46 



RAW MATERIALS. 



The annual waste (in lumber sawmills), which is now sold for fuel in 

 the United States, is, according to the Forest Service, equivalent to 

 approximately 4,000,000 cords of wood, or within 800,000 cords of 

 the amount now used in the destructive distillation (1,145,000 cords) 

 and paper-making (3,647,000 cords) industries. If to this be added 

 the waste, such as tops, lap, and dead and down timber left in the 

 woods, this quantity is more than doubled, although no definite figures 

 as to the total quantity can be given. The mill and forest wastes from 

 resinous woods would yield a large portion of the turpentine and 

 rosin now produced and several times as much soda pulp as is now 

 made. The waste from the hardwood lumber industry would yield 

 more charcoal, wood alcohol, and acetate of lime than is now being 

 produced. The sawdust from the Southern pine mills alone will yield 

 more oxalic acid than is now used in this country. The spruce and 

 hemlock waste will yield at least one-half of the sulphite pulp now 

 produced. The question is, Can these industries be most profitably 

 conducted in conjunction with the lumber industry, or independently ? 

 While, perhaps, a categorical answer applicable to all conditions can 

 not be given at present to this question the above-mentioned facts 

 strongly indicate that the proper industrial location of the chemical 

 industries using wood as a raw material is in conjunction or close 

 affiliation with the lumber industry. Such combination means cheap 

 raw material and fuel for these industries and increased profits for 

 the lumber industry, as well as the removal of waste which otherwise 

 seriously interferes with the use of the land and is a constant menace 

 from fire. 



It is seen that the gross values obtained per cord of wood are lowest 

 when the wood is subjected to steam or destructive distillation, and 

 it seems advisable, therefore, that attention be directed more to those 

 methods of utilization which give larger gross values. Thus the 

 recovery of turpentine and rosin by extracting with soda or volatile 

 solvents, and using the residue for paper pulp or for making oxalic acid, 

 are promising methods of utilizing pine wood that are receiving some 

 attention from paper makers and investors, and their industrial value 

 should be carefully determined. The demand for oxalic acid is, how- 

 ever, small as compared with available raw material, and could be 

 readily supplied by a few well-equipped plants. In general, it may be 

 said that all suitable wood should be used in producing the articles of 

 greatest value, such as paper pulp, turpentine, and rosin, leaving 

 oxalic acid to be obtained from part of the sawdust and destructively 

 distilling only that wood which can not be more profitably utilized. 



[Cir. 36] 



