CONTENTS. 



Introduction 7 



Statistics of wood distillation 7 



Properties of wood affecting yield of products 9 



Specific gravity and weight 9 



Water content 10 



Composition 10 



Yield of distillation products from different woods 11 



Apparatus for destructive distillation 1 12 



Description of equipment 12 



Cost of plant 15 



Manufacturing processes 17 



General process of distillation 17 



Nature of the reactions in the retort : 20 



Special features of the distillation of pine, fir, and spruce , 22 



Crude products of destructive distillation 23 



1. Noncondensable gases 24 



2. Charcoal 24 



3. Tar and oils 24 



Wood tar 24 



Wood oil 27 



Additional oils obtained from resinous woods 28 



Wood turpentine 29 



Pine oils 30 



Rosin spirits 31 



Rosin oils 31 



Tar oils : 31 



4. Aqueous distillate of crude pyroligneous acid 32 



General treatment for the separation of acetic acid and methyl alcohol . 32 



Acetic acid 33 



Aluminum acetate 35 



Chromium acetate 35 



Copper acetate 35 



Lead acetate 35 



Sodium acetate ' 35 



Crude methyl alcohol and acetone 35 



Pure methyl alcohol. 37 



Acetone 37 



Recovery of certain wood products by treatment with chemicals 39 



Treatment with soda, soda ash, or volatile solvents 39 



Preparation of ethyl alcohol from sawdust 40 



Production of acetic acid and acetates by fusion with alkalies 40 



Manufacture of oxalic acid 41 



Suggestions for the development of these industries 43 



Yields 44 



Operating expenses 44 



Raw materials 46 



[Cir.36] 



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