The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-11-17
Synthetic Rubber's
 Future Not Doomed
Rumors Heralding Post War Death Called Unfounded
 and Contradictory Of Real Issue

Akron. O., Nov. 17-Any rumor or statement charging that the need for synthetic rubber will stop with the termination of the present war emergency ignore the most import ant factor of the entire rubber in- dustry's future.
 This factor, according to state ment released here today by the Hycar Chemical Company, Ameri- ca's largest private producer of the butadiene type synthetic, is the su- periority of synthetic rubber over the natural product established in innumerable industrial applications before the war. Lack of knowledge of the actual facts, the statement says, is the cause for many Had vised opinions, some of them by persons in positions of considerable public prominence.
 '"The real issue" Hycar officials point out, "is whether the synthetic has sufficient merit of its own to justify its continued production. This is the only consideration which can have U bearing on the matter"
 Comparing synthetic and natural rubber on merit alone removes all doubt as to the future of the syn thetic, according to the company.
 "The handmade rubber is per forming in services today which even prior to the war were far out of reach of the natural product. As 8 result" the statement says, "an entirely new field of service for resilient materials has been created by synthetics."
 Resistance to oil and gasoline is said to be one of the many out standing superiorities of the sym thetics over the natural product. This advantage, it is stated, assures 8 longer service life for resilient materials in the countless applica- tions where they are in contact with oil or gasoline, or both.
 Not only is longer service life assured, but the efficiency of its operation is reported increased. In the presence of oil or gasoline, na- tural rubber has tendency to swell and disintegrate whereas the effect on the oil-resistant synthetics is said to be imperceptib!e. The im- portance of this difference will be apparent, the statement says, in any oil or gasoline application where retention of design and strength requirements are vital.
 Superior resistance to abrasion is another property which may be ob taiEed with synthetics, the state nlent says, end this will further as- sure the materials future. Field performance studies, as well as iahors tory abra.on tests. are said to prove without question this property of some synthetics. Such tests, according to the company. show that several Hycar synthetic rubbers have approximately 50 per- cert greater resistance to abrasion than natural rubber.
 The mater of resistance to effects of heat. the company points out, is c4-t SiSAl44Ca4!G d1tC SllOu1u DS Ill., cluded in any appraisal intended to judge the valGe of important in- oustrial materials.
 Heat service tests leave no doubt as to the superiority of certain syn theticS. Natural runb Is consid erably soitened at 2i2 degrees Fahrerheit, (the boiling point of Water), While the Eycar oil-resist- ant synthetics show little change When heated for few hours at 300 6e grees Fahrenheit. natural rubber becomes unserviceabie, lo:ing all of its elastic properties and tensile strength. Under the same test, the Hycar synthetic is practically un- affected and can withstand these temperatures for several days with out serious impairment of proper ties.
 'The foregoing established super iorities which can be achieved with synthetics, not to mention others which could readily be cited, leave no question as to whether or not we shall have synthetic rubber after the war.
 ''The significance and possibilities of the synthetics have only begun