The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-27
Frederick Haskin's Letter
A NEW CORN COB INDUSTRY

covered from corn GODS, says the
bureaus announcement. The first
and more valuable one amounts to
about 10 percent of the weight of
the cobs. One of the chief uses
now contemplated for is is as a
substitute for silicate of soda in
the manufacture of fiber contain
er and wall board. as it is both a
cheaper and a better material than
silicate of soda. The cob adhesive
has been tested under mill condi-
lions and found suitable in every
way. Other uses to which the ad-
hesive may be put are labelling of
containers and the manufacturing
of coarse envelopes and paper bags.
II has also been tested with sue
cessful results as a sizing for walls
and for the manufacture of paper
coated pasteboard. The second ad-
hesive is of a lower grade and can
be used only for such purposes as
foundry cores and as a binder for
the coal dust fuel known as bri-
Quette.
Other y-prOduets.
In the process OF extracting the
adhesive d considerable quantity of
acid is liberated. It pessos off with
the vapor, is condensed and recov-.
cred as acetate of lime. At present,
the acetate OF lime from which by
far the greater part of commercial
acetic acid is made, is obtained by
distilling wood and is very impure.
The acetate of lime obtained from
corn cobs is almost chemically
pure.
The residue after these substanC-
es have been recovered from the
cobs is an almost pure cellulOse
which possesses very little fiber.
It can be used in the manufacture
of dynamite, 'and linoleum. and in
every line of work where wood
flour is now used. 1t will be used
also as a filler for many kinds of
paper.
That the new corn cob industry
may prove to be an important one
is apparent as it is pointed out by
the department of agriculture that
the United States produces from
$500. GOO, 900 to 5000, 900 900 bushels
of corn every year, which means
from 100000 to 100000 tons of
cobS. Not all the cobs are avail
able for manufacturing purposes,
of course. for a large percentage
is scattered over the farms of the
country or fed with the corn.
Large quantities, however. are con-
centrated at central points and are
easily available.
The plant which is now being
projected will operate on a basis
of 100 tons a day. Three shelters
will supply $4,000 tons of cobs a
year. Such a plant, it is estimated,
would recover about a ton and a
half of furfural a day as a by-pro-
duct, and a considerably larger
quantity can be obtained from the
cob adhesive by a comparatively
simple process. This adhesive, as
has been stated, is produced in the
first grade in quantities equal to
IS percent of the weight of the
cobs.
The method of producing the fur
fural is anything but complicated.
The corn cobs, with some water,
are placed in a cylinder or pres
sure cooker and steam at about
1876 pounds pressure is turned in
After cooking about two hours the
furfural comes out of the cobs and
is blown off with steam, passed
through a condenser and collected
as a solution of furfural in water.
This solution is then distilled in a
special apparatus for the separa-
tion of the furfurai from the water.
Coincident with this new disCoy-
cry the department of Agriculture
states that the yield of corn per
acre in his country could be d0u-
bled within a few years. and this
could be accomplished without ad-
ditional work or expense. 1t is not
to be understood that it is desirable
to double the present corn crop.
but that is it desirable to produce
enough to meet all requirements on
a smaller number of acres and with
less labor. If 60 bushels are raised
on one acre instead of on two, the
labor of blowing, narrowing, plant
ing, cultivating and harvesting is
greatly reduced.
Corn suggests hogs and the de-
yelopment of by-products recalls
the saying that in modern packing
establishments the only thing about
the pig that is not saved and Util
ICED is his squeal One Of these
days government specialists may
tackle that problem and solve it.