Rubber industry

“ Our manufacturers supplied the Canadian demand for rubber goods until, under the stimulus of heavy protective duties, rubber works were established beyond the border, since which time, to quote a leader in the trade in the United States, "the methods of the Dominion rubber industry have mirrored the best practice in our country." Hence it seems not unreasonable to conclude that if the Canadians are using so large a percentage of reclaimed rubber, they are doing no more nor less than the older and larger concerns here. ”

“ Rubber manufacturing is peculiarly an American industry. South America gave us the original rubber trees, and the one man who, more than any other, was responsible for making rubber useful was the American, Charles Goodyear. To-day, two-thirds of the entire output of rubber is sold to the United States, whose manufactured rubber goods set the standard for the whole world. ”

“ In spite of the wonders which rubber has already accomplished, and the adventures, which have colored its history, only the beginning of the romance of rubber has been told. The plantation industry is still in its infancy, and experiments are constantly being made to determine the best methods of planting, the most fruitful number of trees to the acre, the most advantageous way of tapping. In the laboratories of the great rubber manufacturers, scientists are at work improving old methods of using rubber and devising new ones. ”

“ The making of rubber goods is an important industry in all these countries. America is well ahead as the biggest importer and manufacturer. Germany and Austria also have some fine factories, and both were big importers of raw rubber in pre-war days.
Rubber passes through many hands during its long journey to market. First it has to be sent to the chief port of the district where it is obtained. In Brazil this means a long journey by river direct to Para, or to Para via Manaos, with a break of journey at that busy up-country river port. ”

“ The river furnishes water-power. Among the manufactures are rubber goods, chemicals, iron castings, woollen goods, cutlery, &c. The value of the factory products increased from $8,886,676 in 1900 to $11,009,573 in 1905, or 23·9%. The prominence of the rubber industry here is due to Charles Goodyear (q.v.) , who in 1821 entered into partnership with his father Amasa Goodyear for the manufacture of hardware. Vulcanized rubber overshoes were first made in Naugatuck, and in 1843 the Goodyear’s Metallic Rubber Shoe Company was established here. ”

“ You may never have stopped to think of it, but mechanical experts say that without rubber pneumatic tires, automobiles could never have become the fine, swift vehicles they are. It was a wonderful thing that when in the early part of this century the automobile industry suddenly burst forth with a demand for rubber so great that Brazil could never have hoped to supply it, there was found ready in the Far East, as a result of the planting that had been done there, a supply that took care of the sudden emergency. ”

“ Few persons outside of those directly connected with rubber industries realize the vast quantities imported yearly into this country. Last year there were brought into United States ports, as shown by the reports of the customs officers, no less than 34,348,000 pounds of India rubber. The industry has been steadily progressive since the invention of machinery for manufacturing it into the various articles of everyday use. The wonderful growth of the India rubber interests in this country will be seen from the statistics compiled in the tenth census. ”

“ Rubber cannot be melted and cast in moulds like iron, but it can be gently heated and softened, and then pressed into a mould. Rubber stamps are made in this way. The making of rubber heels and soles is now a large industry; hose for watering and for vacuum and Westinghouse brakes is made in increasing quantities. The making of rubber tires for automobiles and carriages is an important industry. The enormous and increasing use of electricity requires much use of rubber as an insulator. Rubber gloves will protect an electrical workman from shock and a surgeon from infection. ”

“ In 1988 and 1989 the Liberian economy posted its best two years in a decade, thanks to a resurgence of the rubber industry and rapid growth in exports of forest products. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia is a producer and exporter of basic products. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, is small in scope. Liberia imports primarily machinery and parts, transportation equipment, petroleum products, and foodstuffs. ”

“ Now, however, the manufacturer has little else but plantation to deal with, and most of it more difficult to break down than washed Para crepe. This is the reason why a hard, tough rubber is no longer a desideratum with manufacturers, although originally taken as an indication of good quality. For the majority of purposes they want something which will break down easily. Hence if a rubber could be produced answering to these requirements, without loss of vulcanising quality, it would be preferred. ”

“ In theory these should be seen and removed by the factory hands. In practice, except while under immediate supervision, the extraneous matter is often rolled into the soft coagulum.
[253] A fairly common cause of this surface contamination is the exhaust from the power-unit; generally the worst offender is a steam-engine. Grit and smuts continually find their way into the factory, alighting on the tables, in the latex, in the water, and on the freshly prepared rubber. They are rolled into the soft rubber and lead to marked depreciation in the selling value. ”

“ With this consideration in view, several large estates, preparing sheet rubber as the chief grade, have found it necessary to decentralise the factory work, with very satisfactory results. Outlying sections are given uniform and complete equipments of necessary buildings on a small scale, and hand-driven light machines. Uniform coagulating tanks are installed, and the methods and quantities of chemicals employed are carefully standardised. Experience has shown that often the best sheet rubber coming to the market has been prepared on small estates ”

“ So extensive were these accumulations that one company are reported to have built a road with rubber scrap through a swamp adjacent to their factory, while most other manufacturers were unable to find even so profitable a use for their wastes. As time advanced there came to be large stocks, also, of worn-out rubber goods, such as car springs and the like, all of which appealed to a practical mind here and there as being of possible value, since the price of new rubber kept climbing up all the while. ”

