ANILINE DYES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 103, 24 January 1918, Page 6

ANILINE DYES

CAPTURING GERMAN SECRETS. Referring to a cable message published recently, in regard to the discovery of the secrets of tho Gorman method of making aniline dyes. Mr. Moore Sykos. the Australian manager for Britisli Dyes, Limited, explains in the Melbourne "Argus" that he would be inclined to accept with considerable reserve the statements made in this and a previous cable message on the same subject. Mr. Sykes stated that j laboratory experiments would not enable the manufacture of dyes on a ! commercial scale to be undertaken, for . a formula was only part of the busi- | ness, and without a knowledge of the ; trade secrets connected with the process of manufacture a formula itself would be of but little value To guard these secrets the greatest care was taken, not only in German, but in British dye works aiso. The "intermediates" were made up hv a nuinbur of chemists working independently, and each ono was compelled to conlino himself to his particular part of tin: work. For instance, it would be impossible for him to vißit tho various laboratories and make himself acquainted with the manufacture of a particular dye. There has been a scarcity of synthetic dyes since the outbreak of 'thn war, hut Mr. Sykes sn,i\s that, this is due solely to the dit lic'ulty of obtaining the raw materia! for cominoreial purposes, for thosibeing required for high explosives were now to a large extent commandeered for war purposes. Ono result of the difficulty of obtaining synthetic dyes has boon a reversion to Mm old vegetable dyes which for many yours had gone out of use. Not only bus there been a reversion to the old dvr , but also to tho old dyers. Many men who had retired from the vegetable, dye trade, Mr. Sykes states, have returned to active life, and their services Iμvo been of tho greatest value, for they possess a knowledge of Hie practicable application of vegetable dyes which is not shared by the younger generation, whoso experience has been gained mainly with synthetic dyes.