EMPIRE'S RESOURCES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 29, 29 October 1918, Page 3

EMPIRE'S RESOURCES

IMPERIAL INSTITUTE'S INVESTIGATIONS

NEW OR LITTLE-KNOWN RAW MATERIALS '

At a recent meeting of the Executive Council of the imperial institute, presided over by Lorn Islington, information was submitted coiieiTiiihj; a large number of investigations in which the institute has been engaged during tho past lew months. The subjects of these investigations have teen, mainly new or little-known α-ivw materials, which have been brought into prominence by the war. Paner-makino Materials. ,-

The general scarcity of paper, in spite of the recent , allocution <t additional shipping for its importation, continues 10. invest cue discovery of new sources ur supply with great interest lor manufacturers and traders. Though the present problem is largely one i>l shortage of snip's.tonnage, tne steady growth of the world's demands for paper lenders it imperative that new paper-making materials should be brougnt into vse if prices are to bo kept down after, the war.Among the materials examined at the imperial Institute during ihe present summer .have been grasses from South Africa, ; the Federated Malay States, Australia,'and St. Helena. Samples of "tambookie" and similar, grasses _. from the Pretoria district gave a high yield of pulp of good quality, capable of conveireion either into excellent brown paper, or, after bleaching, into white paper. Lalang grass—which grows abundantly in the Malay States, and hitherto has been so little esteemed that on the rubber plantations it is regarded as a troublesome weed—was found on investigation at the Imperial Institute to compare' favourably as a paper-making material with Algerian esparto t rass, though not quite so good as Spanish esparto. Bamboo grass from' the Northern Terri. Tory of Australia came up to about the same standard. All these grasses would be suitable for utilisation in their countries of origin for" the manufacture of oither pulp or paper, and full reports on their properties as paper-making materials have been drawn up by the Imperial Institute for the Governments concerned. \ Indian Beeswax for Church Candles.

In 1915 the Imperial 'Institute called the attention of tne Government of India to the fact tLat- IJie extensive- adulteration of.lndian beeswax was seriously interfering intli the use of !he wax in Russia for the manufacture if candles. After the outbreak of war the Bussian Church authorities gave permission to • their English agents to supply Last In(Han wax, which had previously been ruled out of their contracts. Commercial samples of wax,, which were examined >by the agents, were considered, however, to be very unsatisfactory, only four samples out of forty being passed as free from adulteration. To judge fronrthe examination of several samples which have been supplied to the Imperial Institute from India, there would appear to be considerable uncertainty as to 'rnat really is the precise composition of genuine Indian beeswax, and the institute is going into the whole question with the object of establishing recognised standards for the Indian product.

Brick and Tile Clays. > The shortage of shipping is limiting not only the imports of raw materials into the United. Kingdom, but the exports of manufactured'articles,* with the result that the outlying portions of the Empire have a new and compelling motive for seeking among their own resources the wherewithal for the supply of their needs. Tor exnmple, the restrictions on the export of galvanised iron 'have stimulated interest in several colonies in the suitability of tho local clays for the manufacture of bricks, tiles, etc., for building purposes. The Government authorities of Northern Nigeria have been experimenting in this way, nnd Uie Imperial Institute, after a large number of technical trials with samples sent to the institute, has been ablo to suggest various methods of improving on the results obtained from the first experiments in Nigeria. ■ . ' A sample of clay received from. lasrnania and described as kaolin, (china clay) proved on examination to be a fare day, suitable in the crude state for the pi eduction of highflrade refractory bricks. This enhances its importance, in view of Tecent metallurgical developments in Australia, and further investigations have been' recommended. Iho washed clay is of a white colour, and if mixed with other suitable, materials could be utilised for the manufacture of porcelain nnd pottery. ,

Oil Seeds and Plants. .Inquiries received by the Imperial Institute show that in anticipation of a great scarcity of oil seeds after the war a number of planting companies contemplate extending their output of these products. It is not only in connection with the supply of feeding cake for cattle and the production of oil for human foodstuffs like margarine, that the demand has increased. Castor oil, for instance, apart from its medicinal use, is now in great demand as a lubricant for aeroplane work, and the extended cultivation of the castor oil plant ia receiving much attention, j Care needs to be exercised in adopting some of the newer oil-yielding trees which have been proposed for cultivation; the information available about them is still rather especially as regards their yield of oil, in comparison with such well-known trees as tho coconut and the oil-palm, and in this connection the Technical Information Bureau has been able to give cautionary advice to several inquirers.