ETHYL ALCOHOL FROM WOOD WASTE. 61 
lulose. The chief constituent of this material soluble in water was a 
galactan that yielded approximately 10 to 12 per cent of the dry 
weight of the wood of galactose, and this in turn accounts for the 
high sugar yields from the larch. If the sugar yield of the larch 
were recalculated, so that it would be proportionate to the cellulose 
content (22 per cent being assumed as the yield of sugar from spruce) , 
there would then be 16.7 per cent of sugar instead of 29.7 per cent, 
as actually obtained. However, as noted above, about 10 or 12 per 
cent of galactose was obtained. If this were subtracted from the total 
sugar yield of 29.7 per cent, there would remain 18 or 19 per cent of 
sugar comparable to the yield obtained from spruce. Under normal 
conditions, with a good fermentation and on the assumption that 
60 to 65 per cent of the total sugar would be fermentable, there would 
be an alcohol yield of 4.8 to 5.2 per cent; whereas the actual alcohol 
yield obtained from the larch is 4.997 per cent. This corresponds to 
about 62 per cent of the total sugars fermentable, which is the average 
of the above figures chosen for spruce. It appears, therefore, that 
the yield of fermentable sugars and of alcohol is proportionate to the 
cellulose content of the wood, as suggested by Korner, 47 but disputed 
by Gallagher and Pearl, 48 irrespective of other materials that may 
be present in the wood. 
Western larch butts will be a good raw material for the production 
of ethyl alcohol if a yeast is found that will ferment the galactose as 
well as the dextrose within the time limit and under the other con- 
ditions as prescribed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. 
In addition to the evidence regarding the source of the fermentable 
sugars that was presented in the description of the results obtained 
from the broad-leaved woods, cook No. 98 was made on the leached 
residue from cook No. 95, which had been given a chlorine and sul- 
phuric acid treatment. Cooking this residue with 2.5 per cent of 
sulphuric acid gave only 6.56 per cent of total sugars as compared 
with the 22 per cent normally obtained from spruce. Through an 
accident the sugar liquor was lost and no fermentations were made, 
but the data obtained shows the small yield of sugars obtainable on 
reinversion, and also indicates that the source of the sugars is the 
cellulose; for, if the lignin as well as the cellulose were the source, 
as much sugar would be obtained from the residue as from the 
original wood, equal weights of material being compared. 
BY-PRODUCTS. 
From longleaf pine and the other pines of the South, about 1 
gallon of crude turpentine per cord, consisting of the higher-boiling 
fractions of turpentine and pine oil, can be recovered from the blow- 
« Zeit. fur ang. Chemie., 1908, 2353. 
48 Proc. Eighth International Congress of Appl. Chemistry, vol. 13, p. 147. 
