The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-05-26
PLAN TO UTILIZE
LOCAL MOLASSES
CHEMIST EXPLAINS HOW IT CAN
BE MADE INTO ALCOHOL
AT A PROFIT.

Tons of alcohol which go to waste
at the sugar plantations, or are used
in ways which do not produce remuner-
alive results, may be converted into
denatured alcohol with very little ex-
pense, and will be an aid in many re-
spects in the operating of machinery
wherever used on the big estates, is
the opinion of William Antoni, chemist
for the Hawaiian Preserving Company,
one of the big Hawaiian pineapple pro-
ducers of the Territory.
Mr.. Antoni has had considerable ex-
perience in converting moslasses into
alcohol, principally in California, and
expresses the opinion that the thou
sands of tons of molasses annually pro-
duced as a result of converting cane
into sugar could be utilized for produc-
ing alcohol, the latter selling at a
nominal cost if a market is worked up.
AT Agnews, California, where mo-
lasses is converted into alcohol, Mr..
Antoni estimates that $500 worth of
nitrogen and potash flow daily into the
sewers. This potash and nitrogen, if
turned back as a wash upon the sugar
plantations here, would effect an inn
mense saving.
Alcohol used in the propulsion of en-
gines, locomotives, and even pumps,
would also effect great saving in the
operating expenses of the plantations.
Uses Of Molasses,
According to Mr.. Antoni, molasses
is used principally for two different
purposes. One is for feed purposes for
animals and the other for distilling.
He estimates that as feed molasses
has value Of about one-half that of
corn. That is, if ton of corn is worth
$40, a ton of molasses would have
value of about 800 For feeding cattle
molasses is used in great quantities,
and the recent visit of G.. b. Wells,
former manager of the Wailuku planta-
tion, was to get the entire molasses
product of Wailuku plantation, to be
shipped to California to be converted
into feed for cattle.
MOlasses is mixed with finely cut
straw and hay and converted into oil
cake. Tn Germany most of the mo-
lasses is used for feed, the mixture
being composed of about two per cent
feed and eighty per cent molasses. The
feed serves merely to relieve the mix
tur of sickness. and in order to be
handled cut feed has to be added. Mo-
lasses contains quite a bit of mineral
matter, which aceumulates in the proc
ess of making sugar. For this reason
molasses in its entirety can not be fed
to animals, as il would sadly interfere
with their digestive processes.
In California n plant has been estab-
lished for the manufacture of this feed,
and Hawaiian molasses will be an i'm
.pOrtant factor in its manufacture
Carried in Oil Tanks.
MOlasses is carried in the empty oil
tanks of steamers. If molasses is to be
used for feeding purposes, the tanks
have to be cleaned verv carefully;
otherwise nasty taste and smell
would adhere to the mOlasses. The
Matson steamship Lurline, ON almost
every trip from Kahului TO Honolulu
and the Coast. carries about 2000 tons
of molasses in bulk in her tanks,
shipped by the Hawaiian Commercial
and Sugar Company.
The second and one of it's most inn
portant purposes for the nse of mo-
lasses is its conversion into alcohol. and
molasses intended for alcohol is carried
only in empty oil tanks which have to
be emptied of all oil contents thor
Onghly. If the alcohol is TO be de-
natured, the cleanliness of the tanks
is not a matter of great concern, and
it does not make much difference
whether oil adheres to the moIasses or
not
Law an Obstacle.
S. Peek of the Hawaiian Sugar
Planters Experiment Station has made
extensive experiments with Hawaiian
molasses, and has come to the cOnelu-
sion that under the existing revenue
laws alcohol could not be made from
Hawaiian molasses The laws, how
ever, could easily be changed 80 as TO
permit It's manufacture. There would
be a large output Of alcohol, as two
gallons Of mOiasses would approx
mately make one gallon OF alcohol, and
the freight on alcohol from here to the
Coast would be only half that do.
manded for molaBses
II 10 the opinion Of Mr.. Antoni that
d sugar estate having boilers and
plenty Of water at its disposal could
a small alcohol plant and
should BE- able 10 make alcohol o.
nineiyslx per cent 0f ~ m0lasses, and
for lees than ten cents a quart The
only drawback 20 large manufacture u
DE limited maThel Ia California, AL
pffsrni there in not 8 great demand
f0f dfunfufad alcohol bni with a
rhaafInr nfflafn t0nf aaliiH ~ aaIa "a