Evening star., 1952-03-07
Way Found TO Speed Up
Output Of vitomin BIZ
New Mould Stroin Isolated
From japanese Soil Growth
By Thomos R. Henry

sssSsssSS sNs ssSusy
Production Of Vitamin Biz, perhaps
iife's most potent chemical, can b
greatly speeded and increased by means
Of new mould strain isolated from
several hundred obtained from Japanese
soil.
The mould. used in fermentation. also
produced an unidentified substance, ap-
parently one Of the germ killers like
penicillin or streptomycin, which seems
to work as natural partner Of the
vitamin in stimulating the growth rate
OF animals. Most Of the vitamin now IL
produced as by-product in the pro-
duction Of streptomycin and aureomycin.
The demand. however. is much greater
than can be met.
A few years ago this vitamin was
discovered by Agriculture Department
workers and Immediately became Of
considerable medicinal value. The great
squirt in the demand. however, came
with the finding that extremely minute
amounts added to various animal feeds
greatly stimulated the growth rate Of
pigs and chickens. It seemed to work
best in conjunction with some Of the
aureomycin-li compounds.
For some years search had gone on
all over the world for soil moulds capable
of producing anti-biotics. and the Jap
anese varieties were among those sent
in for testing. The vast majority,
naturally, are found to have no value.
The process now being used for the
B-12 production consists Of fermenting.
by means Of the new organism, an IN
expensive mixture Of sugar and mineral
salts with some such product as soybean,
peanut or cottonseed meal.
Enthusiastic reports have been re.
ceived from poultrymen. In particular.
Already, according to the report, nearly
100 requests for cultures Of the mould
have been received from commercial
feed manufacturers both in the United
States and abroad. Several firms are
planning to go into large-scale manu-
facture.
In other experiments. according to the
report. 1t was found that an excellent
quality of paper could be made from
bagasse, the fiber Of the sugar cane,
which now is essentially waste product.
Treated in another way, it can be made
into feed for livestock.
Old newspapers may be made into
entirely satisfactory newsprint paper.
This goal, sought for years, but not
hitherto quite attained. now is very near
due to work Of the Agriculture Depart
ment's Northern Regional Laboratory.
The old newspapers are "deinked" by
a special chemical process and then
turned into pulp again. This pulp il
mixed with pulp made out Of wheat
straw. vast quantities of which now are
essentially waste. Four-fifths Of the
paper pulp is mixed with one-fifth Of
the straw pulp.
Basic to this advance, says report
Of the Bureau Of Agricultural and In
dustrial Chemistry, is the development
at the regional laboratory Of practical
method of turning the straw into pulp
paper. The paper resulting from the
mixture, says the report. proved to
be superior to standard newsprint in
color. strength and surface characters.
tics" It seems practical to give con-
sideration to relieving the shortage Of
newsprint by producing fine straw pulp
and blending this with deinked, re-
pulped waste newsprint.
Stronger Papers Result. 3a
The straw pulp. according to the re-
port. also has been found of consider.
able value in the production of high
grade special papers. in which larger
proportions Of 1t are mixed with wood
pulp. The process resulted. first. in
somewhat stronger papers.
Particularly outstanding. says the re.
port, "were writing bond and waxing
papers containing straw" The maga-
zine-book paper was considered at least
equal to the standard. The waxed
paper was considered an Improvement.
particularly because of greater tram
sparency. which gave better printability
and eye appeal.
These possibilities may have even
greater importance in Europe and the
Orient says the report. There is
growing shortage Of newsprint, espe-
cially, and an advance in the cost Of
all wood pulps.