Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-10-09
X GOOD GLUE
By Frederic Haskin

0OO0 oAlSA
BY Frederic Haskin
Washington d. c., Oct. 6-Among
the many things learned In this
country during the wal emergency Is
the secret of making a glue which
viii. resist the effects of water. 1t
is known as blood albumin glue.
Prior to 1917 there were only a rev
companies in the United States that
were using the glue and practically
all of them had formulas of their
own which were considered secret.
Now there is a formula, worked
ont by the government scientists at
The Forests Products Laboratory at
Madison, Wisconsin, that is dedi
Gated to the free use of the public.
About 1917 there developed a
marked demand for water resistant
piywood for military purposes, and
this created a demand for all kinds
of water resistant Clues, both casein
and blood albumin. This demand
has fallen off to a certain extern,
as much as formerly although ii
Is admirably suited to many pur-
M SEES and conditions of s.rvics and
is still used by some manufacturer.
However so many Inquiries are re-
ceived concerning 1t that the Forest
Products Laboratory has issued a
bulletin and explanatory letter re-
garding 1t.
Prepared blood albumtn CLUES are
not Offered on the market, chiefly
because of the decrease OF the So
b.iity of the albumin with aga. This
kind of glue must be mixed from Its
ingr0d,eits at the time 1t Is tn be
used. 1t remains workable only for
- ~ mr. kha x.ariA1 nf xunrfyin laU
For this reason the cover cent en-
p"sts- are uaoblc to furnish samples.
nor do they sell gue. It is not rec
commended for household use. as it
Is not convenient to prepare in small
quantities. There Ire other CLUES
more suitable for househald pur-
poses or small mending t,ts.
The glue is made either from the
fresh blood of slaughtered animals
Or from the soluble blood albumin
obtained by processing the fresh
supply. To make the use OF resi-
blood feasible the supply must be
readily accessible to the place OF
manufacture inasmuch as rapid de-
composition takes place and renders
1t unsatisfactory for glue purposes.
Unless used at once the Flood
must be treated with a preseryat1ve
OF converted into O dried soluble
form. The dried soluble albumin
used in all the experiments at the
Forest Products Laboratory. Is the
form from which the glue is gener-
ally made and Is obtained by sub
jecting the fresh blood to a process
for removing the fibrin and part OF
the red ~corpuscles and then evap-
0afin0 fn drUnAoe nf N 10 ~ M n tII ~
below the coaguiating point Of the
albumin which Is approximately 100
degrees r.
In order to put the dried albumin
Into solution it is necessary to allow
II to soak for some time before
stirring. 1t Is advisable to add wa
ter at about room temperature 10
tho albumin and allow 1t to stand
in a cool place for an hour or more
before stirring. II particles of in
soluble material appear the mixture
may be strained through a screen of
about 80 meshes per incn. The dried
albumin always contains more or
less insoluble material and becomes
more and more insoluble with age.
The original blood albumin glue
formula worked on, at the Forest
Products Laboratory was for the
hot-press process but more recent
investigation resulted In the devel-
opment of q formula which in iap-
oratory tests is said to have proved
superior in several respects. This
glue does not require hot pressing
but is used In a cold press In the
same manner as casein or vegeta-
BILE CLUES. The formula is covered
by u. S. Patent No. 1,459, 541. grant
ed to A. C. Lindauer of the Forest
Products Laboratory and dedicated
to the free use OF the public as 1t
was developed at government ex-
pense. The laboratory states that II
is believed that the formula does not
infringe upon any other patent and
thai the user will not be molested In
any way. The government can not
guarantee this, however, or take any
responsibility in the matter.
The new formula as is follows: 100
parts by weight of soluble blood al
bumin; 140 to 200 parts of weight
of water, according to consistency
desired; 51a parts by weight of am
monium hydroxide Tsp. gr. 0.90);
Is parts by weight of triometnyiene
(paraformaldehyde).
The blood albumin is covered with
the water and the mixture. is al
lowed to stand for an hour or two.
Then, when the mixture Is stirred,
the blood albumin will for the most
part go into solution. The am
monium hydroxide is now added
with more stirring. Then the
trioxymethylene is sifted in and the
mixture is stirred constantly at a
fairly high speed. Trioxymethylene
should not be poured in SO rapidly
as to form Jumps nor so slowly that
the mixture will thicken and coag-
ulate before the required amount
has been added, but no matter in
what was it Is added blood albu-
min mixture will be thickened con-
~siderably. This thickened mass will
become fluid again in a short time at
ordinary temperature but will return
to a good working consistency In
about an hour. 1t will remain in
this condition for at least 6 or. 8
hours, but when this liquid finally
dries as in a glue joint it forms a
hard and very insoluble film.
The cold-pPess glue may be APP
piled by means of a brush or me-
chanical spreader. Since no heat is
required the pressing is done In the
same manner as with casein Or veg
etable glue and with the same
equipment.