The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-01-06
DISTILLATION' OF WOOD.
A Number of Plants in Operation
and Quite Profitable.

and Quite Profitable.
So great an interest has been
awakened along this line, the writer
feels assured that the readers of this
paper will find interesting this brief
sketch of the enterprise, together with
a general outline of the processes by
which the many valuable products
are distilled from the heretofore use
less "fat light-wood. -
The first plant cf which the writer
has any record was built in 1872 by
one James Stanley. This was located
at Wilmington, N G. It was not a
success and in 1878 it WAS purchased
by the present owners of the Spirittine
Chemical company. In 1881 small
experimental plant was started by
these people at Charleston, S. c., but
was soon abandoned. The first were
very crude affairs and even modelled
after similar plants in Germany, Nor
way and Sweden. No effort was made
to infuse the oil, their use being con-
fined to the preservation of wood. The
first company to refine and diversity
the uses Of the product was unques-
tionably the Spirittine Chemical COM
pany of Wilmington, N. c., the pioneer
in the business. In few years other
plants were built and the possibilities
of the business began to be recognized.
Today there are dozens of plants in
operation and pure, white turpentine
is made by direct distillation from
heretofore waste Dnaterial.
The oils are refined and made into
wood preserves. Paint, oil, shingle
stains rubber for insulating purposes,
cable coating for rope transmission;
desinfectants; veterinary preparations
Of marked value and numerous other
lines too varied to mention. Each
plant, as a rule, has its special pre-
paration and method of operating, but
the process is in the main, the same
in a]l.
I shall endeayor to give as clearly as
possible the process as carried out by
the most successful Of the factories.
The distillation is conducted in steel
retorts; the capacity varying with the
views Of the builder; the most success
full sizes. however, have been found to
be the 1O-cord ones. These retorts are
nothing but huge steel sheets closed
at one end and having a door at the
other that can be hermetically sealed
from the rear opening. That is an
opening to which is attached by
fange connection corner pipe of
suitable size to carry off the resulting
vapors of distillation. This pipe leads
to a coil or worm of copper similar to
those used in the distillation of tur-
pentine by the old method. The oil is
enclosed in tank or vat, in which
water is kept constantly flowing, when
a charge is being run off. The retorts
are set in brick work somewhat simi-
lar to a boiler setting with space be-
meath for fire. The light-wood is
placed in the retort, the door closed
and sealed with some heat-resisting
substance, such as fire clay or asbestos
and the fire started in the furnace
beneath the retort. The pump is
started and cold water pumped con-
stantly in the tank containing the
worm.
In a short time the product of dis
tillat n begins to come over, and,
passing through the pipe, leading to
the worm, as vapors, become a liquid
as soon as they strike the cold worm.
The run is collected in tanks accord
ing to gravity, and the pyroligenous
acid, which is watery solution, is
separated by gravity from the oil.
The oil is then pumped into second
ary still where the process of the
refining is carried out and the oil is
separated into light and heavy oil.
Further refining can be carried on
almost and libitum. as is the case in
the refining of the petroleum. There
is quite quantity of Illuminating gas
generated during the process and in
some plants this gas is piped under the
retorts and used to aid in the dlstilla-
tion. The writer had charge, at
one time. of a plant that lighted
city of 5000 inhabitants from two
one-cord retorts, but in this plant
the oil was made into gas. The time
consumed in distilling a 10-cord charge
is abont 80 hours When the run is
over the retorts are allowed to cool
and the residue, which is charcoal,
is drawn and is used for firing the
next charge. This Offsets the fuel bill.
The amount of products from one cord
of fat wood seems almost incredible to
the uninitiated. If 10-cord plant is
properly constructed there should be
a minimum yield of 180 gallons Of
spirits turpentine and 72o gallons of
oil.
The writer knows of firms engaged
in the construction of these plants
that build them under guarantee
that they will produce these results.
Some idea Of the profits of these plants.
may be formed when we consider that
a cord of fat lightwood may be pur
chased almost anywhere in lightwood
section for not to exceed S350 and
the actual expense of operating ten
cord plant is not over 81. so per cord,
if the plant is kept at work. This
makes the actual cost of charge $50.
The products at a minimum valuation
Of 80 cents per gallon for turpentine
and six cents per gallon for oil, which
is the price of tar, and every gallon
can be sold ct plant for this figure,