80 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



hours, but discontinued the process because of the resulting high loss of 

 oil. It is his opinion that a continuous slow current of air at from about 

 54° to 60° (130° to 140° F.) — the proper temperature to be determined by 

 experiment — should complete the drying process within three days and 

 nights, and with the least loss of oil. A rapid drying in ten hours must be 

 attended by a considerable loss, and will require about 15 per cent more 

 kernel to produce a given weight of copra. 



With several of the statements in the above-quoted opinion 

 we must take issue. Our experience proves that no oil loss 

 occurs when rapid drying takes place at 80°, 90°, or 100° C. If 

 by the ambiguous statement, "a considerable loss, and will re- 

 quire about 15 per cent more kernel to produce a given weight 

 of copra," is meant anything other than more complete drying, 

 the experience of the Ceylon planters is totally different from the 

 results obtained in this investigation. As further evidence of 

 the high yields of oil from desiccated coconut, Table XIX is 

 appended. Did such losses of oil as reported by Pratt occur, 

 the yields of oil in the copra recorded in this table would be 

 much lower. 



Table XIX. — Data on drying copra under various conditions. 



Sample 

 No. 



Means of drying. 



Oil in an- 

 hydrous 

 material. 



Water. 



1 

 2 



3 

 4 

 5 



6 



7 

 8 

 9 

 10 

 11 

 12 

 13 

 15 

 16 





Per cent. 



Per temt. 



do - - - 



74.10 

 70.7 

 71.3 

 73.7 

 69.1 

 72.9 

 68.0 

 71.5 

 71.2 

 70.8 

 69.9 

 72.2 

 68.5 

 69.0 



6.4 

 7.3 

 7.1 

 4.0 

 5.2 

 3.9 

 4.7 

 5.3 

 .9 

 6.8 

 9.1 

 5.4 

 1.1 

 7.5 







do - - --. 





do 



do 



do 















PREPARING COPRA BY USE OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE 



The Bureau of Science has developed a simple method for the 

 preparation of copra by treatment with sulphur dioxide gas and 



" Since perfecting this method we have noted the sulphur dioxide method 

 of Marot (English patent 6379, 1906) described by Lewkowitsch in Chemical 

 Technology and Analysis of Oils, Fats and Waxes. 5th ed. MacMillan & 

 Co., London (1914), 2, 631. 



