These new commercial resins are considered the best combination thus far obtained of strength, transparency, and light weight. Applications in England include fittings for aircraft, transparent inspection covers for machinery, medical equipment, instrument windows, lenses and prisms in optical systems, and aircraft windscreens. They are used in subways for lenses for deflecting and diffusing light and in battery cases and coil forms. The general properties of the acrylate resins include transparency to both visible and ultraviolet light, almost unlimited color range, resistance to acids and alkalies, and superior electrical properties. _Aniline resin._—Panilax is an aniline-formaldehyde condensation product made in England. It has high electrical and thermal insulating properties, great mechanical strength, is odorless and odor repelling, and practically unaffected by water, oil, and alkalies. Organization. Most of the British producers of synthetic resins are members of the British Plastics Federation, Ltd. Several years ago a 10-year contract was made between the Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. and the Toledo Synthetic Products Co. (now Plaskon Co.) of Toledo, Ohio. This agreement provides for an exchange of all technical and commercial information on urea-resin products and processes and the granting of free licenses under present or future patents. Agreements probably also exist between the British Bakelite Co. and the American firm on tar-acid resins; between Nobel Chemical Finishes, Ltd. and E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. on alkyd resins; between British Thompson Houston Co., Ltd., and the General Electric Co. on alkyd resins; between Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. and du Pont on acrylate resins; and between Beetle Products Co. and American Cyanamid Co. on urea resins. Foreign trade in resins. British imports of synthetic resins, by principal sources, are shown in table 26. TABLE 26.—_Synthetic resins: Imports into the United Kingdom, in selected years, 1930-36_ [1,000 pounds] --------------------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------ Source | 1930 | 1931 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 --------------------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------ British countries. | 1 | ([1]) | 5 | 2 | 19 | 24 Germany | 508 | 1,621 | 2,267 | 2,259 | 1,476 | 914 Netherlands | 679 | 667 | 151 | 114 | ([2]) | ([2]) UNITED STATES | 119 | 229 | 656 | 902 | 986 | 1,056 All other countries | 65 | 281 | 246 | 257 | 323 | 435 +------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------ Total |1,372 | 2,798 | 3,470 | 3,534 | 2,804 | 2,429 --------------------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------ [1] Less than 500. [2] Included in “All other countries.” Source: Official statistics of the United Kingdom.