The Calumet news., 1912-02-21
PRODUCTS FROM WASTE
WOOD.


The conservation of natural re-
sources is twin sister to the economic
use OF present waste materials. and i'm
no case is this more obvious than i'm
our forest products. In the waste wood
of the south and northwest. from the
! lumber industry. there is more than
| sufficient papers (cNcept ncws) paper
and box board, and building board re-
ouired, for which wood is suitable.
More methyl alcohol, acetate of lime
and acetone can be produced from it
than is now made i'm the country and
large quantities of ethyl alcohol may
also he recovered. There are millions
of acres of cut-over land covered with
stumps and dead, and down timber,
all of which, because of it's resinous
nature, decays slowly enduring for
years.
The tops, stumps, slabs. and saw
dust. dead and down timber from fires
and storms furnish one of the great
undcveloped resources Of the coun-
try From this waste wood the entire
output of naval stores, embracing tur-
pentine, resin. tars. pitch, resin spirits,
and resin oils, having an annual value
of at least $SO,OOO,OOO, may be obtain
ed without boxing or turpentining a
single tree.
II was not Secretary Wilson's pur-
pose to discuss the details of equip
ment or technique of the various
processes by which the utilization of
the waste wood can be achieved. as
II is a comparatively simple problem
for the experienced chemical engi-
neer, but to emphasize the importance
of saving the waste, II we intend to
conserve the growing timber without
reducing the present tremendous use
OF our forest products.
"Our scientists" the secretary is
quoted as saying. have been doing cx-
pcrimental work. and have collected in
formation which leaves no doubt that
wood turpcntine can be so refined a.
TO be made To correspond closely with
genuine spirits in all those properties
by which the suitability of turpentino,
as "a paint and varnish thinner IS
Judged. Wood turpentine, which has
y
oils. can be used in well ventilated
places without serious Inconvenience
TO workmen, and is n suitable paint
and varnish materials except possibly
for the highest grade varnishes; and
II may be employed, even for these
purposes, without dctrimont To the
paint or varnish."
rs,o ...,.,1 III. ipt,ti,,.
woodwork of the new building of the
bureau of chemistry to be painted
with zinc oXid and linseed oil thinncd
with wood turpentine. and the work.
men were not seriously nconvenienccd,
or made i'll, although the odor was
unpleasant. The turpentine behaved
well under the brush and after eigh-
teen months there is no apparent de-
feet i'm the paint
Wood turpcntine can he recovered
from any of the coniferous woods but
The lonGleaf yellow pine of the south,
the Norway pine of the central north,
and Douglas fir of the northwest con-
tain sufficient rosin to justify work
ing them.
As lar Ddtk dS iofi' DdtchtS 4Nldt-
ing to this subject were issued, but
the process was not developed until
within recent years. The difficulty Of
supplying the increasing demand for
turpentine has Increased during the
last ten years, owing to the rapid de-
crease Of the supply of live pine tim
bors suitable for even the most adj
vanced system of turpentine orchard
ing and has turned the attention OF
business men and inventors TO dcvis-
ing and exploding apparatus and pro-
cesses for the recovery OF the turpen-
tine from the waste coniferous lum-
bes.