Substitutes!

Chemists Discuss Synthetic Rubber and Alternatives to Copra

THERE is disconcerting material for planters in the “Chemical Engineer ing and Mining Review”, of March 10, 1939.

Dr. James Rubinfield, of Amsterdam, in a review of European developments, insists that synthetic substances are dis placing rubber, coconut • oil, etc.

Germany is encouraging artificial rub ber (buna), and it is planned that every new motor car produced in Germany shall have buna tyres.

Poland, also, is erecting plants to pro duce synthetic rubber.

“Already blending of the ‘national’ synthetic rubber of Dembica, now being produced from methylated spirit by a Polish process, with natural rubber, to the extent of 10 per cent., has been made compulsory in this country, and the Stomil Co. will have to use this material in tyres according to the German model.”

Referring to Holland, Dr. Rubinfield says:—“Expansion of the palm oil in dustry on Sumatra has made remark able headway, so that it is taken for granted that within a short time the annual output of palm oil in the Nether lands Indies will be 250,000 tons, or halt of the world markets of this alkaloid.

“The big Ban-Indies cinchona and quinine industries have taken steps to preserve their monopolistic position on the world markets of this alkaloid.” It is indicated that cinchona plantations are developing in India, Formosa, Philippines, Belgium Congo, Australian New Guinea.

Russia, Bolivia, Peru, etc., and the Dutch are anxious about their quinine mono poly. A few years ago, they produced 97 per cent, of the world’s quinine. To-day. they have only 85 per cent.

The inclusion of New Guinea in the above list is interesting. So far as is known, the position is that the New Guinea Department of Agriculture has a large number of cinchona plants in its experimental plantation on the Ramu, but the Administration for some queer reason of its own, will not allow planters to obtain supplies of this valuable shrub.

Says Dr. Rubinfield:—“Another Dutch project of importance is the production of synthetic glycerine (of which copra is one valued source). The Dutch have large relations with international soap and margarine industries, and it mav be mentioned in passing that at Haifa.

Palestine, the putting up of a margarine plant has just been decided upon by the Unilever concern. However, the Shell De velopment Co., of Emeryville. California, has announced that it is, even at the present low world prices for soap lye glycerine, possible to manufacture com mercial glycerine from petroleum gases (propylene, etc.), leaving a comfortable margin for profitable commercial opera tion. This is a very uncomfortable news for the manufacturers of oils and fats (e.g., palm-oil, copra).

It would be well to remember that this source of information is wholly scientific. The commercial chemist never will acknowledge that the synthetic pro duct —cloth, rubber, oil, etc.—is not as good as the product of nature. But there will be, always, a market for natural rubber, vegetable oil, silk, wool, and so on. Substitutes may live; but they are indicative only of an expanding market and ever-widening consumption.

Mr. C. H. Beach has been appointed to the position of City Engineer at Suva, Fiji, after serving many years in the City Engineers’ Department at Welling ton, N.Z.

Dr. E. Ford, of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Sydney University, who has been making a health survey among the natives of Papua for the past nine months on be half of the Australian Government, re turned to Sydney by the “Bulolo” on April 17,