r76 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ture of gunpowder to replace charcoal. Peat fiber carefully 

 freed from dust is beginning to be used as a material for car- 

 pets and other coarse textile fabrics. The fiber is also used 

 as raw material in some paper mills and manufactories of 

 celluloid. 1 



Distillation of peat. M. Miron 2 states that in the distillation 

 of peat at the Montaugier works in France the following prod- 

 ucts were obtained from 2250 kg. of peat: peat coal 1000 

 kg., ammonia 15 1., methyl alcohol 25 1., acetic acid 30 l. r 

 benzol 15.5 1., illuminating oil 120 1., paraffin 6 kg., tar 65 kg.,, 

 heavy oil for lubrication 18 1. When only the three principal 

 products were desired, it was possible to obtain per ton of peat, 

 9 1. of illuminating oil, 4.5 1. of heavy oil, and 1.3 kg. of paraffin. 



It was also possible to obtain ethyl alcohol from peat, and 

 this was obtained by adding sulfuric acid at 30° to 35° F.B. to 

 the peat in sufficient amount to obtain with the water in the 

 peat a 2.5$ solution of the acid. This is boiled for five hours 

 under pressure at 115° to 120° C. It is then filtered and the 

 solution concentrated and the acid neutralized with milk of lime 

 and calcium carbonate. The solution is cooled to 25° C and 

 allowed to ferment and the ethyl distilled off. In this manner, 

 it is stated one gallon of absolute alcohol can be procured from 

 215 pounds of peat containing 14$ of water. It is also stated 

 that, when this is compared with the best yield of good pota- 

 toes (with 20$ of starch), which means 1 gallon of alcohol from 

 111 pounds of potatoes, the result is very encouraging. 



Artificial wood. A German patent covers the process of manu- 

 facturing artificial wood from peat. This is done by thoroughly 

 mashing and breaking up the fibers into dust and then mixing it 

 up into a pulp, after which it is dried and then mixed with 

 plaster of paris water. This mixture is put into molds under 

 strong pressure, when the mixture is squeezed out, after which 

 it is kiln-dried and then coated with oil. Great durability is 

 claimed for this artificial wood. 3 



"Marschick-Technische Blatter, ser. 4. 1809. p. 149-66. 

 E La revue technique, Ap. 16, 1898 quoted in Min. Ind. 3:198. 

 s Mineral Industry, 7:191. 



