OCT 30 1914 



Division of Forestry 

 University of California 



DISTILLATION OF RESINOUS WOOD BY SATURATED 



STEAM. 



PURPOSE OF THE STUDY. 



The steam distillation process for obtaining volatile oils from the 

 wood of longleaf pine has been the basis of a small industry since 

 about 1903. Apparently the process was introduced in an attempt 

 to produce wood turpentines at temperatures lower than those used 

 in destructive distillation, and thus to obtain a product uncontami- 

 nated by the decomposition products of wood and rosin. Quite a 

 large number of plants have been built to use either sawmill waste 

 or lightwood, or both, but many have been abandoned, and probably 

 not more than 15 were in operation in 1911. The quality of ths 

 crude turpentine produced usually has been very good, but because 

 this is the only product obtained, or because the yield of this product 

 is generally lower than that of " crude turpentines" from other 

 processes, the plants have been successful only under especially 

 favorable conditions. 



The process seems to be very promising, however, when combined 

 with others for the utilization of the steamed chips, as, for instance, 

 for the extraction of the rosin with . volatile solvents. The process 

 might be favored, also, where the material would be largely used as 

 fuel, or wasted, or where it is very cheap, or so poor in quality that 

 more complicated processes would not be profitable. These condi- 

 tions generally obtain with the waste wood of sawmills now used as 

 fuel at the plant or burned on the rubbish pile. In these fields the 

 steam distillation of resinous woods will undoubtedly expand. 



There has been no uniformity in commercial practice nor in the 

 opinions of the various operators as to the proper steam pressure, size 

 of chips, or rapidity of distillation, and no experimental data have 

 been published on the effects produced by these various, readily 

 controlled variables. In methods described in patent specifications 

 the greatest stress has been laid on the mechanical features of charg- 

 ing and discharging and of distributing the steam throughout the 

 retort, which, although of great importance in economy of operation, 

 throw no light on other equally important features. 



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