The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-07-16
KUku OR WOOD-O|L
IN VIDE DEMAND

The woOd-oil, or Tung-oil, Of China
and Japan is derived from the nuts Of
several species of Aleurites closely re.
lated to the Hawaiian kukui. The
species are montana, Fordii and cor
data. "
To make woOd-oiI the nuts are first
ground or crushed, roasted in shallow
pans, and then steamed. The steamed
mass is then made into cakes covered
with straw mating and these are press
ed. The yield of oil averages about
forty per cent of the weight of the
kernel.
NOod-Oh is the common paint oil Of
, all China and is also used in yarnishes.
: 1t has q higher specific gravity than
any other vegetable oils except castor
oil and tallow seed oil and is charae-
terized by its high viscOsc.ty. y
Oil Finds Special Uses e."
Its principal uses in the United
States are in the manufacture of
'driers. These are compounds of the
fatty acid of the oil with lead and
manganese, and are known as "tungate
dliers." Tung oil, or wood oil, is also
| used in tho manufacture of linoleum,
| rubber substitutes and waterproof pa
per. The well.knOwh Japanese UNI,
brella" is covered with paper which
has been water.proofed with wood oil.
1t is quite possible that the difficult
ties which have attended the sale of
nj oil made in Hawaii have been
due to misapprehension as to just how
the oil is used in making paints. 1t is
,,nN ,ks,k. So a..
urinary roasting of the nuts before
the oil is pressed out of the cake has
something to do with producing the
viscid, sticky" quality which the
trade expects when it buys oils of this
class
The Chinese Kuku
The Chinese Tung oil is worth more
than the oil which comes from Japan.
! he tree. Aleurites Fordii, grows on
"""Ev hillsides all through southern
China, in drier locations than the Ha,
waiian kukui which 1t much resembles.
In China this tree Is only planted
where other cultivation is impossible.
1t Is set in groves, or orchards, about
twenty feet apart each way. The nuts
are gathered from the tee just before
they are ripe and are piled in heaps
and covered with grass and straw. The
green outer covering quickly rOts and
falls away. The nuts are then ground
in stone mill wheels and treated as
lee" "ibed above.
This difference in handling the nuts
may be lust the point where failure
has resulted for those who have ex.
"eriment"d with the manufacture of
kukui oil. If successful industry is
to he established in Hawaii it appar.
"ntlv needs more capital than has
hitherto been available. Also there is
probably more to it than simply gath.
ering the nuts which have fallen on
waste lands and pressing the oil out
i Of them.
1t must I've kent in mind that similar
| oils are strongly entrenched in the
trade where they have a recognized sta.
tins and use for certain definite pur.
poses. The objective in creating a
market for kukui oil is therefore along
those same lines and in this trade
| "ather than to attemut to get the prod
urt ms"d for something else.
! Wood oil is in strong demand. but
tnkui oil cannot become a connection
with il unless It approaches it in quail
itv. Hence there is need Of further
/ st"''ies and further EXPERIMENTATION to
discover whether the Hawaiian product
now has these desirable Qualities which
W" trade demands, or IL thew are lack
ing whether thew can b" r~oduced by
""o""r treatment of the kukui nuts be
! f""" the oil is extracted
'N"l IN" the n"tS white still green
! "'"V have something "a dO with il mr.
: F""mertiuV them in niles or the roost.
-" ""' SteawinP U"o"oss T7ptiI those
mn'tP"9 hove h"Ru irvPstioptad NOT all
90" I ~" 'N"e '""t "u"h' - he IN nrova
"""th"r ~" '"Eui oil industry is pos
sihle in Hawaii