Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-12
AS new MONARCH |
IN power Realm
Chemists Declare Many. New
Sources Found for Alcohol;
Prohibition Releases Mil
. lions of Gallons Year.

New York, Oct. liking Alco-
hol was hailed as a new monarch \
Of the realm of power in a SYM
postum held Friday at Rumford hall
by the New York section of the
American Chemical society. The
five well-known chemists who ad-
dressed the section told of more
new sources of alcohol which could
be tapped, and indicated many new
uses for it. 20.
B. II. Tunison said that probably
10 times as much alcohol as was
consumed before prohibition days
would eventually be utilized by the
American people, albeit they have
decided to dispense with it as
beverage. In a normal year the
United States drank 160,000000 gal
ions of alcohol and used approx
matcly 100000,000 gallons in the
various arts.
From Nipa Palm.
Among the sources which could
be developed is the nipa palm, which
fourishes in the Philippines and
other tropical countries, and yields,
said Mr.. Tunison, about Is per cent
of sugar which could be fermented.
From that source alone 100000
gallons a year could easily be pro-
duced. The Mexicans brew a fiery
beer from the sotol plant, variety
of agavo which exists in very large
quantities in their country from
which millions of gallons could be
distilled.
By changing the cellulose of saw
dust and other wood waste into
sugar and then fermenting that sub
stance, plenty more alcohol can also
be obtained 1t is identical with
that derived from grain, and is quite
different from the methyl or So
called wood alcohol of the Pink
Elephant" brand, which is made by
another process. Considerable a1co-
hol can also BE derived from the
waste of gas works. ...'
In order to bring all these alco-
hols within the domain of the law,
however, they have to be denatured,
or treated in such way as to make
them unfit for human Consumption.
There are now about 40 denaturing
formulas which are approved BY the
internal revenue bureau. When
alcohol is used Simply of ITSELF" as
honest John Falstaff used to say of
sack, the government puts on a tax
of $4.15 gallon, even if employed
for industrial purposes.
Alcohol as Motor Fuel.
These undrinkable alcohols are
used excessively as solvents in the
various chemical industries and es-
pecially in the development of the
rapidly growing dye industry. They
can serve we'll in the manufacture
Of fosihs as solvent and by their
use perfectly transparent product
can be manufactured. ...
Mr.. Tunison prophesied that as
the petroleum supply decreases and
the price of gasoline is therefore
raised, alcohol will come into great
er use as motor fuel. Denatured
ethyl alcohol. identical in compost
ton with that distilled from grains.
is now cheap in carload lots, and
there are compounds of it which
are sold even now for only a few
cents more a gallon retail, than the
price of gasoline. Mr.. Tunison said
that these new alcohol fuels yield
more power to the gallon than does
gasoline and do not clog carburc-
tors. ..a
Extracts and Perfumes.
There is also demand for the
so-called solicited alcohol which is
made by adding raraffinc and such
substances to spirits. M.t
DR.. F. w. Kressman gave details
concerning the manufacture of
Ethyl Alcohol from Wood Waste"
DIR. G. F. Richmond told of the
possible increased use of the So
called Higher Alcohols" which are
employed in The manufacture of ex-
tracts and perfumes.
Prof. Ralph H. Mckee spoke Of
alcohol From Sulphite,~ Wood
Waste" and DR.. Leonard H. Crotch
er's topic was THE Use of Alcohol
in the Dye Industry"