Arizona republican., 1920-06-17
OCOT|LLA
 PLANT WILL YIELD
 VALUABLE PRODUCTS

The humble ocotil1a has come into it's own. Far from being utterly use less, the cactus plant which flourishes so plentifully on the desert has been found to give forth products of great value, according to an account of the products which may be taken from the ocotilla as given in a statement re- gently sent to L. B. Johnson of Mesa, who in 1916 spent. three months in Los Angeles directing experiments in mak- ing rubber and chewing gum from the gum of the ocotilla. The statement follows:
 Dr. Cornelius Weisgerber, the tech nica1 expert at the head of the Geo. tilla Products company, which is now completing it's initial plant at Sa- lome, AriZ., in a recent interview in the Verde Copper News, gave a lengthy account of the valuable products that are to be extracted from the ocotilla 173 pounds; tars, 206 pounds; char coal, 306 pounds; pyroligneouS liquor, 130 gallons. At the outbreak of the war pr. Weisgerber was put in charge of the research and develop ment division of the army and navy. being recognized as one of Americas s leading experts in the subjects of syn thesis and catalysis, and in this con- nectfon he did much valuable work for the government.
 When the building of concrete ships was undertaken Dr. Weisgerber was assigned to the task of developing a water proofing compound and it was while thus engaged that his attention was called to the possibilities of oco- tilla gum. He succeeded in producing water proofing that not only an- swered every requirement. of the gov ernment, but which also possessed the invaluable quality, of checking com- plete1y the electrolytic action to which all steel reinforcing, used in the pro- duction of concrete ships. is subject.
 The wood yields a charcoal 100 per cent pure and with a capacity for ab- sorbing gases almost four times as great as that produced from nut shells. Dr. Kellner. one of the leading radium experts of the country, who responsible for the startling discovery that ocotilla charcoal. which is the densest known, has the peculiar prop crty of absorbing the radium emana- = tions from radio active water. This is believed to be one of the most impor- l tant discoveries of recent years. Ex- periments are now being carried on along this line.
 The original plant for the extraction of the gum. in, commercial quantities, which was commenced by Arizona peo- pie, is being replaced by one of a hun dred tons daily capacity designed by the bureau of mines engineers, through
 which the valuable products of ocotilla will be recovered by the destructive distillation process. The products oi 1 the ocotilla plant are to be shipped | to three separate factories. the first handling the liquors, or distillate
 proper; the second the gums, and the third the tars. The liquor yields an
 exceptionally pure phenoI or carbolic l acid and several associated products 1 wood alcohol and several of it's com pounds, and an oil which seems to have | all the properties of Hnseed oil as g | paint carrier and which may be very l profitable product of the plant.
 | The gums may be treated to yield varnish, lacquer and rubber. pr | Weisgerber has at Salome severa,
 samples of the rubber. both crude and vulcanized, which are identical witf | the rubbers of commerce.
 The tars include most of the dyes
 and drugs developed by the Germans
 from coal tars and a new series whicf has not been found in the latter. From | the residue of the tar can be made in
 sulation for electric conductors that i!
 susceptible of complete vulcanization
 and a substance to be used in tn,
 production of unbreakable phonograpl
 records. and a -inflammable cellu
 lose which can be made into photo graphic films.