The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-11

TIE MANuFAcruRH OF STRAW BoARD.-The
manufacture of straw board Is Q growing industry
in this country. Notwithstanding 1t Is compare
lively modern, its increase has been 30 great, that
1t has nearly trebled the price OF straw during
period of twenty years. Although based upon
the same general principles as paper making, "
differs from the methods employed for hne papers
in several important particulars. some OF the pro-
cesses being. omitted and others not required N
the latter being necessary. !, 1o.
The first process consists in boiling the straw
with quicklime. This is done In wooden digester
which takes steam from boiler. The straw u
packed in layers with the lime between them. and
the whole boiled from ten to twelve hours, &C.
cording to circumstances.
The rationale of Tins process 10 based upon the
nature Of the material. Straw Is composed Of .
tube Of woody fiber and cellular tissue. having
upon its outer surface cuticle composed of sill
Gates of potasea and soda with some silica. Tho
woody fiber also contains some silica. To the
siicious cuticle the straw owes In great part its
strength. The same cuticle also covers the leaves
of the different grains and grasses. and gives them
coarser varieties. Tho boiling process s therefore
cht meal In its effect. The reaction which takes
place is the combination of the lime and the silica,
which leaves the straw in pulpy state. The mass
il now ground BY machine similar In principle
to that used for grinding the ordinary paper pulp.
namely A revolving cylinder upon which knives
are fixed which play between series Of fixed
knives on bed plate The straw Ia not chopped
Dy tneee Knives. Dat ID graouauy uislntoBrbtoo
until it is reduced to o uniform pulp.
The entire macs IL now drawn into vat, which
contains water and 10 kept constantly agitated By
q series of revolving arms. A wire gauze cylin-
der is 10 adjusted that It will revolve partially
beneath the surface Of the duid mass. The pulp
sdheres to the gsuze, and 10 carried around to
another cylinder around which an endless belt Of
felt runs. The latter cylinder presses upon the
gauze and by this means the pulp Is msde to sd-
here to the felt, and condensed so as to give II
enough consistency TO be taken up by another CYL
inder called forming cylinder. This cylinder ID
one of pair made Of polished metal. and By
them the pulp is strongly compressed. The pulp
IL wound around the former until the proper
thickness is reached this il determined BY an In
dicator. .ar-
Along the forming cylinder there is Q groove
planed out, through which the operator now ra-
pidly pssses wooden knife thus severing the
soft board; and at the same time he unwinds the
sheet and removes 1t. These sheets are cut 80 -
| to form other sizes, and then dried, which COM
pletes the process. Wooden rags are sometimes
| ground and mixed with the straw pulp This
| makes much darker colored and heavier board.
which 10 worth considerably more than the pure
| straw board.
The boards as thus manufactured are applicable
to great variety Of useful purposes. among which
| book binding. button making and paper box ma
| nufacture are most prominent.-l Scientific Amer
lean.