WEEDS TO BE USED IN TEXTILES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 54, 26 November 1937, Page 17

WEEDS TO BE USED IN TEXTILES

New Cloth-Making Process

CHEMIOAL processes making new fibres available . lor textile rnanufacturing— New England's traditional bread-winning industry — are viewed as promising toon. an. upheaval of timehdnoured proeessing metliods and new profits to th® gi'eat mills along the Blackatone, the Merrimac, the Fall and other historie rivers of tlie section. For the last 10 years Mr» Joseph H. Estes, former Federal investigator, has been seaxching out tbe possibility of uing in textiles tbe world 's strongest fibres, principally pita grass from Colnmbia; ramie or China grass froin tastern Asia; jute from India, and Sisal kemp from, Tucatan. Some 240 different fibers were collected and tested in various ehemical b'tews until tbe correct combinations were obtained. To-day, in' 20 mmiites, Mr. Estes can change fibres which were formerly useful only for eordage or Burlap into wool-like, linen-lilte or even silk-like strands. New England's largest textile mills have been secretly assisting tbe discoverer for several months now, °and large scale production ii xeady to start. The new metbods of treating fibers involve a neutral process for wbicb patents bave not yet been issued to protect tbe discoverer; conseqtiently, Mr. Estes is feluctant to divulge tbe entire process at tbis time. However, the Taw fibres are placed in huge vats #f chemicals and cooked for npward of balf |n bour. They • are tben rinsed, bleached and dried, tbe treatment being similar for all types of fibres, witb the time factor tbe principal variable. After dryin, tbe processed fibres are reafiy for whatever industry tbey bave been prepare d— pap er, automobile tires, cloth, • ftocking (imitation suede) rnobair, and a bost of others. "Uhfortnnately) most fibres wben treated witb strong cbemicals lose thelr former brilliance wben dyed, and appear lifelteES. That ia tbe reason for tbe neutral solutions uSechin tbe "Estes procesi. ' FJocking is a.particularly fascinating process. It consists of cutting cotton fibres to flock length of one balf to three-quarters of a millimeter iri lengtb— almost dust — sprinkling tbe tiny lengtba on some background material tbat bas been xubberised, and standing tbem on end tbrongb tbe nSe •f statio electricity. Tbe fiock tben

goes into an oven to be cured and set. Tests condueted by textile eiigineers asserfc tbat tbe treated ramie, flax, bemp and pita grass fibres can be handled by maehiuery ah'Oa'dy b'ding usod in cotton, woollen and rayon mills. Among desirable qualities possessed by ramie is tbe brilliaaco of its luater. Dyed ramie bas a" luster and iheen almost unbelievable in aiaterial of this sort, and it iinproves with wasbing. A, meinber of tbe nettle family, it is one of tbe stingless nettles. Japan uses rarnio for sails and fishing nets. Its strength is bigbly desirable. In China it serves as "coolie cloth" of crude weave. Pita grass, native to Colombia, South America, grows up to 20 feet .and is so matted tbat even snakes cannot wriggle tbrongb it. Tbe leaf ends are sharply spined and the leaf fibres are unusually long.- In .faet, pita grass fibres are the strongest' in tbe world. Jute from India always bas discouraged process inventors, because, try as tbey might, no metbod could be uncovered of removing tbe objectionable odour emanating from wet jute. Mr. Estes aecomplislies even tbis. Tbere bas been so much work to getting tbe new fibres started along their expected roads to usefulness that little bas been done witb by-products. but it is knowu that enough pectin can be gained to pay for the processing and in addition tbere are lignin, fat, oils and waxes to be tested and used. Wrapped around the tnummies of important Soutb American Indian chiefs in tbe Bo'gata Musenm, are bolts of cloth finer and softer tban tbe finest silks. .Apparently the fibre is pita grass and tbe metbods used bave become a lost art. Using tbe new process, the silken fibres can be made and tbe clotb duplicated, but tbe inethods fire naturally far more cbmplicated tban tbe Indians employed. Cross and Bevans, Englisb reseaxcb cEemists>. bave beqn inveatigating th°e fibrea of pita grass for tbe Kew Qardensj; and-Japan js 'fibw , making '' '.inquiries. Englisb and Irisb mills have also carried on- mucb yesearcb. If.pita is mixed witb cotton tbe. resultant clotb is extremely bard to tell from Hnett of tbe finest grade and it imab.es an excellent textile for ligbt summer suits, tbe most absorbent material yet discovered.