The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-10-21
HUMBLE CORN cob
FOUND VALUABLE
BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY DlScov
ERs 1T is AN IMPORTANT
RAW MATERIAL.
EXCELLENT ADHESIVE MADE
FurfuraI, Costly Chemical, Saved
as a Observation-Disclosures of Produc-
ing Phthalic Anhydride Developed
for American Dye Industry.
BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY.

|
lea have been waste product, are
about to become an important raw
material in manufacture. Capital at
various places Is becoming interested
In the establishment Of cob utilization
| plants This Is due TO discoveries
made in the bureau of chemistry by
which 1t was found that the entire
content of the corn cob can be made
into highly useful articles. From II
chemists produce very excellent ad-
hesive.
After the high grade adhesive Is
removed, a considerable quantity Of
a lower grade product can be made
and the residue is practically pure
celluloSc. from which It Is possible TO
manufacture a great number of com
modItes, including a very good quality
of paper. Some valuable lime prod
ucts also are recovered.
After all these processes had been
worked out, II was discovered that a
considerable quantity Of a very costly
hemcal-furfural- being lost,
This is now saved as a by-produCt and
an even larger quantity of 1t can be
produced by Redistribution of the adhe-
sive. Before this discovery was made,
furfuraI used TO sell as high as 500
a pound. Furfural is a basic inter
mediary In dye manufacture and, in
addition, is so effective as an insectl-
! pi ha 20. N a
even when It sold at $50 a pound
Development In Dye Industry.
The agricultural department has also
| recently obtained important results in
connection with the development of
| American dyes. When the importation
OF chemicals from Germany was
stopped by the war, shortage os
phthalic anhydride developed in this
country almost Immediately This
product, which is used in the manU-
facture Of a number Of important dyes
and drugs, had previously been pro
duced only in Germany and Austria.
Attempts were made by manufacturers
! I'm this country to use the German proc
/ I
difficult to handle. Experiments then
were conducted in the color laboratory
Of the bureau of chemistry to devise
a new process in which air instead
of mercury and sulphuric acid, which
! the Germans had used, could be en-
ployed A successful method was
found, and the bureau of chemistry
co-operated with manufacturers in
placing the new process on a com
mercial scale. AS result we are not
only producing phthalc anhydride in
\ this country but we are also exporting
It TO Switzerland In competition with
German manufacturers.
Recently there was established in
the bureau Of chemistry an "oftice Of
development work" The new office
will act as the gO-between from science
to industry. A force of engineers will
take up each new project for dealing
with waste products as soon as 1t
has passed the experimental stage in
! the government laboratories and at
! tempt to develop It's commercial pos
siblltles. 1t offers, without fee a
service similar TO that which mining
engineer performs for an investor who
engaged him to report on gold mine,
Great Rush Of Immigrants.
It IS barely possible that congress-
may be called into extra session i'm
| medlateIy after the November cleo
lions to deal with the immigration
problem. In any event. the subject
will have TO be taken up when the
legislative body comes together in De
cember. The rush Of immigrants has
swamped the immigration machinery
| Of the government. Men, women and
children anxious to reach free Amer
lea have swarmed on 10 Ellis Island,
New York city, during the last few
weeks in unprecedented numbers.
Plans are now being worked out by
the immigration bureau here for max
ing further use oi the facilities for
handling Immigrants at Boston, Bal
timore. Norfolk and one or two ports
en- the gulf. The newcomers nearly
an desire 10 land in New York city,
aud the officials says they expect to
find some difficulty In splitting up the
stream, but It must be done, they say,
or else passage must be denied the
throngs that are sailing for the port
of New York Not so many months
ago the tide was flowing the other
way. Immediately after the war there
was a rush for passports. 1t has been
well-nigh impossible for foreigners TO
return TO their homes since the out
break of the World war unless they
were going home to fight, and so II
was not regarded as strange that thou
sands upon thousands should be anx-
ious To 90 back for the purpose OF
looking up relatives If for no other
reason.
Bringing Back Their FRIENDS
What happened, so the immigration
officials say, IL that these thousands
Of foreigners who had become par
tally Amerlcanized Immediately be-
came propagandlsts in their former
homes They talked enthusiastically
of free America and as result near
ly every one of these foreigners Is