The present plan of his company,
Mr.. Collyer stated, is to employ
from SO to 100 per cent in the manu-
facture of tires When lower per-
centages are employed the synthetic
rubber will be placed in the treads
and the side walls.