Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-21

TIE fCfCRB
piece Of wood, . little alcohol and . quantity
Of ether is the result Of . Frsnchnan's recent
invention.
Consul Loomis OF st. Etisnne, In . report 10
the State Department, says:
Borrowing the famous sentence Of Madame
de Sevigne, q writer Of rsnown in the Petit
Journal Of Paris, who has recently visited the
factory Of Besancon, where wood pulp 10 con-
verted into soft silken thread, says TO his
readers: II am going to tell you about the
most astonishing thing. the most surprising.
most triumphant. the most astounding, the
most extraordinary, the most incredible, the
most unexpected, the most prodiRious the
most unique. the most brilliant and the most
worthy Of imitation and envy Of this century
il il the invention Of Count de Chardonnet, BY
means OF which wood pulp or cotton 10 con-
verted into durable. luminous and elastic six.
In the volume OF Consular Reports for June,
1892. contributed short account Of the Char
donnet process, which has been the means Of
opening up good deal Of correspondence on
the subject, ard am now glad to present some
details and additional information.
For long time after its discovery the process
and system of NJ de Chardonnet remained con-
cealed in his laboratory. 1t made its first ap-
pearance a. the exposition Of 1889. where il re-
give. Connoisseurs, avants and manufacturers
were greatly interested in it, though it had not
reached the degree Of perfection to which il has
been brought today.
The great question. that which leads all
Others. since the new invention tended to pro-
duce revolution in one of the greatest of
French industries. was could this discovery be
utilized for the growing needs of the people?
TaE PROCESS.
complete answer in tine Affirmative has been
given today by II. de Cha-doanet, who has al
ready, by enlsting the svmpa.hies Of several
business men, built mill at Bssaucon. where
the silk" Is being manufactured The raw
material is made from wood pulp. such as Is
used for the fabrication Of certain kinds Of
paper. This pulp is carefully dried in an oven
and plunged into mixture OF suiphuric and
nitric acids. then washed in several water baths
and dried by alcohol. The product thus Ere
pared is dissolved in ether and pure alcohol
and the result is collod:on. similar to that used
in photography. This collodion. which Is sticky
and viscous. is inclosed in solid receptacle
furnished with filter in the lower end. An air
pump sends compressed air into the receptacle.
and BY its pressure the collodion Is passed
through the filter which removes all impurities,
and aows INFO tube placed horizontally. This
tube is armed with 800 cocks, Of which the
spouts are made of glass and pierced
by a small hole of the diameter of the
thread of a cocoon as it is spun by the silk worm
The spinner opens the cock and the collection
issues in q thread OF extreme delicacy lit taxes
six to make thread OF the necessary consist
ence for weaving). This thread is not. how
ever. fit {, be rolled on the spools by reason Of
its viscosi.y and softness: ths matter is as yet
colodion. and not silk. To produce the neces-
sarF hardness, the inventor resorted to avery
ingenious bat simple method. The little glass
tube already mentioned is surrounded by a
small reservoir Of the same material constantly
filed with water; wien the thread issues from
the aperture in the manner described. it ira
verses this water. which takes up the ether and
alcohol, and then the collodion becomes soiidi-
fed, that is to say. it is transformed into an
elastic thread resisting and brilliant as ordi
nary silk.
One more detail On account OF the mate
rails employed in the manufacture Of this silk
wood. ether and alcohol-it might be rightly
supposed. was mentioned in the former re.
port. that the stuff manufactured would be
dangerously inhammable. NJ. de Chardonret
has apparently obviated such contingency by
plunging the spun thread in a solution OF am
MONA. thus rendering it as slow Of combustion
as any Other material.