AN AGE OF ALCOHOL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1831, 10 April 1907, Page 63

AN AGE OF ALCOHOL.

A French, scientist, with the wonderful aptness of phrase which characterises his nationality, lias lately written a profound treatise on alcohol its distillation and rectification, which ho dedicates to his Majesty “King Alcohol” as an acknowledgment of the almost universal employment of the 'product in the arts and sciences and its relative importance as an indispensable factor in the world’s economic development. To sum all, there is nothing in the natural world of greater utility to mankind and none other so deadly. Since fermentations began to appeal to the appetite and the pleasant effects of wine were discovered, alcohol has reigned as monarch, a benevolent despot. to those who accepted his rule wisely, but a hard, destructive, and merciless master to those who, yielding themselves to his pleasant advances, abandoned themselves wholly to his seductive and all-embracing sovereignty. Just now the interest in alcohol is centred in its employment in connection with the utilities. Almost every Government of Europe is • admitting alcohol, under certain discriminating conditions, to be so manipulated that while rendered uxxsafe or unfit for human consumption, it may be adapted for cei’tain economic uses of the utmost value to the country. Under this benevolent phase alcohol is deprived of its powers to intoxicate or to barm, and becomes a sei’vant, like steam or fire, of unlimited possibilities and enormous usefulness.

Science, with all the distinctions it has realised from many successes, lias sometimes failed. Science knows that alcohol is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and the proportion of each which enters into itis composition, but it has failed in making alcohol directly from its prime elements. It can make alcohol from almost everything else—from grapes or fruit, corn, wheat, maize, and even saivdiist. Potatoes, beets, and all ather vegetables are fruitful of the spirit. In fact, broadly speaking, alcohol can be made from almost everything except a brickbat. Fermentation produces the alcohol, which is afterwards separated by distillation and rectification. Wine and cidar are the products of fermentation, and any farmer may produce them, hut the ultimate production of alcohol is the work of the distiller and rectifier.

Any substance will yield alcohol which contains sugar or that which is easily convertible into sugar. Out of 100 parts of glucose, for example, fifty-one parts of pure alcohol and forty-nine parts of carbolic mcid result when treated- after a certain formula. The manufacture of alcohol was at one period almost monopolised by the French, and at one time it was only distilled from the grapes. The ravages of phylloxera so greatly diminished the grape crop that other substances were sought for that might be used as a covered that, potatoes, beets, aiti-

chokes, barley, wheat, or corn, and an infinite number of other natural productions could be employed for this purpose, and the former dependence upon grapes as the only source of supply was declared off.

Sugar beets are an extremely facile source of alcohol. By the addition of sulphuric acid to the pulp, the transformation into sugar is facilitated, and yields, after fermentation, a large percentage of spirit. From -the potato the Germans have discovei’ed an inexhaustible source of alcohol. Alcohol can be. produced iix unlimited quantities from wood, sawdust, rags, cotton waste, straw, leaves, turf, etc., etc., by the conversion of these substances into cellulose by the addition of sulphuric acid. Clean rags and paper yield their owix .weight in sugar after .being treated sevexi times by sulphuric acid, and from this saccharine alcohol is subesequently distilled.

The process is one of infinite variety though very complex. The French seem to excel all other nations in the ingenuity with which they attack chemical mysteries and the success with which they subsequently arrive at solutions. Consequently no nation surpasses France in the cheapness with which alcohol is prodxxced or in the mechanical devices requisite for distillation or rectification. Every step is the result of infinitely careful investigation, and the fine adaptation of' means to produce certain results. There is no universal method by which all substances can be treated ; each fruit, vegetable, or v 7 ood requires a certain method of fermentation, though distillation and rectification are, in essentials, the same process for all. The last two processes are now performed simultaneously, though the means employed are complicated. The by-products of alcoholic distilleries include spent mash, which furnishes good food for cattle, and is an excellent fertiliser; carbonic acid, glycerine, and many other substances equally valuable. The foregoing gives a faint idea of the manner in which alcohol is produced and the number of substances in which the fiery spirit is latent, only needing the arts of the chemist to yield a liquid xvhicli is as capable of good as it is of harm. Pure whisky, in passing, contains 50 per cent, of pure alcohol.

As a matter of reference, the French manufacturer of alcohol finds he can produce alcohol in the quantities mentioned below from the substances named. From 1001 bof each the number of pints of alcohol \vhich may be produced is shown: —

To France, before any other country, .the world acknowledges its obligations, not only for the discoveries which have cheapened and broadened the sources from which alcohol may be derived, but in the unlimited uses by which it may he employed in the industrial aits.

