EXTRACTION OF COPRA CAKE WITH SOLVENTS 
By A. P. West 
Professor of Chemistry, University of the Philippines; Forest Products 
Research Chemist, Bureau of Forestry 
and 
J. M. FELICIANO 
Instructor in Chemistry, University of the Philippines 
INTRODUCTION 
In recent years the demand and prices for animal fats, such 
as lard and butter, have been steadily increasing. The animal 
industries of the world, while capable of more extensive develop- 
ment, seem hardly able to provide the abundant supplies of but- 
ter and lard which will be desired in the future and it appears 
that there will probably be a permanent shortage of animal 
fats. This has led to a greatly increased use of vegetable fats 
by European and American makers of artificial butter, resulting 
in an unusual demand for these vegetable products. The hy- 
drogenation process, by which vegetable oils are converted to 
hard solid fats which can be substituted for animal fats, has 
also given an impetus to the development of the vegetable-oil 
industries. Since coconut oil is one of the most popular in- 
gredients of artificial butters and edible fats these trade condi- 
tions in vegetable fats have naturally affected the Philippines, 
which is one of the largest coconut-producing countries in the 
world. . 
Formerly, a. large proportion of Philippine coconuts was 
converted into copra, which was shipped to the United States 
and to European countries where the oil was expressed. When 
copra is allowed to stand for a considerable length of time before 
Shipment it tends to deteriorate, causing a loss in the quality 
and quantity of the oil. Obviously, in so far as this deteriora- 
tion is concerned, it is more economical to produce oil in the 
countries where the coconuts are grown. This would logically 
reduce the bulk of the shipments and avoid possible losses due 
to spoiling. The shortage of shipping space during the world 
war naturally made it even more advisable to express the oil 
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