British Rubber Producers' Research Association
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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.


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.Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society (1999) vol 45 pp 185-194 It carried out fundamental work on
rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Types of polyisoprene ...
, which included the more general
polymer science Polymer science or macromolecular science is a subfield of materials science concerned with polymers, primarily synthetic polymers such as plastics and elastomers. The field of polymer science includes researchers in multiple disciplines inclu ...
and the physics and mathematics of
rheology Rheology (; ) is the study of the flow of matter, primarily in a fluid (liquid or gas) 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 applie ...
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 ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second Garden city movement, garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first New towns in the United Kingdom, new towns (designated 1948). It is ...
. It was largely funded by a levy on British-owned companies with plantations in
Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
and
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. Its Director of Research from 1938 to 1947 was John Wilson. 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 t 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 ... ilson'sstimulating 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.The Times, Obituaries 24 September 1976
He resigned to become Director of the newly formed
British Rayon Research Association The British Rayon Research Association was a research institute formed in 1946 by the British Rayon Federation and others.The Times, November 29, 1946 page 10 It was funded by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and by voluntary f ...
. A number of staff followed him, including
LRG Treloar Professor Leslie Ronald George Treloar, OBE (30 July 1906 – 18 March 1985) was a leading figure in the science of rubber and elasticity, and writer of a number of influential texts. Leslie Treloar graduated in Physics from University College, R ...
.Autobiographical note, Collected papers of R.S. Rivlin, Volume 1 By Ronald S. Rivlin, G. I. Barenblatt, Daniel D. Joseph


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.''Scientists seek to combine the best of old and new'', The Times, 25 January 1981, page 24 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.www.tarrc.co.uk
TARRC Company History
In later years, this work was extended to smaller buildings. In 1973, it was changed to the Malaysian Rubber Producers' Research Association. In 1974, the research base was relocated to Brickendonbury,
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
in a mansion which had been used for the children's television series
Catweazle ''Catweazle'' is a British children's fantasy television series, starring Geoffrey Bayldon in the title role, and created by Richard Carpenter for London Weekend Television. The first series, produced and directed in 1969 by Quentin Lawrence ...
.www.tarrc.co.uk
Brickendonbury History
In 1977, it was named the Tun Abdul Razak Laboratory. 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 Board The Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB; ) is the custodian of the rubber industry in Malaysia. Established on 1 January 1998, it has under its fold three agencies (Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia, RRIM, MRRDB and MRELB), which are now merged into o ...
. The centre has various research focusses including advanced materials, products, engineering and Biotechnology. Whilst the main purpose is to support the Malaysian rubber industry, the commercial division, Rubber Consultants offers a variety of testing and other services. These include compounding, physical testing, engineering design tyre testing and analytical services.


Researchers


Notable people who worked at the BRPRA

* Edgar Andrews *
Andrew Donald Booth Andrew Donald Booth (11 February 1918 – 29 November 2009)
*
Leslie Clifford Bateman Tan Sri Leslie Clifford Bateman (12 March 1915 – 26 October 2005) 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. Bateman was a st ...
* John R. Dunn * Alan Neville Gent * Karl A. Grosch *
Norman Haworth Sir Walter Norman Haworth Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (19 March 1883 – 19 March 1950) was a British chemist best known for his groundbreaking work on ascorbic acid (vitamin C) while working at the University of Birmingham. He received th ...
* Graham J. Lake * Peter Brian Lindley *
William Moffitt William E. Moffitt (9 November 1925 – 19 December 1958) was a British quantum chemist. He died after a heart attack following a squash match.Prof William Moffit, Obituaries, by Charles Coulson, The Times, 30 December 1958 page 8 He had been t ...
Prof William Moffit, Obituaries, by Professor Coulson, The Times, 30 December 1958 page 8 * Pamela J. Martin (scientist) * Alan H. Muhr * Leonard Mullins *
Ronald Rivlin Ronald Samuel Rivlin (6 May 1915 in London – 4 October 2005) was a British-American physicist, mathematician, rheologist and a noted expert on rubber.''New York Times'' November 25, 2005 "Ronald Rivlin, 90, Expert on Properties of Rubber, Dies ...
* Alan D. Roberts * Adolf Schallamach * Alan G. Thomas *
LRG Treloar Professor Leslie Ronald George Treloar, OBE (30 July 1906 – 18 March 1985) was a leading figure in the science of rubber and elasticity, and writer of a number of influential texts. Leslie Treloar graduated in Physics from University College, R ...
*
John Wilson (industrial chemist) John Wilson, CBE, MC & Bar, FRIC (6 September 1890Q2 1890 Wilson, John Scotland Statutory Births 685/05 1086 – 8 September 1976) was Director of the British Rayon Research Association from 1948 to 1958. He was married to Edith Wilson (''née ...
, Director of Research 1938-47The Times obituary, 15 September 1976


References

{{Authority control British research associations East Hertfordshire District Organizations established in 1938 Research institutes in Hertfordshire Rubber industry in Malaysia Malaysia–United Kingdom relations