SOFTWOOD DISTILLATION 233 



and acetate of lime as described in connection with the hardwood distilla- 

 tion industry. 



FUTURE OF INDUSTRY 



The present conditions obtaining in the softwood distillation industry 

 do not hold out a large measure of promise for the future. With but one 

 or two principal products the manufacturer is largely at the mercy of the 

 market, which has fluctuated very widely in the past. A plan whereby 

 the production of distillates will not be the entire purpose of the man- 

 ufacturer should accrue to the benefit of the industry at large. After 

 a careful survey of successes and failures up to the present time, experts 

 interested in the improvement of the industry are generally agreed that 

 this principle is a sound one. According to John E. Teeple, in a given 

 5000 lb. of rich fat Ughtwood stumps, there is about 20 per cent or 1000 

 lb. of rosin, 40 gal. of turpentine and pine oil, and 750 lb. of water. This 

 leaves about 3000 lb. of wood fiber. By destructive distillation of the 

 above sample the manufacturer may derive all of the turpentine, but 

 only a small portion of the pine oils before the disintegration of the rosin 

 and wood. These oils are valuable and no satisfactory method exists 

 at the present time of extracting them from the decomposed products. 



It is beUeved that a combination of the softwood distillation industry 

 and the paper industry can be brought about to profitable commercial 

 advantage. The present method of steam distillation leaves the fiber 

 of the residue unchanged. It is possible to operate these plants suc- 

 cessfully if the minimum price for turpentine is not less than 50 cents per 

 gallon and for rosin $5.00 per barrel. At the introduction of the solvent 

 method it was beheved that prices would not reach the minimum levels 

 again, but in January, 1916, rosin was selling at $3.00 per barrel and tur- 

 pentine at only 38 cents per gallon. 



The 3000 lb. of fiber mentioned in Teeple's experiment contains a 

 certain proportion of bark, but may make about 1500 lb. of wood pulp. 

 This pulp is not satisfactory to use in the manufacture of white papers, 

 but experiments conducted by the U. S. Forest Service have indicated 

 that it will produce an excellent quality of kraft paper. A combination 

 of a process removing all of the distillate products from the wood and 

 another making use of the 3000 lb. of wood fiber for pulp should be the 

 most satisfactory and profitable utilization of the original material. 

 The solution of this problem, therefore, is very likely to be the combina- 

 tion of distillation with paper-making under the direction of competent 

 business men and chemical engineers. 



