British Rubber Producers Research Association
Encyclopedia
The Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre, originally known as the British Rubber Producers' Research Association, carries out research into rubber and is funded by the Malaysian government.
, which included the more general polymer science
and the physics and mathematics of rheology
and in addition contributed to early work on electronic computers.
Prominent in the push for greater rubber research and the establishment of the association was Sir Eric Miller, who became chairman of the BRPRA.
In 1939 it obtained its first premises in Welwyn Garden City
. It was largely funded by a levy on British-owned companies with plantations in Malaya
and Ceylon.
Its Director of Research from 1938 to 1947 was John Wilson
. His:
He resigned to become Director of the newly formed British Rayon Research Association
. A number of staff followed him, including LRG Treloar
.
During this period, the Association produced work on the engineering uses of rubber. This, by 1964, led to the development of rubber mounts for buildings to protect against vibrations. eventually this led to the use of mounts to protect against earthquakes. In later years, this work was extended to smaller buildings and even retrofitting Armenian buildings.
In 1973 it was changed to the Malaysian Rubber Producers' Research Association. In 1974 the research base was relocated to Brickendonbury, Hertfordshire
in a mansion which had been used for the children's television series Catweazle
. In 1997 it was named the Tun Abdul Razak Laboratory by the Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn.
Later research included work on blends of rubber and synthetics, such as nitrile, ethylene propylene rubber and Epoxidised natural rubber.
The centre also worked on the performance of tyre retread compounds, showing that natural rubber-rich tyres could perform nearly as well as synthetic tyres in durability, but were more fuel efficient as they had lower rolling resistance.
The centre also developed an entirely new material, thermoplastic epoxidized natural rubber. This has excellent oil-resistance and heat resistance.
. The centre now focuses on rubber products and the needs of Malaysian rubber manufacturers.
Early years: as the British Rubber Producers Research Association: 1938 to 1957
The British Rubber Producers Research Association was formed as a scientific research organization in 1938 'to understand rubber and in pursuit of this aim to mount a programme of fundamental research', since at that time the technology was almost entirely empirical. It carried out fundamental work on rubberRubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
, which included the more general polymer science
Polymer science
Polymer science or macromolecular science is the subfield of materials science concerned with polymers, primarily synthetic polymers such as plastics...
and the physics and mathematics of rheology
Rheology
Rheology is the study of the flow of matter, primarily in the liquid state, but also as 'soft solids' or solids under conditions in which they respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically in response to an applied force....
and in addition contributed to early work on electronic computers.
Prominent in the push for greater rubber research and the establishment of the association was Sir Eric Miller, who became chairman of the BRPRA.
In 1939 it obtained its first premises in Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn Garden City
-Economy:Ever since its inception as garden city, Welwyn Garden City has attracted a strong commercial base with several designated employment areas. Among the companies trading in the town are:*Air Link Systems*Baxter*British Lead Mills*Carl Zeiss...
. It was largely funded by a levy on British-owned companies with plantations in Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
and Ceylon.
Its Director of Research from 1938 to 1947 was John Wilson
John Wilson (industrial chemist)
John Wilson CBE, MC & Bar, FRIC was Director of the British Rayon Research Association from 1948 to 1958. He was married to Edith Wilson and had six children.-Early life:...
. His:
unconventional qualities, combined as they were with super-abundant energy and remarkable visionary zeal, proved their value as he built up the BRPRA in a difficult period and made it a world-renowned research unit within a decade or so. He chose his staff on trusted recommendation or by intuition, and thus assembled a group which radically advanced the science of rubber [at the BRRA], sowed seeds that have produced substantial commercial fruits, and which was to become the source of distinguished alumni in high academic and industrial posts in this country, America and elsewhere ... [Wilson's] stimulating ebullience, his concern with work not red tape, and his abiding principle to support and fight to the limit for his staff outside the laboratories (however much he might assail them inside) engendered immense loyalty and a wonderful team spirit.
