Evening star., 1942-06-14
Permanent Role
For Synthetic
Rubber Seen
PIonts Will Remuin
Busy After Peace,
Scientists Soy
BY FRANK MacMILLEN,


But beneath the confusion, like
the onrushing stream, American
ingenuity is forcing its way toward
a solution of one of the most
urgent problems the war has
brought-how to keep our pneu-
matic-tired economy rolling.
The American driver has been
told so often he should know by
now that none of the developments
mean tires for him-not for the
present. All new methods of add
ing to our rubber supply now can
mean only that we more nearly will
meet the ever-expanding demands
of Americas growing Army.
What they may mean in the fu-
ture is something else again.
An eminent rubber scientist, who
declined use Of his name, pointed
out that when the japanese finally
are pushed out of the East Indies
rubber forests, they may practice a
"scorched earth" policy that will
mean no natural rubber from that
area for generation. Foreign OBJ
servers expect tndt.
Whether that's to happen re-
mains to be SEEN" he commented.
But we've got to be ready to make
up with synthetics for such a po-
tential loss. We will be ready.
Improvements Foreseen.
When all the new plants now
being built are shaken down. tech
nlcal advances are bound to come"
The synthetics experts look for a
lot of business after the war no
matter whether natural rubber
again becomes available.
These plants won't all be shut
down after the war" they point
out, but will operate on a value
basis.
Consider this: Right now syn
thetic rubber doesn't equal natural
rubber. But, if we can turn out a
product that lasts say 30 per cent
longer than natural rubber in any
given use, and is only 20 per cent
more expensive, which would you
use?
For that matter. there's a good
fair chance that synthetic will get
down to around IS cents a pound
after the war"
One expert predicted at least 100
varieties of synthetic rubber will be
made for 100 specific purposes" after
the war
Dr.. Willard Dow, head Of Dow
Chemical Co.. goes even further:
Il doubt If we shall ever return
to natural rubber after the war, no
matter how abundant it may be-
come" he said in announcing de-
velopments in the manufacture of
thiokol.
Discovered by Accident.
The accidental discovery of THO
kol in itself is story.
The inventor. DR.. J. c. Patrick Of
the Thiokol Corp. was trying to
make a cheap anti-freeze solution.
Another straw in the current was
Standard Oil Co. IN. j. scientists
recent announcement of a new tech
nique that may more than double
the output of butadiene from certain
refinery operations
Butadiene. which can be made
from refinery gas or alcohol from
potatoes, grains, sugar or molasSes.
is the basis of Standards "butyl"
rubber. and of the buna rubbers. "N'
and IS" which will help build
Americas war machine and may
help give you new tires in a few
years.
E. r. Bridgewater. manager Of the
rubber chemicals division of E. I.
du Pont de Nemours & Co.-which
makes a fifth major synthetic, neo-
prene-commented that hundreds of
other good synthetic substitutes have
been made in laboratories of the va
rious companies which have tackled
the problem.
Reclaiming Speeded.
To bridge the gap between the
current small synthetic's output and
the tremendous volume of needs. re-
claiming will be stepped up. Natisn-
wide gas rationing. which may come.
would have as its chief purpose saw
ing for Army and other essential use
the rubber left on Americas motor
car wheels, recognized as our biggest
potential backlog.
President Roosevelt has announced
a Nation wide scrap collection cam
paign to get rubber for the reclaim
ing plants.
The President asked that in the
two weeks beginning Monday every
bit of rubber you can possibly spare
be turned into the nearest filling
station. which would turn 1t IN Tor
reclaiming.
He said no one knew how much
was available.
"Once the rubber is in We will
know what our supplies OF used
rubber are and we will make our
plans accordingly" the Chief Ex-
ecutive explained. and pointed out
that modern wars cannot be won
without rubber"
South America. Central America.
Ceylon and the British African COL
onies have been called upon to In
crease their production OF the nat
ural product.
So, while you shouldn't get your
hopes too high, nor waste the rub
Der remaining on your present tires.
don't let the controversy obscure the
little things which show the way
the current Of development flows.
Perhaps these were clues: In Ohio
major rubber company swung its
synthetics plant into operation. .
The worlds largest oil company
started operations of plant to make
synthetic rubber raw materials from
petroleum; 80 similar plants are In
various stages. ;. The Agriculture
Department planted hundreds OF
acres of guayule in California. :.
More than 1000 pounds of old tires
from Britain arrived at an American
reclaiming plant.