Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-07-18
NEW INDUSTRY FOR IOWA.

hdu Opeueu DeIOre III the pOSSl DllltleS
OF new giant industry in which
there is the promise of big fortunes
being realized. Conditions in this
state are said to be highly adapted to
the manufacture of denaturized alco-
hol. Capitalists in Des Moines and
other Iowa cities are casting about
for all the information they can
secure relative to its commercial use,
its comparison with gasoline as an
agent of light, heat and power,
and the process and cost of its manu-
facture
The use of alcohol as motive force
has received great encouragement in
late years. By many scientific writ
ers it is considered superior to gaso-
line for use in gas engines and less
expensive. For light and heat it
offers great advantages and if it can
be produced in this country at less
cost than gasoline it's practical uses
will be almost unlimited.
In Germany where 80, 600, 600 gallons
of denaturized alcohol are used each
year, the great bulk Of this immense
quantity is made from potatoes. All
grains or vegetables containing starch
or sugar are suitable for the manu-.
facture of alcohol. The process of
manufacture is so simple that it can
be carried on by every farmer. Alco-
hol is made from the fermentation
Of starches and sugars. A thin paste
is made from molasses, finely ground
corn or potatoes and a small quantity
of malt or other agent containing
diastase is added. The mixture is
allowed to stand until the diastase,
which is the ferment formed in the
termination of barley, has trans
formed the starch into grape sugar or
glucose. Yeast is then added and the
temperature maintained from ~ to 80
degrees Fahrenheit. The glucose
under the influence of the yeast, fire.
ments and alcohol which is a COM
pound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
is one of the chief products. The
next step in the process is to distill
the alcohol, which, being more
volatile than water, distills rapidly.
The product can be brought to what
ever degree of purity is desired by re-
distillation and by treating it with
caustic lime, the effect of which is to
remove all water intermixed with the
alcohol.
Denaturization is accomplished by
mixing with the spirit small pro-
portion of some foreign substance,
which while not injurirg it's efficiency
for technical uses, renders it unfit for
as a beverage. The de-
substance employed de-
pends OF the use to which the alcohol
is to be subsequently put. The
ordinary substances include pyridine,
picolin, benzol, tolnol, xyol, wood
lutSdI anu SCN Cidl OtiiCA StAiiAesk
products. The denaturiizng in
gradients, according to the terms OF
the new statute, must be applied in
the presence of a government official.
"The broad, sandy plains of north
ern and central Germany" says a
writer in the Scientific American =
:" and in fact every agricultural dis
trict of the empire-produce in the
years cheap and abundant
crops of potatoes from which is easily |
by processes so simple
as to be within the capacity OF every
farmer vast quantity of raw alcohol.
The crude molasses left as refuse |
product of the raw beet sugar manu-
facture contains from 40 to 80 per
cent of sugar which cannot be crystal
lied, and thus can also be utilized as
a material for the production of alco.
hol."
Extraordinarily" says the same
writer, "alcohol has only three fifths
Of the thermal value of petroleum.
but it has been found that for motor
purposes, 2S per cent of the theoretic |
energy of alcohol can be utilized |
against maximum of 10 Fer cent in
crease of petroleum and its products. "
The excise tax on denaturized alco-
lol in Germany was removed in 1887.
The amount of this product consumed
in that country increased from 10,
,02, $50 gallons in 1886, to 30, 422, 72O
gallons in 1901, which is the average
AMOUNT consumed in subsequent years.
IF this vast amount. about two. thirds
vas of the ordinary grade for power
md heating purposes, at cost of l3
cents gallon. The remaining third
If the entire amount was for lighting
md chemical purposes, the cost for
his better quality being 2l.7 cents a
gallon.
For lighting and cooking alcohol
has been found very satisfactory. Ore
advantage over gasoline is the absence
IF odor. With an ordinary Welsbach
screen, alcohol vapor gives brilliant