The Magic Of Milk

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 280, 26 November 1938, Page 12 (Supplement)

The Magic Of Milk

By--Dr. Pierre Lefarge

r[E cows of Italy and Germany are working overtimeproducing artificial wool from casein, which is -a material secured from the curds of soured milk. I have just been examining army shirts and blankets made of this synthetic wool. The fibre closely resembles natural wool in chemical composition., It looks like wool, and it can be used for whatever textiles wool is used for. They cell it lanital in Italy. I am told that' soldiera who have-shirts made of it csU'it something eke, -became it lacks the warmth of real wool—but that is by the way. , Scientiits at Work Scientist* in touch with this new research work into properties of milk— hitherto regarded as a food purely—foresee the time it not far distjuit when thousands of things we use in our daily life, and many new things, too, will be manufactured as synthetic substances from milk. Hundreds of articles are, of course, already produced artificially from milk. There are, either in general or particular use, or produced experimentally in laboratories, casein blankets, floor coverings, tap handles, razor and knife handles, combs, clothes, buttons, spoons, bowls, wrapping.paper, cartons, imitation jade and amber, glue, plywood, lever knobs, fountain pens, magazine covers, billiard balls, tumblers, bathroom fittings, and what not. Catein is going largely now into plastics —Ihe substances whici are largely replacing wood, glass, metals and china.

—Copyright It is being used as an ingredient in paint instead of more expensive oils. It makes possible eold-water paints for interior use. In aeroplane construction, casein glue is used because it is stronger than ordinary glue and its impervious to water. It is used to glue together propellers made of laminated wood. The wool textile development is the most important at this time. The disadvantage of lack Of warmth (as compared with sheep-wool fibre textiles) is counterbalanced by the fact that shrinkage is less and that the skin is not irritated when a garment made of the synthetic product is worn next to the skin. Making the basic material is fairly simple. The chemist* curdles skimmed milk. The curds are washed. This removes the sugar aJid salts. The residue is then pressed. This process forces the water out. It is next dried and ground. You get at the end of these processes what looks like a heap of breadcrumbs, creamy white. This is casein. Now you have to make a textile fibre out of it. There are several technical methods. In the most advanced the casein is first softened in water and dissolved in a chemical solution. The thick, white, sticky stuff that results is forced through tiny holes, whence it

emerges as soft, white, continuous threads. The threads are passed through various chemical sortitions to harden and lit them for weaving. Around 100,000 tons of casein are produced annually now, but the capacity of plants in Germany, Italy and America can be stepped up rapidly and largely in case of need. Rayon factories can produce it—the processes are similar, the main difference being the substitution of casein for cellulose. The process is not expensive. The chemicals are cheaper than those used in production of rayon and, moreover, can be used over and over again. In rayon manufacture you cannot do this. What of the Future ? The next large affvance may be in the realm of synthetic rubber made out of this casein substance in milk. A resilient elastic substance has already been obtained, but it is not yet a successful competitor of natural rubber. In the world of the future the cow will be as important a producer of industrial raw material as she is in the contemporary world a producer of liquid food for human consumption. This development, made possible by science and man's enterprise, will not only benefit the farmer. It will fit the farms closer into the pattern of economic life, and draw industry away from overcrowded cities into the countryside. The new industries will gather around the farms rather than around the coal and iron mines. It would be difficult finally to appraise the social significance of this, quite apart from the economic side.