“ The accommodation over the factory may be restricted to the purpose of receiving lower grade rubber which is not so liable to “spot” diseases, and possibly does not take so long to dry as first-grade rubbers of equal thickness. It is evident, therefore, that the erection of double-storey factories is false economy, as separate drying-houses have to be built eventually. This conclusion does not apply with the same [175] force to factories worked in conjunction with smoke-houses for preparing sheet rubber, but, nevertheless, such a factory should not have another floor above the work-room. ”

“ The huge stock of Para rubber, that is rubber obtained from the Amazon section, to be found in any of the leading rubber factories counts well up into the thousands of dollars. With rubber at or near $1.50 per pound, a stock of ten to fifty tons runs up into the five or six figures. ”

“ Block rubber is considered to possess certain advantages in securing a constant proportion of water, and in being satisfactory for transport. The best condition and form in which to export rubber cannot be regarded as settled. The probabilities are that in the end the production of a rubber as nearly as possible free from water and impurities and of constant composition will be realized as best meeting the requirements of the modern manufacturer. ”

“ It will be seen from the above, that several of the so-called rubbers are unlike the valuable kinds in appearance and composition, and as such are, perhaps, incapable of being used in a pure state and for the most important manufactures for which rubber is employed. All kinds, however, seem to be marketable at a price which is remunerative to the exporter, so that the trade has become an extensive one. ”

“ According to the use to which rubber is to be put, it has to be mixed with certain other materials, to make a material that is neither too heavy nor too light, too hard nor too soft, too tough nor too elastic, to fulfil its purpose. And according to the price at which the goods are to be sold, certain other materials must be mixed with the rubber. It is with regard to the proportions in which such mixings are made that the manufacturers have secrets of their own which they specially want to guard. ”

“ Even with the employment of special scrap-washing machines, complaints of the presence of bark in dry crepe have been received, but it is certain that this mode of operation reduces the quantity of bark to a minimum. While fully realising that the amount of working it is possible to give in proportion to the existing machinery and the output per day is limited, it must be recognised that the working of lower grades of rubber is usually insufficient, and that where possible it is the duty of estates to pay more attention to these lower grades. ”

“ It must be recognised also that the machines are liable to considerable damage if extraneous substances are allowed to enter—for example, tapping-knives, stones, pieces of iron, spouts, etc., which are sometimes present in the loose scraps of rubber or shavings, owing to the carelessness of coolies. ”

“ The artificial production of rubber is not yet a matter of commercial interest. Dr. Gerlach, of Hanover, a practical manufacturer, thinks it may be twenty years before artificial, or, as it is sometimes called, synthetic rubber can compete with the natural. ”

“ It can be shaped by heat and pressure, and it is the most soluble form and is used for making cement and solution, and is moulded into blocks for the manufacture of sheet and thread rubber. In the process neutral body pigments, such as oxide of zinc, or soluble transparent ones, such as alkanine may be introduced; easily decomposed matter cannot be incorporated on account of the heat.
In all these machines special provision is made to prevent any oil from getting into the gum. There is no greater enemy to india rubber than oil or fats of any description. ”

“ In the factory the normal vulcanization is carried out in two steps, mixing and curing. The washed sheet india rubber which has not been masticated and which must be perfectly dry is the starting point, and the mixing rolls shown in the cuts are the mechanism for carrying out the first step. These are a pair of powerful rollers which are geared so as to work like ordinary rolls, except that one revolves43 about three times as fast as the other. They are heated by steam, which is introduced inside of them. ”

“ Some rolls seem to be excessively soft, and from these contamination by iron-stain is great. For this reason rolls are sometimes rejected, and there would appear to be an objection to any but chilled steel rolls for the final stage of finishing crepe rubbers.
Rust-Stains.—Rust-stains, on the other hand, throw the responsibility entirely upon the labour and supervision of the factory. Rust is formed upon the rolls when they are at rest, and any one passing pale rubber between the rolls before they have been thoroughly cleaned is guilty of culpable negligence. ”

“ Owing to the existing differences in equipment and speed of drive, etc., the regular practice of any one estate may be unsuitable for another. It remains, therefore, a matter of study for each estate to discover the minimum number of times which rubber should pass through the machines, consistent with the factors indicated above. In any case it may be assumed that if any factory cannot prepare a good crepe by passing the rubber, say, twelve times through the rolls, there is some deficiency in the machines, or of speed; the coagulum may be too hard, or the rolls may be badly worn. ”

“ At present it would probably be fair to state that practically all the “slab” rubber being prepared is produced by those who are also consumers. They are thus in the enviable position of being able to satisfy their requirements as to the mode of preparation. Until such time, therefore, as there exists a regular demand for “slab” rubber in the general market, the vast majority of estates must proceed on ordinary lines of preparation. ”

“ The samples are sent to manufacturers, with a catalogue, stating that so many pounds of rubber, corresponding to such or such a sample, will be sold by86 auction on a certain date at a certain market. The rubber itself, in its packing-cases or sackcloth covering, is taken down to vaults, where it is stored until it is claimed by whoever buys it at the auction. Vaults are used as storage quarters for raw rubber in order that the material may be kept in an even temperature; for not until that material is within a rubber goods factory is it made climate-proof by vulcanization. ”

“ It might not be credited to Tamil coolies, but yet it is probably true, that the moral effect of working under the cleanest and best conditions has an influence upon the store coolies, and that their work is better in consequence. Everything which will tend to simplify the cleansing of the factory should therefore be installed. Hose-pipes, glazed tiles, clean floors, plenty of light and air are not fads or fancies, but considerable factors in determining the final quality of the rubber. ”