The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-11-13
MAKING WOOD PULP.
Description OF an Industry which Is Of
More Than Common Interest.

Description OF an Industry which Is Of
More Than Common Interest.
Paper pulp can be made from any
substance containing vegetable fiber.
The principal materials used are cotton
and linen rags, waste paper, straw,
esparto grass, wood, cane, juto and
MANILA. But besides these, stores oi
other substances in the vegetable world
have been used for the purpose with
more or less success. One Of the recent
discoveries of modern science is the
manufacture of u very fine quality Of
pulp from the thick leaf-stalk of the
giant cactus, which grows n forests on
the arid pateaus of Arizona and South
ern California. and has hitherto been
regarded as wholly without value for
any use of man. Rags are made into
pulp by first washing, then boiling for
about ten hours in an alkaline solution.
They are then put into tho hollander
engine, which is an oblong vat having
in the middle & cylinder with blunt
knives all around its surface and be-
meath 1t block covered also with blunt
knives This cylinder makes about one
hundred and fifty revolutions minute.
Water runs into the vat ut one side and
flows out at the other with
equal rapidity. Meanwhile the rags
are carried by the flowing water
around the cylinder, which is placed
near enough to the block to separate
their tibers considerably in tho move
ment. This process lasts about four
hours. and the rags are then drained
and put for three hours in the bleaching
vat. which contains strong solution Of
chloride of lime or other bleaching ma
terial, and has also central revolving
cylinder upon block with knives, so
that the material is cut still finer in this
another vat of like construction, in
which the revolving cylinder is placed
so near to the block that it beats upon
it in its revolution, and thus in the
course of four or five hours reduces the
substance TO fine pulp. Waste paper
is put into boilers, through which q hot
solution of sofia passes continually. to
remove printers INK. 1t is then put
through the washing, bleaching and
beating engines, just MS rags are, these
processes, however, in the case of pa
per, occupying much less time. Straw,
esparto and other grasses are chopped
fine with cutters and then boiled with a
strong solution of caustic soda, to dis
solve the gummy matter on them. Aft
er this the substance is reduced to pulp
in engines, in much the same way rs
with rags. Wood pulp is made by first
reducing the wood to chips, then boil
ing in very strong solution of caustic
soda under tremendous pressure.
1t is then was led and bleached
rs the other substances, and in the beat
ing engine is usually mixed with cer-
tain proportion of rag pulp, as paper
made of pure wood pulp lacks cohesive
ness. Cane pulp is made by what is
called the Lyman process, VIII ch con-
sists in putting the stripped cane in
cylindrical boilers, and then introducing
steam till the pressure of one hundred
and eighty pounds to the square inch is
obtained. The cover of the cylinder is
then removed and tho escaping steam
hurls the cane with such tremendous
force against surface placed tn rty feet
away as to reduce it to mass of brown
pulp. In this form 1t is used to make
roofing and wrapping paper, and it is
also bleached and beaten and made into
white paper. Manila and jute are
boiled in rotary boilers, with milk of
lime. if plain brown paper is to be made;
with caustic soda il white quality is
wanted. BESIDES the manufacture of
paper, pulp of any material is devoted
to large variety of uses, such as maxi
in paste board. pap er mache. boxes.
boards, sheathing for vessels. boats,
furniture, filling for car wheels. tubs,
buckets and other household articles A
manufactory in the East makes doors
and door frames of paper pulp, also
cupboards and window frames and
sashes, all complete and ready TO be put
in their places in houses. AsteambOat
has been made. for experiment, entirely
from paper pulp. In fact, the possible
uses of this substance are too numerous
to mention. Philadelph q Times.