ZACATON AS A PAPER-MAKING MATERIAL. 
19 
Table III.— Copper number and furfural yield of samples of cotton, poplar pulp and 
Epicampes pulp in two determinations. 
Sample. 
Determination No. 1. 
Determination No. 2. 
Copper No. 
Furfural. 
Copper No. 
Furfural. 
Cotton 
1.25 
4.26 
4. 58 
Per cent. 
0. 40 
10.01 
10. 92 
1.31 
3.82 
4. 39 
Per cent. 
0. 50 
10. 00 
10.62 
Poplar pulp 
Epicampes pulp 
It is here again evident that Epicampes cellulose is close to poplar pulp in oxycellu- 
lose content and contains slightly more of it. 
This being so, the Epicampes cellulose should be more sensitive to attack by hydro- 
lytic and oxidizing agents. In verification of this, determinations were made (a) 
of the action of alkaline solutions and (6) of nitric acid on all three celluloses, using the 
same three of the preceding work. First, the action of a 1 per cent aqueous NaOH 
solution on the three celluloses was tried. Weighed samples were boiled 60 minutes 
with a large excess of the solution, then filtered, washed, dried, and again weighed. 
This verifies, in so far, the prediction from the relative amounts of oxycellulose. 
Next, the action of concentrated NaOH solution was tried, according to the usual 
procedure for determining "loss on mercerizing." The agreement here is as good as 
can be expected of this reaction, because of the slow penetration and uneven action 
of the cold concentrated solution. It shows the same relation between the celluloses, 
although more roughly than preceding determinations. 
Next, the action of nitric acid was tried, (a) using "nitrating acid " and determining 
"gain on nitration" in the usual manner and (b) using 5 per cent HN0 3 at 70° C. 
for 7 hours. The resistance to combined oxidizing and solvent action of the nitrating 
acids (equal parts of concentrated sulphuric and fuming nitric acids) is very evident 
in the predicted order. Table IV shows the numerical results of these tests. 
Table IV. — Action on cotton, poplar pulp, and Epicampes pulp of a concentrated 
nitrating mixture and dilute and concentrated solutions of sodium hydroxid. 
Sample. 
Determination No. 1. 
Determination No. 2. 
Loss in 
NaOH, 1 
per cent 
solution. 
Loss in 
NaOH, con- 
centrated 
solution. 
Total yield 
per 100 
grams in 
nitrating 
mixture. 
Loss in 
NaOH, 1 
per cent 
solution. 
Loss in 
NaOH, con- 
centrated 
solution. 
Total yield 
per 100 
grams in 
nitrating 
mixture. 
Cotton 
Poplar pulp 
Epicampes pulp 
Per cent. 
2.0 
12.3 
19.3 
Per cent. 
7.9 
15.4 
17.3 
Grams. 
177.7 
159.0 
149.2 
Per cent. 
1.4 
12.1 
19.4 
Per cent. 
9.1 
18.2 
18.4 
Grams. 
180.7 
0) 
140. 8 
i Sample exploded during the process of drying. 
Next, the action of hot dilute (5 per cent) nitric acid was tested. Weighed samples 
of poplar pulp and Epicampes pulp were heated for 7 hours at 70° 0. with 100 times 
their weight of 5 per cent HN0 3 , then filtered, washed, dried, and weighed. Because 
of the small amount of Epicampes pulp remaining, no duplicate could be made. The 
soda poplar pulp lost 6.1 per cent and the Epicampes pulp 10.2 per cent in the process. 
