Goodyear Dedicates Research Laboratory
Goodyear's new research laboratory. Completion o f the building w a s delayed b y a tornado which r i p p e d off the roof and caused other damage
By F. J. V A N ANTWERPEN Λ N E W laboratory, o n e of t h e finest in ~^^ t h e world d e v o t e d to rubber re search, was dedicated late in J u n e a t Akron, Ohio, by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. T h e opening o f the labora tory w a s celebrated with a, three-day dedication program which entailed a symposium o n rubber problems and the announcement of several n e w technical developments. Built a n d equipped at a cost of SI,325,000, the new facilities give t o the Goodyear scientists some of the finest and most complete equipment ever assembled for rubber investigations. As though signaling the developments t o come from t h i s laboratory, the com pany announced and demonstrated five new technically important items. First o f these was a supersonic sound machine which is used to detect flaws in tires for retreading which, x-rays cannot show; second was t h e announcement of Plioflex, a vinyl-vinylidiene chloride copolymer which is serving as a rubber substitute; t h e third development, removed from t h e field of chemistry, concerns a new radio static neutralizes which will eliminate static due t o atmospheric o r man-made machines; fourth was a new process d e veloped jointly with t h e Chrysler Corp. for joining together structural members with a new adhesive, stronger bonds r e sulting than are obtainable with welding
1056
Associate Editor
o r riveting; andl lastly Resinfoam, a n e w plastic insulation material.
Cycleweld Process The currently outstanding d e v e l o p ment was the Cycleweld process a n d little w a s permitted said b y Army offi cials. The composition of the material was n o t revealed but it is a plastic c e ment. T h e Cycleweld is sprayed o r painted on w o o d or metal and t h e t w o treated surfaces are pressed t o g e t h e r under heat a n d pressure. T h i s causes tfaie films t o adhere, probably t h r o u g h p o l y merization, and t h e resulting bond is c o n siderably stronger than joints made fc»y conventional methods. Cycleweld is a thick, v i s c o u s , black solution a n d it i s set by temperatures o f 325° F - I t i s a l s o used to bond s y n t h e t i c rubber to m e t a l s and plastics. In t h e case o f metal-to-metal bond, t n e c e m e n t has b e e n developed in t h e form of a film or t a p e . I t is merely necessaxy t o place t h i s t a p e between t h e parts to î>e bonded t o g e t h e r and a p p l y h e a t a n d pressure. Tests of stremgth show n o t o n l y t h a t the bond i s stronger than -the riveted o r
CHEMICAL
welded joint, b u t that; the w o o d or m e t a l g i v e w a y before the Cycleweld Sieam. T h e process o f bonding m e t a l to naetal l e n d s itself particularly to t h e production of l i g h t s h e e t alloy parts such as small parts made from aluminum o r magnésium. S t a t i c Eliminator Spectacular, too, w a s t h e static eliminator developed by Goodyear through their interest i n blimps and other aircraft and proper radio reception. The demonstration given to t f i e press representatives consisted of impinging a p o n t h e a n t e n n a of a conventional radio receiver a spark from a c o i l wïiïch g a v e s t a t i c currents several thousand times as powerful a s t h e normal radio signal. The resulting s t a t i c was deafening. W h e n the eliminator w a s connected, however, the distortion caused by the spark w a s barely audible. T h e details a r e again voider secrecy, b u t t h e allowable information was a s follows: T h e neutralizer m a k e s use of ssmail electronic t u b e s in such a way that "they are automatically adjusted to each zradio signal, whether weak or strong. T h e y serve to discriminate between s t a t i c and the desired signal a n d automatically control t h e a m o u n t of s t a t i c energy \*rhich can pass through the radio.
AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
Plastic Foam
A detection control circuit eliminates s t a t i c which is louder than t h e incoming signal, e v e n i n cases where t h e static is s o loud aa to obliterate t h e incoming signal entirely under ordinary circumstances. I n tests a t the Goodyear company, t h e device eliminated extreme static o f high recurrent pulse frequency such a s t h a t caused by t h e ignition system of a n airplane engine or an electric razor. I n o n e t e s t , a 25,000 volt spark from the ignition s y s t e m of a n engine was projected directly upon t h e antenna of a r e ceiving set. T h e neutralizer eliminated t h i s so effectively that it was possible t o t u n e in a short-wave radio program from Europe. I n addition; the neutralizer also g e t s rid of s t a t i c t h a t is o n the same frequency a s the incoming signal. This is done b y m e a n s of a circuit which uses the energy of t h e static t o build up an electronic current of opposite electrical sign. This current t h e n neutralizes t h e static so that i t has no effect upon the signal. T h e d e v i c e is expected to improve t h e performance of radar a n d find immediate application b y t h e armed forces in fighter planes, warships, and tanks.
