Evening star., 1942-05-09
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
By Thomas r. Henru.

Hundreds of ways to replace the Ma
tions lost rubber supply now are being
proposed.
But the majority of them are impracti-
cal, say experts of the United States
Bureau of Standards.
Perhaps anybody who could find a
quick, cheap way of making this product,
or obtaining it from nature, might be-
come millionaire overnight. Conse-
quently hundreds of persons are being
mulcted out of savings which they are
induced to invest in alleged synthetic
rubber processes.
Swindlers are using all the tricks of
the stage magician, the Government rub
Der experts say. Prospective investors
are invited to witness a demonstration
OF a secret process. They may be told
that the Government has not backed it
because the fellows in Washington are
out for their graft" The prospective
victim sees some cheap materials enter
closed and demonStrably empty cabinet
and excellent rubber emerge a short time
later.
1t is done, according to an explanation
from the bureaus rubber section. with
as much ease as magician brings a
rabbit from hat" They do not propose
TO tathom how it is done, but the swindle
has reached such extremes that warn
ing is considered essential.
Probably the majority of persons with
UNDERWRITING proposals, the bureau ex-
perts believe, are honest and well-mean-
ing, but they have no knowledge of the
complexities involved. For example, thev
say, many write them announcing tri-
umphantly that they have solved the
problem-rubber can be made from
mixture of vegetable oil and sulfur.
1t is true, says a statement issued bv
the bureau, that substance known as
1actlce which looks very much like rub
Der, can be produced quite cheaply in
this way. The process is at least 100
years old and is we'll known to every
rubber chemist. But the product is prac-
tlcaDy valueless and not subject to i'm
proVement. Anybody working in a
chemical laboratory may hit on the
method and become wildly excited.
New natural sources of rubber are
being announced all the time. Actually.
say the Bureau of Standards expeus.
there are thousands of plants which will
yield rubber-like substances. Hundreds
OF them have been investigated in the
ny>lt
yields large enough to justify their con-
Slderation even under extreme emergency
conditions
Ihere are many ways of making SYM
thetlc rubber, and anybody in the field
OF rubber chemistry is likely to hit on
one or more of them. Most of them al
ready have been tried and discarded.
Dozens OF them are tested by the bureau
chemists although they are 80 per cent
certain that the experiments will be
failures. They want to avoid any charge
that they are dogmatic and reactionary.
Anybody considering investing in a
rubber process, the bureau states. should
demand compliance with five steps:
l. An explicit written description OF
the proposed process and the yield to
be expected.
T. Review Of this description by a dis
interested chemist competent to say if
the process is in accord with known
scientific data.
g. II the process still appears practical
II should be tested by having a COM
petent laboratory repeat it independently
of the inventor.
4. If the process yields rubber as
claimed, samples should be tested to see
II 1t is OF any actual value.
D. II these tests are satisfactory. the
process should be operated on success
slVely larger scales until a scale is
reached in which it is produced in COM
mercial quantities.
Inc public simply must get over the
IDEA that rubber can be produced bv
waving magic wand, or pay for its
credulity, the bureau experts say.
Even the most practical process prob
ably would be dismal failure financially
unless these five steps were taken. they
insist. The Government does not propose
10 steal anybody's idea and anybody who
claims ne is keeping his process secret
10 protect investors probably is a swim
dler.
Ihe rubber the stock salesman dis
plays may be excellent. 1t would REQUIRE
an expert to say that it is not the result
OF the cheapest of slight-of hand tricks.