New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-28
MUST THE SILK WORM GOT
THE CHARDONNET PROCESS FOR ARll'
FICIAL SILK.

A SUBSTITUTE MADE FROM WOOD PULp-AN IN
vENTIoN SAID TO HAVE GREAT FUTURE
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNEI
Washington March GA report has been rec''Veu
at the state Department from Consul Looms, Oh 81
Et,enne giving some interesting details ana lhiora
t,on in regard TO the Chardonnet process for convert
Ing wood pulp into silk. This report VIII soon DC
published and distributed as general "h'"c' ~
numerous inquiries about the process vi co"S' NV
great question has been as to whc'hcr inc hc" ','
covery could be made practically useful ana Va''o"
Consul Loomis thinks that this question mas pe."
answered I'm the affirmative by NJ. Dc Chardohhe',
who has bult a mill al Bcsancon, where the Six
Is now being manufactured. The raw ma'enai II
made from wood pulp, which is carefully area III al
oven ard plunged I'm a mixture o. suphhic "''' ''i
acids then washed several times In water ana uro'
bv alcohol. The product thus prepared Is uis'oNeu
in ether and pure alcohol, and the result Is coouoh
similar TO that used in photography ms coi'ou'o'
which Is sticky and viscos Is Enclosed In sohd IT,
ceutacle furnished with a filter in the lower end'
An air.pump sends compressed air into uhe re-
cepncle and BY its pressure the collodion Is asSe
through the filter, which removes all impurities ana
flows into a tube placed horizontally. ms '"'e ~
armed with 800 cocks, of which the spous are Niue
Of Glass and pierced by small hole OF the diameter
Of the thread of a cocoon 1t Is spun by tic si'H
worm The spinner opens the cock ana ,hs cor
,d1,on issues in thread OF extreme delcacy Ut taxes
six TO make thread Of the necessary Conscience }of
weaving. This thread Is not however III !" y.
rolled on the spools by reason OF It's Viscosi'y anu
softness the matter Is yet coilodioh anu ho' SIN"
To produce the necessary hardness uie ihNem'o'
resor,ed n a very ingenious but simple method Tile
I,t,e glass tube already mentioned Is surrounded oy
a small reservoir Of the same material constant!
t,od with water When the thread issues from inc
aper,ur in the manner described 1t travelses ''
water, which takes up the ether ana aicouoi anu
tcn the collodion becomes solldiGed; that Is 10 say
It is transformed into elastic thread as res.'ns
and brilliant as ordinary silk On account Oh 'no
materials employed the stuff manufactured was 1ouhu
q, b. d.rg.rously inAammable-its original combisti-
h,,,,v beinc at the alarming Of two centimetrcs
second Mr. LOOMS says that NJ. De Chardonhe' mas
apporently removed this difficulty "by piungihs lhe
spun thread solution Of ammonia 'h"s ren''''
II os slow OF combustion any other material
The consul adds This discovery seems TO nave
n great future / have talked with great men, SIN
merchants. brokers' dyers and men who manufactures
silk goods about the Chardonnct method OF pro-
ducing raw silk from wood. and 1t Is universally al
mi,,ed that the process will eventually Yield large
practicable ana profitable results. A great step mas
been made toward this end In reducing the ihhamiha
bluty of sthe Chardonnet silk. Another practical
auent Swapping Of The slender threads issuing from rpm
The cyludcr BY reason Of unequal pressure ms
makes IT %psoSe to %nn1n there NAV be- pro-
duced Ave pounds of excellent slk followed by i've I'VE
hounds OF q comparatively worthless quality ms
dif1culty is being overcome, am tod. but until "
Is completely removed men Of large means VIII no. no.
been formed TO exploit Count Chardonnct's invention.
II appears that Gown to TINS ms none ,s,, o, 'e
The new enterprise. although all Of them profess TO
believe I'm II and declare that In few years arhca
silk produced BY the process Is destined 10 herr
largely I'm the commercial world. Consul LOOMS :
report concludes follows
The disposition today on the part Of capitalists
here Is to await developments. When the process Is
perfected and Its results are wholly satisfactory
there will be lively struggle for the control OF this
valuable Invention and have said. there seems
to be no doubt Of the ability Of the inventor 10 remove
every obstacle which stands In the way OF perfect
practical success