There is an Infinite variety of harmless purposes in which alcohol might be of the greatest service, provided its price could he reduced to reasonable figures. To France again the world is debted for the demonstration of the unlimited number of purposes to which alcohol is useful in the industrial world. Hundreds of manfacturing processes are dependent upon alcohol for successful resiilts. Lighting, heating, and locomotion may he cheapened' and perfected by the employment of' low-priced alcohol, and from this requirement has finally risen the term industrial or “denaturised” alcohol, to indicate the change or addition made to its character, of a nature to prevent consumption by hunian beings, and limiting its employment to purposes purely industrial.

A good denaturant ought to possess the following essentials: —It should, first of all, render the alcohol unfit for drinking, and should not hinder its use for lighting or heating reposes. No acid should be given off, and it should not stain. For power purposes the alcohol should not give off offensive odours or deposit soot. The proportion of the donatuiant should be low and net high, and not of a poisonous nature. its presence in alcohol shouid he easily detected, in order to prevent fraud, and tue most essential point is the ivhpos.nbility of separating the cu’iiutuiairt ticm

the alcohol even by the most refined means.

Among other denaturants offered are pyridic bases, oils of ethers, formaldehyde, and methylene. Nearly every one of these substances is scarce and high priced, besides depositing resinous deposit incombustion. Moreover, they can bo eliminated by distillation. Formaldehyde is poisonous. The best denaturant used in France is methyl spirit, prepai-ed by the Government itself* 1 It' cannot be separated from alcohol/ by any chemical means, and imparts a nauseous taste; neither is the odour; offensive. In Germany and Austria/ the official denataurant is used in the proportion of 21- per cent. England/ uses 11 per cent, proportion, and Holland 15 per cent. Denaturised alcohol is colourless. In France the official denaturan.li is composed of one paid’ of methyl spirit and 0.5 part standard benzine, to be added to 100 parts of alcohol. The methyl spirit is to be 00 per cent, strong, and must contain 25 -per cent, of acetone and 5 per cent, of pyrogenic matter. The benzine used is a distillation of coal tar. Alcohol admitted for denaturation must have at least a strength of 90 per cent. Another form of standard denaturised alcohol is the carburetted, extensively used in motors. It has been 1 proved that the calorific power of a 1-. cohol is loxv. Compared with gasoline, alcohol shows a power of but 4850 calorics as of 83G0 calorics for v the former. By making a 50 per cent, benzine mixture 7.850 calorics is produced. The French standard of denaturant is 10.5 per cent. Denaturing alcohol is a simple process, and repuires no heating or apparatus. All that is needed is a mixing plant and a series of tanks to hold tho denaturised alcohol. From the tanks the mixture is rxm off into cans or metal casks for shipment. All the process is under the supervision of Govexmment inspectors, who examine and gauge all the products which are used. Thus far no denaturant discovered is free from objections, and the French Government, in order to stimulate discoveiy, lias offered valu-

able prizes. The first prize of 4000 dollars will be given for a denaturant superior to the present one. and offering guarantees against fraud. Tho second pi’ize of 1000 dollars is offered for the discovery of a system of utilising alcohol for lighting under the same conditions as petroleum. It has been found that methyl-al-cohol is extremely injurious, and cases of loss of sight, well authenticated, have resulted from inhalation of vapours of w r ood alcohol as well as in its xise as a liniment. Painters are peculiarly subject to the dangerous effects of the poison, as the denaturised alcohol is extensively employed in. varnishes.

The use of denaturised alcohol is expected to become universal almost, and to open up a new line of research and discovery from which the country will derive great benefit. In Germany the cost of potato spirits is reported tso be Is, 6d a gallon. Commercially pure alcohol is quoted at 11s a gallon.

Potato starch 34 to 40 Rice 35 to 37 Maize 28 to 31 Buckwheat 24 to 27 Soft wheat 27 to 29 Millet 25 to 26 Hard wheat 24 to 26 Eve 24 to 27 Barley 21 to 25 Oats 19 to 22 Potatoes (containing 70 per cent. Avater) 5 to 7 Beets (containing 80 per cent. Avater) 4 to 5 Molasses 23 to 25 Crude sugar 36 to 45 Dry glucose 34 to 41 Cellulose (saAvdust) 7 to 10