The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-11-15
rHEUTILIZATlON ONOF WASTE


of an interesting article in The Forum
for September. In the most highly
organized industry of this country the
potential value of the by-products of
manufacture has long been appreciated:
and it is said by those who are familiar
with the practice of American oil re-
finers that the latter obtain from the
impurities separated from the crude
petroleum during the process OF re-
duction an amount of money sufficient
to pay the entire cost of the production,
manufacture and distribution of illu-
minating oil; so that what is realized
from the sale OF the refined article is
clear profit This would seem to be
an extravagant statement, but it is
doubtless an approximation OF the
truth. The immense returns now an
nually obtained from the products OF
the once despised cotton seed point
ignorance. Progressive business men
in this country have not failed to dis
cover the Importance of utilizing the
waste which is inevitable in all mecban-
ical ard chemical processes; but the
art of recovering substances Of CON-
mercial value out of manufacturers re-
fuse has not attained degree of per-
fection in the United States compara-
bic with the development Of the same
in Germany or France.
An illustration given in The Forum
article will serve to emphasize this
assertion. Enormous quantities Of
waste soapsuds are permitted to flow
in streams from all textile factories,
polluting rivers and making no end Of
trouble. At certain yarn mill at
Mulhausen the suds are precipitated
with lime and the resulting coagulum
pressed into bricks, dried and heated
in re,or,s, yielding a gas which has
thrice the illuminating power of coal
gas. Nearly twice as much of this
illumina tirg power of coal gas. Nearly
twice as much of this illuminant as is
required to light the factory is thus
obtained. Too many American manu-
e, h, Of
development as was the maker of
Prussian blue referred to in the anec-
dote of the Baron Won Liebig. The
world renowned chemist when young
man visited the establishment of the
gentleman in question, and, noting the
fearful din made by steam actuated
pestles whereby the materials fol the
color were being crushed in huge iron
mortars, lie questioned the proprietor
regarding the same. He was informed
that the louder the noise the better the
blue produced, and abashed the manu-
facturer by telling him that the same
good result mi ight be attained by the
addition of iron to his ingredients.
The rule-of-thumb maker of Prussian
blue had been blissfully ignorant of the
fact that he had been supplying the
iron needed to improve the color by
abrasion from his valuable machinery
The sawdust that has been allowed
to choke up and disigure Our water
courses could be converted into a be-
wildering number of commercially val
liable products. Subjected to dry dis
tillation it would yield gas, alcohol,
acetic acid, oils and tar. From tue
tar there could be obtained benzole,
toluene, zymole. cumolc, paraffine,
nal rthalene and the hydrocarbons
which are used in the manufacture of
aniline colors. Furthermore, there
could be obtained from sawdust car
bolic acid and creosote, and, as last
product, there would be charcoal left
in the rctorts. Mixed with various
agglutinants sawdust may be made
into artificial wood, which can be
carved and turned, and will take
high polish. This can be made into
slabs for parquet floors, plates for bas
reliefs, art castings, panels and decora-
tions. By heating sawdust with caus-
tic soda and sulphur cheap and alb
soutely fast brown dye for cotton may
be produced Oxalic acid is obtained
from the same neglected material.
! Mixed with cement and plaster it
makes mass of most remarkable in
sulating power against heat and cold
for filing spaces between floors and
walls. "Scitfarne, a very hard and
elastic material, is made Of sawdust,
hemp fibre, starch: glue and filler; and
finally a brandy of excellent flavor,
free from the odor or taste of wood or
| urpentne, has been obtained from
grape sugar derived from sawdust
treated with muriatic acid.
An enumeration of the possible uses
of waste material would fill volumes.
1t is evident, however, that the proper
utilization of by-products is a prime
factor in the reduction of the cost of
manufacture. The competition be-
tween manufacturer who does and
i one who does not turn his waste into
marketable commodities may be fierce
for time, but it will be brief; and he
who shall permit his waste to remain
waste will not be the winner
All men are born ignorant-and