A NEW BY-PRODUCT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14223, 20 November 1909, Page 5

A NEW BY-PRODUCT.

Two French chemists have evolved a f process which is now being exploited for the commercial production of a useful corn by-product. It is generically named "Maisine," and ■ its' perfection means that the albuminous portions of corn can be turned to valuable account. These investigators ascertained that cornflour contains a gluten very closely allied to that of wheat, but uiffering from the latter inasmuch as it is soluble in alcohol, especially in amylic alcohol. Dissolved in alcohol and acetone solutions, the product thus produced, after evaporation, is ,"a: transparent, plastic- substance. It can be combined with celluloid in varying proportions2o to 75 per cent. —thereby lowering the cost and combustibility of this material. If the proportion exceeds 20 per cent., the resultant celluloid: can be heated for three minutes to 155 degrees centigrade ' without showing decomposition. Moreover, it. can be associated with other substances with equal success, is available • for food, and, like caseine, by combination with alkalies can be converted into glue and sizing substances. In the preparation of mai sine the cornflour is first dried, and all fatty matters removed by benzine. ' The cornflour is then exhausted, and the resultant precipitate is filtered and dried. Maisine is yielded in a proportion of 13 per cent, from the cornflour in this manner. Works have been established in France, and the material is being manufactured upon an industrial scale. , ;.' ■ ,