He resigned to become Director of the newly formed British Rayon Research Association
British Rayon Research Association
The British Rayon Research Association was a research institute formed in 1946 by the British Rayon Federation and others. It was funded by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and by voluntary funds from industry to investigate the chemical and physical properties of rayon and...
. A number of staff followed him, including LRG Treloar
LRG Treloar
Professor L. R. G. Treloar, OBE was a leading figure in the science of rubber and elasticity, and author of a number of influential texts....
.
After de-colonisation and Malaysian independence
In 1957, Malaya achieved independence from British Rule and the name was changed to the Natural Rubber Producers' Research Association. By the start of the 1970s, its research priorities included new methods of vulcanisation, injection moulding of rubber and developing anti-oxidants to protect against the deterioration of rubber.During this period, the Association produced work on the engineering uses of rubber. This, by 1964, led to the development of rubber mounts for buildings to protect against vibrations. eventually this led to the use of mounts to protect against earthquakes. In later years, this work was extended to smaller buildings and even retrofitting Armenian buildings.
In 1973 it was changed to the Malaysian Rubber Producers' Research Association. In 1974 the research base was relocated to Brickendonbury, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in a mansion which had been used for the children's television series Catweazle
Catweazle
Catweazle was a British television series, created and written by Richard Carpenter which was produced and directed by Quentin Lawrence for London Weekend Television under the LWI banner, and screened in the UK on ITV in 1970 and 1971...
. In 1997 it was named the Tun Abdul Razak Laboratory by the Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn.
Later research included work on blends of rubber and synthetics, such as nitrile, ethylene propylene rubber and Epoxidised natural rubber.
The centre also worked on the performance of tyre retread compounds, showing that natural rubber-rich tyres could perform nearly as well as synthetic tyres in durability, but were more fuel efficient as they had lower rolling resistance.
The centre also developed an entirely new material, thermoplastic epoxidized natural rubber. This has excellent oil-resistance and heat resistance.
Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre
In 1996, it became the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre, a wholly owned company of the Malaysian Rubber BoardMalaysian Rubber Board
The Malaysian Rubber Board is the custodian of the rubber industry in Malaysia. Established on 1 January 1998, it has under its fold three agencies , which are now merged into one...
. The centre now focuses on rubber products and the needs of Malaysian rubber manufacturers.
Notable people who worked at the BRPRA
- Andrew Donald BoothAndrew Donald BoothAndrew Donald Booth was a British electrical engineer, physicist and computer scientist who led the invention of the magnetic drum memory for computers and invented Booth's multiplication algorithm....
- Leslie Clifford BatemanLeslie Clifford BatemanTan Sri Leslie Clifford Bateman was the last non-citizen of Malaysia to be appointed to any establishment connected to the government of Malaysia, as the Controller of Rubber Research in 1962...
- Norman HaworthWalter HaworthSir Norman Haworth was a British chemist best known for his groundbreaking work on ascorbic acid while working at the University of Birmingham. He received the 1937 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his investigations on carbohydrates and vitamin C"...
- Ronald RivlinRonald RivlinRonald Samuel Rivlin was a British-American physicist, mathematician, rheologist and a noted expert on rubber.-Life:Rivlin was born in London in 1915. He studied physics and mathematics at St John's College, Cambridge, being awarded a BA in 1937 and a ScD in 1952...
- John Wilson (industrial chemist)John Wilson (industrial chemist)John Wilson CBE, MC & Bar, FRIC was Director of the British Rayon Research Association from 1948 to 1958. He was married to Edith Wilson and had six children.-Early life:...
, Director of Research 1938-47 - LRG TreloarLRG TreloarProfessor L. R. G. Treloar, OBE was a leading figure in the science of rubber and elasticity, and author of a number of influential texts....
- Dr Edgar Rhodes, previously of the Rubber Research Institute of Malaya
- Dr KC Roberts
- Dr Graham Moore, various posts 1945-65; Deputy Director 1967-68
- William MoffittWilliam MoffittWilliam E. Moffitt was a British quantum chemist. He died after a heart attack following a squash match. He had been thought to be one of Britain’s most gifted academics.-Early life:...