UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 983 
Contribution from the Forest Service , 
WILLIAM B. GREELEY, Forester 
FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATORY, MADISON, WISCONSIN 
IN COOPERATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN 
Washington, D. C. 
PROFESSIONAL PAPER. 
April 6, 1922 
THE MANUFACTURE OF ETHYL ALCOHOL 
FROM WOOD WASTE 
By 
F. W. KRESSMANN 
Formerly Chemist in Forest Products 
CONTENTS 
Sources of Ethyl Alcohol and Compara- 
tive Costs of Production ...,"'■. 1 
Amount of Wood Waste Available . . 3 
The Present Value of Wood Waste . . 4 
Limitations to the Utilization of Wood 
Waste 5 
Processes for the Manufacture of 
Alcohol from Wood 6 
History of the Processes 7 
Outline of Investigations 15 
Apparatus and Procedure 16 
Page 
Methods of Analysis 17 
Y easting and Fermentation 19 
Results 27 
Effect of Catalyzers other than Sulphuric 
Acid or in Addition Thereto .... 53 
Study of Different Species 56 
Source of Fermentable Sugar .... 59 
By-Products . ... . . . . . . . 61 
Analysis of Results ....... 62 
Plant Equipment and Operation . . . 63 
Costs 67 
WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1922 
