Norwich bulletin., 1918-10-15
Transforming Trees Into Silk Stock.

Transforming Trees Into Silk Stock ines.
 Exportation from the United States Of $, s,do1,ae8 pairs of stockings made from artificial silk in the fiscal year just ended illustrates the growth in this country of the comparatively new industry of production of artificial silk l from wood pulp. 4 compilation by the National City bank of New York shows that the United States has now become one of the leading world pro- ducers of artificial silk, and that from
 being a large importer of this product
 we have become a very considerable exporter.
 Artificial silk, according to the banks statement. is manufactured from ceiiulese produced from wood pulp through the action of certain chemicals by which the wood pulp IS | turned into a substitute almost exact | ly identical with that carried in the l body of the silk worm from which he spins his cocoon which man trans | forms into silk threads. This artificial l etafuiose. practically identical with l that Of the silk worm, is turned into
 silk threads by being pressed through minute openings in metal plates, fall 1 ing into q liquid which solidiffes the thread. While tfie textiles thus made rom the artificial fiber are not yet 1 fully equal to those produced from the 1 natural silk, the growing use of the ! artificial silk is illustrated by the fact l 5hat our. imports oe artificial silk chiefly in the form of yarns or 1 threads. have aggregated about $50, po9,000 in the last decade. These, prior to the war, were drawn chiefly from
 Great Britain, Germany, Belgium and
 France, that from Great Britain alone
 being 3t,s17ooo, from Germany Fl ,o&5, : 60. from Belgium sS6S5, 900 and from Frar2cc $s44.060. With the opening oi the war the supply from Germany and Belgium was entirely suspended and that from Great Britain and France materially reduced, so that the d1aR- l tity of artificial silk yarn imported feT From ?. .75e 900 pounds in 1914 to 2s5,00t
 in 1918.
 This fall-off in the artificial silE | evaila ole in other parts of the. world l has stimulated our own production oi 1 artificial silk which advanced from
 3se,090 pounds in 1914. the year 1T which the industry was established ir 1 this country, te $500, 900 pounds il | 1917, our expoftati tioT of manufacture Of artificial silk jumped from sS57,s1' l III IllG uSGd1 YCdIt lyA u S@$oOesSi- II 19tS, the bulk of this being 500.95'
 1's of hosiery valued at $1,932,034
 process of turning trees int
 ocltines through the transforma. 1 i wood pulp eeliulose, to produce
 th 'ti5cial silk threads, is simple The wood pulp is treated with causti'
 soad to -orm 2 sodium celiulese ana then dissolved in carbon dislilphide 1 The prodRc5, aikali ealiulese -xanthate | is viscous solution popuiaFiy c2ilet 1 viscese and aItcT being filtered ant allowed to ripea by standing, is forcet
 through minute openings in a meta l plate into & liquid which solidifies tn threads, which are when completed similar ill appearance. difnenSions ant I chemical qualities to the fiber produce
 By the silk worm.
 1 Silk goods made from this artificial fiber are chiefly remarkable for tl1ei briiliancy, being more lustrous thal natural silk, but have so1newha harsher feel Some of the early short connings Of the artificial product. lacl of strength and elasticity, have beei
 considerably lessened, and these silk are now used in fabrics for both war and fjIling threads, for hosiery, dres trimmings, upholsteries and rugs, ais taking the place Of real silk for insu lating electric wire and making dura bie mantles for incandescent lights Recent reports from Germany inditat that cloth for general clothing pur poses is now being manufactured ther
 from threads produced by this process
 mixed with other fjbers in the weaving Presumably those utilized for tn heavier grades Of clothing are large 1 thread than those intended for use a silk, but apparently manufactured b the same general process.