ALCOHOL 



33 



thus its price is phenomenally high. By 

 the use of tax-free alcohol for making 

 ether, this price would be proportionally 

 reduced, and in some countries the law 

 permits the use of alcohol denatured by 

 a special formula for this purpose. The 

 denaturation of alcohol by the general 

 process prescribed by the Commissioner 

 of Internal Revenue (a) may unfit it for 

 the manufacture of ether, even if such 

 use were deemed admissible under the 

 new law (6) and the regulations made in 

 conformity therewith. 



Imitation Silk 



The substance which is known as imi- 

 tation silk is really a production from 

 cotton or other cellulose material which, 

 in its finished state, resembles silk some- 

 what in luster. It is not silk, and hence 

 not even artificial silk. It is a textile 

 product which has the promise of a suc- 

 cessful future and is therefore of interest 

 not only to the manufacturer and the 

 consumer but to the farmer who produces 

 the cellulose. Imitation silk is in a meas- 

 ure the same substance as smokeless 

 powder, except that after it is made the 

 nitrogenous constituents are removed, so 

 as to restore the finished product again 

 to the -condition of ordinary cotton, devoid 

 of explosive properties. In the making 

 of imitation silk a partial nitrification of 

 the cotton is accomplished in much the 

 same manner as in making smokeless 

 powder. The partially nitrated cotton is 

 then reduced to a paste by solution in 

 alcohol, ether, or other solvent, and in 

 this condition is forced through small ori- 

 fices, producing fine fibers of a silky 

 luster. After these are produced the oxid 

 of nitrogen is removed from them by a 

 chemical process which does not interfere 

 with their lustrous appearance. These 

 fibers are then spun and woven as ordi- 



a The formula for completely denaturins al- 

 cohol piven by the regDlations of the Unitpfl 

 States Internal Revenue is as follows. To 100 

 parts of ethyl alcohol add 10 parts of approved 

 methyl alcohol and one-half of 1 part of ap- 

 proved benzin. Formulas for special denatur- 

 ants for specific purposes are to he submitted 

 b.v manufacturers to the Commissioner of In- 

 ternal Revenue, who will announce from time 

 to time what formulas may be used in the 

 several classes of industries. 



h For the text of the law permitting the use 

 of denatured alcohol, tax-free, for industrial 

 purposes, see p. 28. 



nary silk or cotton, producing fabrics 

 which resemble in luster the natural silk. 

 The utilization of tax-free alcohol would 

 be a great stimulus to the advancement 

 of industries of this class. 



Artificial Vinegar 



Dilute alcohol, commonly known as low 

 wines, can be utilized for the manufac- 

 ture of vinegar. For this purpose the 

 dilute alcohol is made to pass over the 

 fresh shavings of beech wood. These 

 beech shavings furnish the organisms 

 which oxidize the alcohol into acetic acid, 

 and after passing through a series of vats 

 containing these shavings the alcohol is 

 converted into a dilute solution of acetic 

 acid. During the process there is a con- 

 siderable loss of alcohol by evaporation. 

 It is estimated that only about 70 per 

 cent of alcohol is finally recovered as vin- 

 egar. This material ought not to be 

 called vinegar, as it is acetic acid pure 

 and simple. It is colored and treated so 

 as to resemble vinegar made from cider 

 or wine or malt, and to this extent be- 

 comes an adulteration. This industry 

 may be mentioned as one that would be 

 promoted by the use of tax-free alcohol, 

 although it deserves little if any encour- 

 agement. Section 59 of the Regulations 

 concerning denatured alcohol, however, es- 

 pecially names "manufacturers of vinegar 

 by the vaporizing process" among the 

 classes of persons who may not store de- 

 natured alcohol on their premises or 

 make use of it. 



Flavoring Extracts 



The flavoring extracts of commerce are 

 made largel.v with alcohol as a solvent. 

 This should be the purest possible alcohol, 

 and since it can not possibly be denatured 

 and still remain potable and attractive, 

 the law would probably not apply under 

 conditions of this kind. 



Use of Undenatnred Alcohol Free of' Tax 



Lender laws other than the denatured al- 

 cohol law. alcohol may be withdrawn from 

 the distillery warehouse free of tax for 

 certain purposes. Among these may be 

 mentioned its use by the United States 

 Government, its use for scientific pur- 

 poses under certain conditions, and its 



