Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-09
Manufacture of Denatured Al
cohol Will Probably Be
Started i'm Near Future
CAPITALISTS ARE INTERESTED
Chances Are That DistiIIery Will Be
Erected at Des Moines or Some 9th
or City and If Successful Others viii
Be Located at Central Points-other
News of Interest.

of the law removing the internal rev.
enue tax on denaturized alcohol Iowa
suddenly and almost without previous
notice, has had opened before 1t the
possibilities of new giant industry in
which there is the promise
of big fortunes being realized. Con-
ditions in this state are said to be
highly adapted to capitalists in Des
Moines and other Iowa cities are cast
ing about for all the information they
can secure relative to it's commercial
an agent of light, heat and power, and
the process and cost of it's manufac-
ture.
The use of alcohol as motive force
has received great encouragement in
late years. BY many scientific writer's
it Is considered superior to gasoline for
use in gas engines and less expensive.
For light and heat it offers great adj
vantages and il it can be produced in
this country at a less cost than gaso-
line it's practical uses will be almost
unlimited.
1t may be declared as certain that
the manufacture of denaturized alcohol
will be added to Des Moines industries.
Located at the center Of a corn and
potato growing state, this city has all
the advantages needed for an enter
prise Of the kind. Men interested in
the development of the city commerce.
ally have. been quick to realize this.
The Des Moines Commercial club has a
committee at work to insure the Local
ton of distillery here. +. NJ Hub
bell, the owner of the old malt house
near the Agar packing plant, which
has been in disuse since the enactment
of the Iowa prohtbitory law, has offered
the property rent free for term of
years to a denaturized alcohol COM
pany which will agree to take the old
plant and put it on an operating basis.
Process ia Simple.
In Germany where 30,000,000 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
,r sugar are suitable for the manu-
facture of alcohol. The process of
is so simple that it can
De carried on Nv every farmer. Alco-
lol is made from the fermentation of
starches and sugars. A thin paste is
made from molasses, finely ground corn
,r potatoes and a small quantity of
malt or other agent containing dias-
.ase, is added. The mixture is
allowed to stand until the dias-
h;rh &c hn ;r,
he termination of barley, has trans
ormed the starch into grape sugar or
glucose. Yeast is then added and the
maintained from 70 to SIS
legrees Fahrenheit. The glucose un-
Ter the influence of the yeast, fer
nents, and alcohol, which is a COM
pound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
s one of the chief products. The next
tep in the process is to distill the alco-
lol, which, being more volatile than
water, distills RAPIDLY. The product can
re brought to whatever degree of pur-
ty is desired by redistribution and by
reating it with caustic lime, the effect
# which is to remove all water inter-
mixed with the alcohol.
Made Unfit for Beverage.
Decentralization is accomplished by
mixing with the spirit small proper
ion of some foreign substance, which
while not injuring it's efficiency for
echnical uses renders it unfit for con-
sumption as a beverage. The dena-
urizing substance employed depends
m the use to which the alcohol is to be
put. The denaturizing
Ingredients, according to the terms Of
he new statute, must be applied in the
presence of government official.
'sThe broad, sandy plains of northern
md central Germany" says writer in
he Scientific American, land in fact
very agricultural district of the en-
,ire, produce in the ordinary years
heap and abundant crops of potatoes,
rom which is easily manufactured by
processes so simple as to be within the
of every farmer a vast guam
ity of raw alcohol. The crude molas-
les left as refuse product of the raw
,eet sugar manufacture contains from
o to so per cent of sugar which cam
lot be crytallized, and thus can also be
Utilized as material for the produce
ion of alcohol"
Theoretically, says the same writ
r, ''alcohol has only three-fifths of
he thermal value of petroleum, but it
las been found that for motor pur-
oses, % per cent of the theoretic ener
" of alcohol can be utilized against a
maximum of is per cent in case of
etroleum and it's products"
FREE LUNCH TO STAY.