Show housewives aid national defense plans by a a buying synthetic products for home by VINCENT CONVERSE released by western newspaper union NEW YORK the housewives of merica through their ready aci C istance over the past decade of household articles made of synthetics and plastics have made possible the building of a ersatz industry which is now in a position to make priceless contributions to the national defense program this industry though only a fledgling enterprise in 1929 today has plants and equipment capable of fill A Y 1 JR 4 s v v fc TOM 19 4 va 1 I 1 X s I 1 I 1 g 1 Y from ladies hosiery to a substitute for silk in army parachutes is the national defense step taken by duponts nylon a compound of coal and air ing thousands of military needs the development is seen by dr howard E fritz director of the rapidly growing synthetics division of the nations oldest major rubber company as the direct result of the continued interest manifested in synthetic and plastic products of all kinds by american women from the day 10 years ago when many of the laboratory created products made their first appearance new language developed the language of synthetics is rapidly becoming the language of security as well it is brought out in a survey compiled by dr fritz which lists the military uses to which many of the test tube developments of the past few years are now being applied the ABCs of this new language are made up of such terms as amer apol bakelite cellophane catalin ko roseal lucite nylon benite and viny lite and a host of others which are well vell known to the ladies of the nation he points out since 1929 housewives have been translating these bizarre words into practical everyday things like shower curtains garment bags tablecloths draperies tooth brushes tumblers and thousands of other products dr fritz declares now the fact that most of these widely accepted articles can be created through the magic of industrial research literally out of thin air from scrap wood salt and other common materials is of arofo profound und military importance and without the acceptance of these products by the ladies there would be no industry to supply new strategic needs plastics used in planes day by day the news bulletins reveal new cases where materials which first saw daylight in industrial laboratories are applied to the business of national defense the survey states pour four aircraft companies are developing methods for m molding entire plane bodies out of plastics in a single high speed process expected in the opinion of experts to triple and quadruple plane body production A material compounded from coke limestone and salt and called ko roseal which made its home debut as a coating for shower curtains because of its resistance to water acids and deterioration now has been found to have high military significance in tests against mustard gas penetration and hydrogen gas diffusion treated fabrics were found to be superior to the best rubber treated fabrics this enables the onetime shower curtain to be used as protective wearing apparel as well as for covering for both lighter and heavier than air craft it is emphasized latest reports disclose that the filmy feminine stocking is begin 1 V M 1 what used to be backgammon sets tea kettle knobs and shower curtains now go into gas masks as synthetics and plastics first used in the home help speed up the national defense program ning to f figure in the military picture the new synthetic yarn developed from coal and air by dupont and placed on the market recently in the form of nylon silk stockings has passed preliminary tests as substitute for silk in army parachutes further tests are now being undergone at wright field while a tooth brush deemin seemingly gly has small military value beyo beyond nd its hygienic function two materials developed for it may now speed the preparedness drive dr fritz said when the japanese invaded china in 1937 supplies of superfine super fine chinese swine bri bristles were cut off but industrial chemists quickly produced american made synthetic bristles these are now being used for many military purposes while the cellulose acetate first used for toothbrush handles is being molded into gun stocks in an efficient and rapid operation inflammable plastics from the coffee table to the aviation hangar is the transition experienced perien ced by a wide variety of laminated plastics and cast resins which have high noninflammable inflammable non qualities and are now being applied throughout aircraft construction furthermore the chemical cousin of the U C backgammon set or breakfast tabletop may some day aid in repelling foes of the nation for shaped cellulose sheets first used for these purposes are now being used to convey ammunition to guns in planes another form of the same substance goes into military goggles the survey explains similarly tea kettle knobs and candid camera developing tanks made from resins are metamorphosed into noses for anti air craft shells and mouthpieces and containers for gas masks and the hair brush that sometimes served to impress the importance of discipline on the juveniles of the house now becomes a deadlier weapon of chastisement as part of the highly accurate sights used on bombers man made alade rubber perhaps the most dramatic transformation prescribed by the synthetics expert has been wrought by the ko roseal shower curtain and its recently born chemical cousin ameri pol which signifies a polymer or recombination of american materials one of the most cherished goals of the synthetic experts has been the ultimate production of man made rubber now due to the impetus given research into synthetic rubber by sales of koroscil ko roseal roscal to housewives and industry dr fritz own organization the goodrich company is manufacturing and selling the nations first automobile tires made wholly from american materials in these historic tires americol is utilized in proportions varying from 50 to per cent marking as is pointed out a significant step to ward complete freedom of the nations most vital form of transportation from dependence upon continued imports of foreign grown rubber through war troubled seas housewives helped the development of this highly strategic material owes much dr fritz points out to the interest displayed in its forerunner ko roseal by american housewives koro seal first saw the light of day dr fritz reveals from the akron laboratory windowsill of young dr waldo L semon now one of the most noted american research chemists there it solidified for the first time in a beaker containing a heated mixture of ordinary coke limestone and salt for his private use th the yo youthful uthe chemist made a golf ball from the the new substance but it soon was being applied as a lining fir the tanks of acid in which stainless steel is pickled because it was found to be one of the most chemically inert of all substances the metamorphosis from this point became startling the leap from shower curtains to protective military appliances being made almost overnight the acceptance by housewives of this first material enabled the hunt for a material capable of replacing natural rubber for all its uses to go on synthetic rubber tires were the result and they point toward the removal of one of the last bi big 9 question marks on the blue prints being prepared in washington and wherever industry is girding for the most concerted defense action this nation has ever taken dr fritz declares made blade from petroleum americol is derived from petroleum of which the united states has vast supplies by the modern cracking process a liquefied gas called butadiene is obtained which is combined with other ingredients by an exclusive process to form an emulsion of synthetic latex very similar to that produced by nature her zw most blost of the plastic and synthetic materials which comprise approximately 50 per cent of this complicated aircraft instrument board made their debut as parts of coffee pots knife handles and other household appliances self standard oil company is also building a plant in louisiana to make synthetic rubber from oil this significant utilization of bountiful domestic materials to produce urgently needed products is contin aing to expand the survey brings out due to the well equipped synthetic manufacturing plants which have sprung up over the country since 1929 and the continuous expansion of research and production facilities made possible by revenues derived from sale of synthetic products to american homemakers home makers make blake synthetic camphor latest developments which further accentuate the importance of the synthetics and plastics industry to national defense include the synthetic production of camphor for years F gg X LAI 1 M g N r lie by continuing research which fir first st produced treated shower curtains for the home dr W L semon noted chemist evolved americol combination of oil gas and soap now being used in the nations first automobile tires made from american materials the nation has largely depended on the orient for its supplies of this medicinally and industrially valuable product but continued amer can research and production has now brought down the price of synthetically produced camphor that it is supplanting the imported commodity throughout domestic industry the same result is expected as synthetic rubber production is stepped up similarly if shipments of quinine which is listed by the army as a strategic material because it is required in the treatment and prevention of malaria should be cut off there would be no cause for alarm the survey states late reports reveal that two substances called and las are being produced in quantity by winthrop chemical company medical authorities report that one ton of is sufficient to cure about cases of malaria while a ton of quinine will suffice for only about cases apparently there is no end to the number of products which can be made from materials which once were regarded as useless or at best applicable only to limited uses day by day it is becoming more apparent that the nation is truly entering its plastic age the results to date are astounding they have already brought the united states closer to self sufficiency than ever before what developments of the future will bring may well prove to be one of the most glowing pages in national history |