92 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



and, while still hot, subjected to pressure for the removal of the 

 oil. In the finely divided condition the meat will dry in a current 

 of hot air much more rapidly than when in large pieces, as is 

 practiced in the making of copra. The preparation of shredded 

 coconut, which is carried out by driving air at a temperature of 

 70°-85° C. over finely divided meat spread on trays, requires 

 only from thirty to sixty minutes for drying to a water content 

 of 5 per cent. 2 



In a small experimental drier devised by us, the meat, after 

 grinding, was dried to 10 per cent moisture content within an 

 hour's time. This percentage of moisture is sufficiently low to 

 prevent the formation of an emulsion. When the meat was 

 expressed in a small horizontal press, over 80 per cent of the 

 total oil was removed in one operation. 



Table II. — Data concerning the pressing of freshly grated and partially 

 dried coconut meat. Pressure, 70 kilograms per square centimeter 

 (1,000 pounds per square inch). Temperature, 80 to 85° C. 



l 

 2 



3 



4. 



Min. 



P.ct. 



24.5 



36 



33.2 



P.ct. 



31.4 

 9.0 

 16.4. 

 33.6 

 25.6 

 12.3 

 9.0 



Extrac- 

 tion of 

 total 



Oil in 

 cake. 



oil. 





P.et. 



P.ct. 



84 



31.8 



87 



24.7 



87 



29.9 



70.6 



44 



76.4 



27.4 



86.3 



22.6 



84.8 



24.6 



S9.4 



22.5 



Much. 

 None. 

 Some. 

 Much. 

 Little. 



Practically none. 

 None. 

 Do. 



The data on the extraction are valuable for comparative pur- 

 poses, since they give the efficiency of expression of copra with 

 varying degrees of moisture under identical conditions of ex- 

 pression. A more efficient press would obtain more of the oil, 

 but the ratio of yields with different moisture contents of cake 

 would remain much as they are above. The point of interest is 

 the fact that clear, water-white oil, free from emulsion, can be 

 obtained from cake with a 12 per cent water content. 



A type of drier which should be efficient could be constructed 

 along the lines of a sugar drier, or a drier constructed on the 

 plan of that manufactured by the Philadelphia Textile Company 

 would be effective in drying this finely divided meat. 



2 For further data on drying coconut meat, see Walker, This Journal 

 (1906), 1, 147. 



