Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-10-26
HUMBLE CORNCOB
FOUND VALUABLE
BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY DIscov.
Frs 1T is AN IMPORTANT
RAW MATERIAL.
EXCELLENT ADHESIVE MADE
FuTfurai, a Costly Chemical. Saved
as 6y-Product-Method of Produc-
ing PhthaIic Anhydride Developed
for American Dye Industry.
BY JAMES p. HoRNADAv

| ~ SAmES r. HORNADAY.
| Washington.-Corn cobs. which from
the beginning of agriculture in Amer
lea havs been waste product. are
ABOUT - become an important raw
material In manufacture. CAPITAL aft
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 it was found that the entire
content of the corn cob can be made
| into highly useful articles. From it
chemists produce a very excellent adj
| hesive
Afte: the high grade adhesive is
removed, a considerable quantity of
! lower grade product can be made
and the residue is practically pure
| ceitui0Se, from which it is possible to
manufacture a great number of COM
modities, including very good quality
| of paper Some valuable lime prod
ucts also are recovered.
After all these processes had been
| worked out, it was discovered that a
considerable quantity of a very costly
| chemical-furfural-w being lost
Ihis is now saved as by-product and
| an even larger quantity of it can be
| produced by rehabilitation of the adhe-
sive. Before this discovery was made
| furfural used to sell as high as $50
| pound. Furfural is a basic inter-
| mediary in dye manufacture and, in
| addition, is so effective as an insecti-
! eide that it was used foi that purpose
| 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 OF
phthalic anhydride developed in this
| country almost Immediately. This
| product, which is used in the rnanu-
| facture of number Of important dyes
| and drugs, had previously been pro
| duced only in Germany and Austria.
| Attempts were made by manufacturers
| in this country to use the German proc
ess, but it was found to be costly and
difficult to handle. Experiments then
were conducted in the color Iabora tory
| 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 COM
| mercial scale. AS result, we are not
only producing phthalic anhydride in
| this country but we are also exporting
| 1t to Switzerland in competition with
| German manufacturers.
Recently there was established in
| the bureau of chemistry an "of1ice of
| development work" The new office
| will act as the go-between from science
TO industry. force Of engineers will
| take up each new project for dealing
| with waste products as soon as it
| has passed the experimental stage in
the government laboratories and at
Tempt to develop its commercial pos
sibilities 1t offers. without fee, a
| service similar to that which mining
engineer performs for an investor who
! engaged him TO report on a gold mine.
Great Rush of Immigrants.
1t is barely possible that congress
may be called into extra session i'm
mediateIy after the November cleo
| tons to dea! 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 Plumbers.
Plans are now being worked out by
| the immigration bureau here for MAX
| Ing further use of the facilities for
| handling immigrants at Boston, Bal
! timore. Norfolk and one or two ports
On the gulf The newcomers nearly
! all desire to. land in New York city,
| and the officials says they expect to
! nnQ some UlIucuIty Ill SlhlCtlLl9 up LhAO
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 50 many months
ago the tide was flowing the other
! way. Immediately after the war there
was a rush for passports. It 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 it
was not regarded as strange that thou
! sands upon thousands should be anx-
! ious to go back for the purpose of
looking up relatives if for no other
reason.
Bringing Back Their Friends.
What happened so the immigration
| officials say. is that these thousands
| of foreigners who had become par
TALLY Americanized Immediately be-
came propagandists in their former
| homes. They talked enthusiastically
! of free America and as Il result near
Is every one of these foreigners is