POWER ALCOHOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 12 (Supplement)

POWER ALCOHOL.

CASSAVA AND MOLASSES. As petrol prices fluctuate, and rumours of the exhaustion of sources of supply increase, attention is being drawn to the production of power alcohol. American scientists have not treated these investigations seriously, because their interest is ■ concentrated on. the mineral oils which California and Toxas are producing cheaply ana adequately. High prices and poor quality petrol have encouraged investigation of power alcohol production in Europe, Africa and Australia. Tho latter country is to have exceptional potentialities for alcohol production fx'om cassava, and experiments iiavo resulted in a move for commercial production. Cassava rather resembles the castor oil plant in appearance, and it has long tubers, like tho sweet potato. The roots alone have commercial value. 'lhey are rich 'in starch, from which alcohol, tapioca, and a flour used in " filling" calico cloth are derived. Power alcohol is already being manufactured from molasses at the distillery of the Colonial Sugar Manufacturing Companv, Pyrmont, Sydney, and at tho Millaqum distillery, Bundaberg, and steps are now being taken to augment supplies by the erection of distilleries at Sarina, Cairns and Burdckin, in Queensland. The distilleries at Cairns and Burdckin will treat molasses only, but but a new departure in Australian a new departure in Australian industry will be made at Sarina, whore alcohol will be manufactured both from molasses and cassava. Cassava first came prominently before the public when the Federal Parliament granted a subsidy of £SOOO a year, equal to 4d per gallon, for fivo years for. spirit made from cassava. A factory is . being erected at Plane Creek, Sarina. 'lt will cover an acre of ground, and another will be occupied by two concrete tanks, having a total capacity of 1.200,000 gallons, for the storage of molasses, hitherto practically a waste product at Plane Creek. Large concrete blocks now in position will support eight fermenting vats, each holding 25,000 gallons. When the distillery is in operation the cassava roots will be dumped from trucks into a flume, and conveyed by water to an elevator, which will place them in a washer, lhey will then be sliced by rotating knives, and after automatic weighing, tho material will go on to cookers, which, working under steam pressure, will convert the starch into a pulp. It will then go into fermentation vessels, where a mould and yeast will be added to convert the starch into alcohol. Distillation in the latest typo of still will follow, and tho spirit "wful run into two 50,000 gallon storage tanks outside the distillery. A further process will de-nature the spirit, and render it unsuitable for human consumption. Ether will be added to the spirit to promote easier starting. By the Broullard process starch will be converted into alcohol direct, instead of passing through two stages, starch to sugar, and sugar to alcohol, as formerly. Molasses will be diluted and fermented by the addition of pure yeast, and will then follow the same process of distillation as cassava. The distillery is estimated to cost £IO,OOO, and the plant in position £35,000, while the output will be 1,000,000 gallons a season. Distilling will commence each season in December, when sugar crushing terminates. A yield of 14 tons of cassava ■root per acre is anticipated, and the company proposes to pay growers 25s per tori. With favourable extraction a ton of cassava should yield 39 gallons of spirit, as against 65 gallons from a ton of molasseg. The relative yields per acre of cassava and cane, however, have yet to be established. ■ It is claimed by advocates of the cse of power alcohol "that, compared with petrol, it is much cleaner. With ordinary compression 10 per cent, more power is obtained, and 30 per cent, more with high compression. Internal combustion engines are at present constructed for the use of petrol as a fuel. When,engines are built to be actuated by power alcohol even better results will be attained, MOTOR TRADE ITEMS*. Fiat sales for July were a record for this car in the Dominion. There were 40 cars delivered. . Jt.— ri For the four months, April to July, 34 Glyno cars have been sold in New Zealand. j An Austin Twelve domgned for colonial conditions is on the Australian market. Its feature is a full track of 4ft. Bin. The annual meeting oi ! the New Zealand Motor Traders' Association will be held at Invercargill on September 8, 9 and 10. I \ T£he Sydney Traffic Department has acquired a fleet of nine cars. Threo are Morris-Cowleys, three Austins and three Armstrong-Siddleys. i The Ajax car will shortly be known as tho Nrvsh Light Six. The change of name is a sequel to the absorption of Ajax Motors, previously subsidiary, by the parent company. The mass assembly Chevrolet plant at Petor.e is now fully equipped. Supplies' of knocked-down material for cars* are in storage and the riveting, enamelling and testing machinery has been demonstrated. Production will commence immediately.