Abstract
ACCORDING to an article by B. S. Biggs (Bell Lab. Rec., 22, No. 7; March 1944), when the development of 'Paracon', a new synthetic rubber, was announced by the Bell Laboratories, its resistance to oil and heat and its low brittle point, lack of odour and fast curing cycle were emphasized. Not all these characteristics can be held at maximum values in every composition, but various combinations of them can be obtained by selecting the intermediate compounds used in manufacture. This follows because the 'Paracons', in contrast with most elastic compounds,, comprise a group of compounds rather than a single one. Chemically, the 'Paracons' are chain esters of high molecular weight. Among the substances that may be used are sebacic and succinic acids and ethylene and propylene glycols. These chemicals are obtainable from agricultural, coal and petroleum products. Some of them are manufactured in reasonably large quantities, but they are inadequate to produce the huge tonnage of rubber used in the United States. For this reason and also because of its characteristics, 'Paracon' will probably remain a speciality product. The article gives some of the properties and uses of the material.
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Properties of Paracon. Nature 154, 78–79 (1944). https://doi.org/10.1038/154078e0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/154078e0