We Waste What Nazis Use

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 306, 28 December 1939, Page 10

We Waste What Nazis Use

SYDNEY, Dec. 5. “It seems extraordinary that Germany should be so advanced and that we should be so backward,’' Mr. A. R. Penfold, Curator of tho Technological Museum, told members of the Millions Club. Mr. Penfold recently returned from a world tour. In Nuremburg, he said, a factory recovered 10001 b. of solvent from paint lacquers iu eight hours, while in Heideiburg a gasworks recovered 20001 b. of crudo benzol in 24 hours. “ Thore seems a great waste of material here,” Mr. Penfold continued. “From carbide, which is made from limestone and coal, tho Germans make alcohol, acetic acid, ether, plastics, synthetic fibres, artificial silk, resin and rubber. * * There is a lesson for ourselves. We have considered the use of coal to obtain petrol, but we might consider making other products from coal.” Textiles from Glass. A synthetic fibre with all the properties of wool had not yet been obtained, added Mr. Penfold, but the fibres were not very far removed from being a very effective competitor with wool. As tho fibres gave the best results when mixed

with wool this might mitigate the lessened consumption of wool. Tho outstanding achievement of our time, he considered, was the production of glass textiles in America. “They will have considerable economic use, on account of their resistance to wear,” he said. “I saw magnificent curtains, and a table cover that was ash and cigarette proof.”