The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1901-09-28
The Utilization of Waste.

The utilization of waste is the theme 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 refners that the latter OBJ
tain for 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, man
ufacture and distribution of Illuminating
oil; SO that what is realized from the sale
of the refined article is clear profit. This
would seem to be an extravagant state
ment, but it is doubtless an approximation
of the truth The immense returns now
annually obtained from the products of the
once despised cotton seed point the same
moral-that wastefulness is ignorance.
Progressive business men in this country
have not failed to discover the Importance
of utilizing the waste which is inevitable
in all mechanical and chemical processes;
but the art of recovering substances of
commercial value out of manufacturers
refuse has not attained degree of per-
feetion in the United States comparable
with the development of the same in Ger
many or France.
An illustration given in The Forum ar
ticle will serve to emphasize this assertion.
Enormous quantities of waste soapsuds are
permitted to flow in streams from all tex
tile 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
retorts, yielding gas which has thrice the
illuminating power of coal gas. Nearly
twice as much of this illuminant as is re-
quired to light the factory is thus obtained.
| Too many American manufactures are still
in the same stage Of development as was
the maker of Prussian blue referred to in
the anecdote of the late Baron Won Liebig.
The world renowned chemist when young
man visited the establishment of the gen
tleman in question, and, noting the fearful
din made by steam actuated pestles where
| By the materials for the color were being
crushed in huge iron mortars, he ques-
toned the proprietor regarding the same.
He was informed that the louder the noise
the better the blue produced, and abashed
the manufacturer by telling him that the
same good result might be attained by the
addition of iron to his ingredients. The
rule-o thumb maker of Prussan blue had
been blissfully ignorant of the fact that he
had been supplying the iron needed to i'm
prove the color by abrasion from his val
liable machinery.
! The sawdust that has been allowed to
choke up and disfgure our water courses
could be converted into bewildering num-
Der of commercially valuable products. Sub
jected to dry distillation it would yield gas,
alcohol, acetic acid, oils and tar. From the
tar there could be obtained benzole, toluene,
zymole, cumole, parafine, napthalene and
the hydrocarbons which are used in the
manufacture of aniline colors. Further
more, there could be obtained from saw
dust carbolic acid and creosote, and, as a
last product, there would be charcoal left
in the retorts. Mixed with various ag
glutinants sawdust may be made into arti-
fetal wood, which can be carved and turn
ed, and will take high polish. This can
he made into slabs for parquet floors, plates
for bas reliefs, art castings, panels and
decorations. By heating sawdust with
caustic soda and sulphur a cheap and abso-
luteIy fast brown dye for cotton may be
produced .0xalic acid is obtained from
the same neglected material. Mixed with
cement and plaster it makes mass of
most remarkable insulating power against
heat and cold for filling spaces between
floors and walls. ''Sciffarine, a very
hard and elastic material, is made of saw
dust, hemp fibre, starch, glue and filler;
and finally brandy of excellent flavor,
free from the odor or taste of wood or tur
pentine, has been obtained from grape su
gar derived from sawdust treated with mu-
riatic acid.
An enumeration Of the possible uses of
waste material would fill volumes, 1t is
evident however, that the proper utiliza-
tion of by products is prime factor in the
reduction of the cost of manufacture. The
competition between manufacturer who
does and 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