Dr. L . B. Sebrell, manager of research and new products, was deluged with questions at t h e dedication press conference.
set in vibration by means of a high frequency electric current which passes through a coil of wire surrounding the rod. T h e vibrations so generated are picked up b y a microphone which is mounted so as t o be a l w a y s inside the portion of the tire which is immersed in the water. The microphone in turn operates a relay box equipped with a red and green light. A s long as the tire is solid, the supersonic vibrations pass through with full intensity to the microphone and the green light stays lit. However, if there is separation in the tire, the supersonic waves d o not pass through with full intensity as t h e y are reflected back b y the air gap. This causes the green light t o be extinguished and t h e red light to glow. In this w a y the operator of t h e machine is able t o determine whether or n o t the tire is suitable for retreading and in addition knows the location of the defect.
Supersonic Tire Tester T h e other device to come from Goody e a r physics research w a s t h e supersonic tire tester. This was developed t o s u p p l e m e n t x-rays in the inspection of tires for retreading. Often tires h a v e ply separations and a short time after retreading the tire fails, causing a waste of rubber. X-rays ? because of their nature, d o n o t reveal such defects. I n operation of the supersonic device t h e tire is h u n g o n t w o rollers in such a w a y t h a t t h e bottom portion of t h e tire passes through a shallow tank of water. Sound w a v e s of supersonic frequency are generated in this tank of water b y t h e vibration of a nickel rod. This rod is
i e f f . G i l b e r t J . C- Andresin demonstrates the static eliminator d e v e l o p e d as an a i d t o airplane radio reception. I t has possibilities in improving radar and radio transmission of pictures, V O L U M E
2 1,
N O .
13
»
»
»
J U L Y
10,
Plastic Foam is Goodyear'"s wartime replacement for Airfoam, s p o a g e rubber insulator widely used by thie aircraft manufacturers a s a w i n g filler. The shortage o f natural latex maJces i t impossible to continue t h e irtanufacture of t h e sponge rubber a n d a s u b s t i t u t e has been worked out by t b e Goodyear c h e m ists. The production steps i n making the resins are a s follows: the resin, a urea formaldehyde, i s mixed with a foaming agent, a condensing agen-t, a n d water. The mixture passes to a, reactor, o r foaming unit, where it is frothed, presumably b y mixing and air incorporation. The frothy mixture i s then s e t by heat and dried i n a further operation by highfrequency radio drying. T l i e Plastic Foam is then c u t into blocks ajnd, where greater rigidity i s needed, imtpregnated. Alone the Plastic Foam is not very strong. Reinforced with fabric the plain type product is sufficiently strong for handling, but i s somewhat susceptible t o shock. The resilience o f t l i e impregnated type is increased and fragility decreased by adding a flexible substance. Plastic Foam i s now beixig -turned out i n limited quantities for Arnxy airplane insulation. It i s highly resistant t o t h e transfer of heat and i s in addition nonflammable and waterproof. It w e i g h s 0.65 p o u n d per cubic foot and is lighter than balsa, Airfoam, o r any other k n o w n insulation.
Plioflex The new Goodyear rubber substitute, Plioflex, owes i t s importance -to the fact that i t can be vulcanized lilce rubberI n this respect i t thereby becomes superior to many o f the plastics now used i n rubber replacement. M o s t of the plastic rubber substitutes are thermo-
Right. Goodyear's supersonic t i r e tester i s demonstrated by W . E. Morris o f the research laboratory. This device, supplementing x-rays and visual inspection, w i l l determine t h e suitability of a tire for retreading. 1 9 4 3
1057
Goodyear's home of the future. Postwar may see homes such as shown here, produced by assembly line methods. Less than 2 tons, they may easily b e loaded on trucks or fiat cars. The sides, for moving, will b e telescoped to t h e interior, makins a packas
