ANILINE DYES.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 February 1918, Page 6

ANILINE DYES.

THE RECENT REPORTS. Referring to a cable message published a few days ago in regard to the discovery of the secrets of the German method of making aniline dyea, Mr. Moore Sykas. the Australian manager for British Dyes limited, has explained to the Melbourne Argus that he would be inclined to accept with considerable reserve the statements made in this and a previous cable messag on the same .subject. Mr. Rykes stated that laboratory experiments would no't enable the manufacture of dyes on a commercial scale to be undertaken, for a formula was only part of the business, and without a knowledge of the trade secrets connected with the process of manufacture a formula itself would lie of but little value. To guard these secrets the greatest care was taken, not only in German, but in Britisli dye works also. The "intermediates" were made up by a number of chemists working independently, and each one was compelled ■to confine himself strictly to his particular part of the work. For instance, it would be impossible for him to visit the various laboratories and make liimsclf acquainted with the manufacture of a particular dye. There had been a scarcity of synthetic dyes since the outbreak of the war. but Mr. Sykes says that this is due solely to the difficulty of obtaining the raw. material for commercial purposes, for these being required for high explosives were now to a large extent commandeered for war purposes. One result of the difficulty of obtaining synthetic dyes had been a reversion to the old vegetable dyes which for many years had gone out of ire. Xot only has there been a reversion to the old dyes, but also to the old dyers. Many men who had long retired' from the vegetable dye trade. Mr. Sykes states, have returned to active life, and their services have been of the greatest value, for they possess a knowledge of the practicable application of vegetable dyes which is not shared by the younger generation, whose experience has been sained mainly with svnthetic dves.