The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-12
Converting Waste
Stuff Info Wealth


III
nsh the most familiar illustration of the
i modern thrift in the utilization Of what
was formerly considered waste. II only
few years ago that the ahattoir usually
built upon the bank OF stream, and all refuse
was washed into the stream. In course Of time
ncGhhors inconsidorate enough TO protest
against the practice. Sanitary bees invaded in.
Vulnerable honnets, and a howl Of protest went mp
against the abattoirS. II was necessary 10 dis.
pose OF the refuse in some fashion. Chemists
were called in. Methods for drying the refuse
and extracting all the grease were developed
Tie grease went 10 the manufacturer of soap
The residue converted into fertilizer. Alter
jelly had hccn made from tho hoofs the hoofs
and horns were used for buttons, knife handles,
etc The health Of the neighhorhood and the
income OF the slaughter men went up.
Tho development Of the Tremendous anilne
colo" irGu-trv Is altogether due to chemical cx.
pertinent with waste product. In the dry dis
tillation Of coal wood for Gas, the gas passes
through succession oi wa,hcres which take
| out its impurities. These impurities, including
ammonia, carholic acid, acetic acid and various
nitrogen compounds, were formerly waste, hu,
are now separated and used. In fact. nearly all
Of the acctic acid in tho market is secured from
| tho dry distillation of wood. Five per cent. of
| the coal used in gas manufacture is coal tar
| and 10y experiment chemists found that this coal
| tar. ALWAYS regarded as waste residue, contained
| substances useful in the making oi dyes. Fully
| 10 per cent nj the weight Of coal tar is avail.
| able for this purpose, and upon the basis of this
| discovery the enormous coal tar industry has
! grown. New plants have been put into many
| ot the coke regions 10 collect the coal tar liner.
/ atcd in coke manufacture, and il will not he
long before the open coke oven will he a thing
! of the past Whore coal tar is burned in an
! Open oven coal tar can he collected and large
profits are literally thrown away, but by burning
the coal in closed rctorts all the coal tar can he
| recovered and used.
This color industry. which chemists call the
! greatest of the modern chemical industries has
| called for other chemical developments. II de.
| mands large quantities Of sulphuric acid Of
| Soda etc, and chemists have shsrpened their
| wits upon the problem oi obtaining these pro.
ducts at a minimum expense Until recaa.lv
| the greater pirt oi the Sulphuric acid used IN
| this country was imported from Sicily. Now,
| through chemical processes, the sulphur con.
| tanned in gold. silver and zinc is liberated and
| burned TO sulphur doNide, from which almost
all OF our sulphuric acid is made.
In connection with all oi our mining develop.
| ment, chemistry has played important part
Ores can he mined with profit TODAY that would
| have heen practically worthless few wears ago
| In the old mining days only high grade ore was
| profitable and only certain percentage m the
| gold contained in the freed The tailings
! thrown aside held a considerable quantity #
gold, hut could not be worked by the ordinary
| processes, were piled mountain high and dis
regarded until chemists discovered that the gold
was soluble in potassium cyanide and that hv
washing in a very weak solution Of potassium
cyanide, the failing Gold could he proftahlv
separated from the refuse. The same process has
led 10 the working ~ low grade ores, running
- or S3 10 the ton, which could not he profit
ably worked by the nrdird% mining processes.
The silver contained in lc3l has also been freed
and utilized. II was found by chemists that
when the melted lead M Ned with zinc the
silver formed an alloy with the zinc and ioated
TO the surface When this mass taken from
the lead and heated in retort the zinc, being
volatile, freed and left deposit so rich in
silver that it was easily purified
The applications Of chemistry 10 mining pro.
ccsSes are legion, but it is in other branches
OF industry that practical chemistry is now
making its strides. The Standard oil company
il hardy exponent Of the merits Of industrial
chemistry and has expert chemists constantly
employed, As for that NATTER SO have all the
great gas plants coke plants, sugar refncrcs
starch factories. etc, The original waste of the
oil business was enormous; now il is next "a
nothing OF course, the primary aim is the
| producing of kerosene, hut crude oil contains
on the ono side, oils lighter than kerosene, such
as Gasolcnc, napha, and. on the other side, pro
ducts much heavier than kerosene, such as par
afhnc, Al ON" time all ot these hy,products
were waste, now every one NJ them is utilized
BY first distiation. the lighter oils are freed
and collected Then the kerosene is distilled
leaving a h.product that Is worked over into
hard paraihn nd soft parafin or vaseline.
/ heavy oil left after the collecting of the paratfr
Is used for luhriCating and fuel oil, much Of il
being made into car and axle grease, After all
these processes a solid mas oi carbon is left IL
. the retorts. and this is used 10 a considerable
, extent in making carbon sticks for electric light
When one considers that until few years src
every one Of these produyts save kerosene wal
! absolute waste. one can realize 10 some extent