Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-05-25
SILK FROm WOOD PULP.
A Novel Substitute for the Si1
Wormsa Product

n
Worms Product.
from the Boston Daily Advertiserl
The fact that the United States has not
achieved striking success in the attempts
which have been made to introduce silk
worm culture In this country Is practically
admitted to-day. A few scattered efforts
have shown some indications of success,
but for the most part the silk worm finds
fault with his food or the climate. Per-
hsps because of the apparent impossibility
of producing a large supply of raw silk
the American manufactures of that article
have not fairly equalled those of France,
except within few very recent years.
To day it can be said. however, that Maine
produces as fine an article of ''broad" silk
goods as any French manufacturing center
can show, If impartial judges are to be
believed. The American ribbons also are
practically as good as those imported from
France. The American and French manu-
facturers buy much of their raw silk in
the same market, and the Americans are
using as good machinery and as skilled Ia
bor as their French competitors employ.
1t is therefore worthy of note st this,
the best period of American silk manufac-
ture 60 far, that q method of making silk
threads from wood pulp is being brought
to Q practical stage. The method made its
first public appearances at the Paris e1poai-
tion of 1889. where 1t ct once attracted at
tention. At that time, however, 1t was
imperfect If not absolutely dangerous
Since that date the improvements in the
original method have been noticeable, and
the revised process is now employed at
Besancon, where the silk is being manu-
featured. The material employed is moth
ing more than the wood pulp" which is
already used so largely in paper making.
After being crushed the pulp Is dried In
an oven and sfterwsrd immersed In q nj
tro -sulphuric scid mixture. The pulp is
then thoroughly washed in water, and is
finally dried in alcohol. The resultant
product is put into a mixture of practical
ly pure alcohol and ether until ''oollo-
dion" is formed, not noticesbly different
from that used for Photographic films.
After the collodion is prepared 1t is forced
through filter and is thsn poured into q
long tube, in the side of which are hun
dreds of spigots with a very minute out
let. The collodion Issues from the spigots
in thin, sticky threads, which are after
ward washed by ammonia and water.
This washing takes the soluble ether and
alcohol from the collodion, which immedi-
atsly grows harder and tough and in about
every respect as brilliant and strong as
silk thread The resultant threads are
spun together in strands of six, and are
then ready for weaving
When the ChardOnnet process was frat
| exhibited one very strong objection to the
| textiles woven from the new 'silk" lay In
the grest inf1ammsbllity of such texture.
The original combustibility was at the rate
of two centimsters a second, and 1t was
| claimed with much justic thst goods OF
such nature could not b., and ought not
| to be, used for purposes of dress. The
| addition of ammonia to the water bath In
which the collodion thresd was washed
| served to do away with the objection.
| Still sgsin 1t WAS found that the pressure
on the collodion tube was not equal
throughout, soma of the threads snspping
off before they were put into the iusl
| bath 1t is announced that this fault has
| been corrected under the revised process,
| and, If the announcement Is authentic,
| the new method of producing silk without
| silk worms will attract the notice of Amer
| lean manufacturers.
The importance of this invention, IL II
can be shown to be all that is claimed
may be inferred from the progress which
| has been made in the pspsr trade since the
| advent of the wood pulp processes. The
| growth of the paper making industry I.
/ we'll realized in this section, where i.s rapid
| advance WAS 30 noticeable. With the skill
i which the American manufacturers have
already shown in the elk industry, the ad
vent of a wood pulp process may result IL
q similsr triumph for American industries
If, ss is to be expected, the results Of th'
Chardonnet process are TO be on exhibition
at Chicago, they will be closely scrutinizet
by American manufacturers generally.