52 The Philippine Journal of Science 1922 
DRYING 
The use of sulphur has been expected by some to dry the 
copra. This is not the case, but sulphured coconut meat can be 
dried in a shed without sunshine, if necessary. Plate 2, fig. 2, 
shows sundried copra which had been placed in the bodega 
Several times on account of rain. One amacan in the left fore- 
ground shows plainly the ravages of mold under those condi- 
tions on copra which has not been sulphured. The clean white 
copra on the other amacans in the foreground was treated in 
exactly the same way except that it was sulphured soon after 
opening. One and one-half kilograms of sulphur per charge of 
2,500 nuts has been used in this case. 
In regions where the rainy season is severe, drying sheds 
can be constructed in which trays of copra can be stacked with 
air space above every tray for ventilation. In such a shed 
sulphured copra can be dried in two or three weeks without 
sunshine. In regions where the rain is less severe the expense 
of shed construction can be avoided by sundrying on a floor, 
amacans, or trays. At Polo Plantation it has been found most 
satisfactory to spread the coconut meat thinly on light trays, 
which are easily stacked and covered with a small nipa roof at 
night or in case of rain (see Plate 2, fig. 1). The time required 
for drying is four days or more, depending on the weather. 
NATURE OF THE PRODUCT 
Sulphured copra, properly dried, has a lighter appearance 
than the whitest sundried copra, because the sulphur partially 
bleaches the dark outer skin of the meat as well as preserves 
the natural whiteness of the inside surface. The moisture con- 
tent is about 5 per cent, and the free fatty acid less than 1 per 
cent. 
The sulphur dioxide partly evaporates from the copra during 
drying, and partly oxidizes to sulphuric acid. The sulphuric 
acid formed does not remain in the oil, or injure it in any way, 
It does remain in the press cake, however. For this reason, and 
because there is sometimes difficulty in expressing all of the 
oil from very highly sulphured copra, it is better to sulphur 
lightly when possible. It has been found that when about a 
kilogram of sulphur per 3,000 nuts is used, on an average, the 
protection against mold is ample and no trouble is met with in 
expressing the oil or in using the cake for animal feed. The 
cake produced is, in fact, superior to the ordinary grade of cake 
made from rancid, moldy copra. 
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