347 
MANUFACTURE OF PAPER AND PAPIER MACHE FROM PEAT. 
August 25, 1853. M. Lallemand, of Besancon, chemist, 
took out a patent in this country for the manufacture of 
paper from peat. The specification of his patent is as 
follows: — The material I employ in the manufacture of 
paper is peat, and I treat it in the following manner : I first 
wash it thoroughly in order to separate all the earthy from the 
fibrous portions, and I place these in a bath of caustic ley. 
After the lapse of some 24 hours, more or less, according to 
the strength of the ley, the fibres are removed, and are then 
placed for about four hours in a bath acidulated with hydro- 
chloric acid, and kept constantly agitated therein. The 
fibres are next washed in fresh clean water, and are then 
subjected to a bath containing a small quantity of alum. 
The fibres are then bleached in a chlorine vat, and are mixed 
with 5 to 10 per cent, of rag pulp. The fibres and pulp are 
then placed in an ordinary pulping engine, and the pulp 
goes through the processes usually followed in the manufac- 
ture of paper. 
The idea of making paper from peat has been successfully 
carried out in more than one place on the continent. Peat 
bogs of a considerable extent and thickness, and very gene- 
rally of ligneous character, are found in many parts of 
Piedmont. This peculiar character of the peat appears to 
have first suggested its use as a material for paper making, 
and accordingly a number of trials were instituted at Turin, 
which appear to have been remarkably successful. From 
these experiments we learn, that certain kinds of peat may 
enter into the composition of paper to the extent of from 
80 to 90 per cent., and into that of millboard even to 95 per 
cent. The other materials employed in addition to the peat, 
were old ropes and bagging, and the bark of the mulberry. 
The economy of using peat instead of the materials now 
employed is stated to be fully 50 per cent. 
