1384 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



process Dy means of which most resinous species can be converted into 

 strong, light-colored multipurpose pulps. Whether the economic 

 trend will carry this process into large production at an early date 

 or whether a still cheaper and radically different process will find 

 ultimate adoption cannot be foretold in the present state of affairs, 

 but at least a beginning has been made toward solving the problem 

 of diversified southern pulps. Furthermore, by taking advantage of 

 the fact that young-growth slash pine up to about 25 years of age is 

 free from heartwood and is comparatively light-colored, both of which 

 factors are favorable to the application of the sulphite and mechanical 

 processes, there appears a possibility of developing a pulp suitable for 

 newsprint, cheap book, magazine, tablet, light-colored wrapping, and 

 similar papers. All of these types of papers have been produced 

 experimentally from mixtures "of sulphite and groundwood pulps 

 from young slash and shortleaf pines. Young growth from other 

 species can probably be similarly used. 



Certain southern hardwoods are also apparently potential sources 

 of pulp and paper. Black gum, for example, has been proved to be 

 an excellent base for sulphite or semichemical pulps possessing poten- 

 tial usefulness as a raw material for newsprint as well as for fine papers. 



The realization of improvement in use of species now used for pulp 

 or the increase in the number and extent of species which may be used 

 in pulp and paper products must be based on a varied research attack. 

 The following avenues are suggested; 



FIBER PROCESSING 



Under the head of fiber processing are included the operations of 

 bleaching, beating, loading, sizing, coloring, refining, and any others 

 incidental to converting a pulp into a stuff prior to its run over the 

 paper machine. Each of these operations is virtually a separate 

 field of technology, in which research and long experience have 

 developed the art to varying degrees of excellence. Continued and 

 systematic research is needed to secure higher and more uniform 

 standards of quality, strength, color, and sheet formation. 



Fundamental and detailed investigations of the bleaching process 

 have been carried on for a number of years. The several aspects of the 

 problem studied include the effects of temperature, chemical ratio, 

 and consistence upon rate of bleaching, composition, vield, and final 

 color of the pulp. The objective of all such work is to place the 

 bleaching operation on a basis of rational procedure and predictable 

 results and to clear up the confusion, uncertainty, and empirical 

 opinion that has cjuite generally made bleaching a craft mystery 

 instead of a definitely controlled technical operation. Commonly 

 in commercial operations the pulp is cooked so thoroughly that only 

 small amounts of bleach are required. A thorough investigation is 

 badly needed as to the possibility of modifications of both cooking and 

 bleaching to give higher yields and whiter and stronger pulps. Some 

 progress has been made in this direction through the development of 

 two-stage chlorination bleaching procedures. The further com- 

 mercial development of such methods, particularly as applied to the 

 pine pulps, would greatly stimulate the use of these pulps and would 

 distribute pulp wood demand more widely. 



Research on the beating of pulp has thus far been limited mainly to 

 attempts to place beating equipment under control, so that the opera- 



