SYNTHETIC RUBBER

Evening Star, Issue 24283, 26 August 1942, Page 4

SYNTHETIC RUBBER

HEARTENING DEVELOPMENTS Last night, at the Dunedin Orphans’ Club. Mr R. J. Laurenson delivered a most interesting address on the subject of synthetic rubber. Ho said that before Japan entered the war, 50 per cent, of’the world’s natural rubber was produced in British Malaya, 30 per cent, in the Dutch East Indies, aiid 4 per cent, in America. Every Eastern rubber-producing country, except Ceylon, he said, was now held by Japan. Before the war the policy adopted by the British and the Dutch had been to prohibit the growing of rubber outside Malaya and the East Indies as a means of prelecting the trade there, but Mr Henry Ford had financed a rubber planting scheme in South America. As the trees took seven years to reach production, the speaker considered that a supply from these plantations could not be anticipated for some time yot. SYNTHETIC DEVELOPMENT. Synthetic rubber researches had occupied scientists for about 80 years, developing a means of production on a commercial scale, continued Mr Laurenson. The first important discovery made was when it was found that rubber was a hydrocarbon like petroleum. In 1914 rubber-starved Germany had been able to follow up this fact by producing 3,000 tons of rubber from chemicals extracted from limestone, coal, and tarbut at an enormous cost. When Hitler arrived on the scene, German scientists resumed the quest, and event,ually a new process was discovered by which synthetic rubber was made from the same basic materials, but at a more economical cost. Some of the great American petrol syndicates became interested in the production of synthetic rubber, so that the Allies now owed it to the Germans that there was a basic synthetic rubber industry in the United Stales. In various countries many different kinds of synthetic rubbers were being made, each having its own peculiar qualities and characteristics. In Russia one typo was a product of grain, the Americans had another evolved from a petroleum derivative. The American typo was suitable for the making of tyres for motor trucks, but because it "could not resist the action of heat the lining of the tyre had to be made of natural rubber. The latest synthetic rubber made in the United Slates was called Buna S. and it had enormous commercial potentialities, The rights for its manufacture wore held by the Standard Oil Company, and while natural rubber could be produced at 22 cents per pound Buna S could be made at ’ six cents, the marketable price probably being from 10 to 12 cents per pound. At present, cars with tyres made from Buna S could not bo driven at more than 35 miles an hour, but in the future' this handicap would doubtless be overcome. UNITED STATES REQUIREMENTS. At least 800,000 tons of rubber were Used annually for civilian purposes in the Untied States, and in addition 600,000 tons were required by the army, so the position there was serious. It was hoped to relieve the strain a little by collecting scrap rubber, and it was calculated that upwards of 300,000 tons could be gathered if the public co-operatod. Stocks of raw rubber which had been built up •before Japan took Malaya would last only until the end of this year. Plants for the making of synthetic rubber had been sot up in Canada and the United States, 700,000,000 dollars being devoted to this purpose, but it would take three years for them to be brought into operation. An appeal was made by the speaker to the members of the Dunedin Orphans’ Club to do all they could towards the collection of scrap rubber, and so help the war effort in New Zealand.