Wood Gas.

Manawatu Herald, 15 November 1898, Page 3

Wood Gas.

SAWDUST CARBIDE.

In one of the largest sawmilling districts of Canada the management of one of the timber firms were con • fronted with the usual problem of what to do with the gradually increasing mountains of sawdust on their premises. A neighbouring river afforded for many years a convenient means of carrying it away as a waste product,, but recent legislation prevented the dumping of sawdust in the river, so the sawmillers were compelled to look : round for other arrangements to dispose of it. The law was suspended from year to year to allow time foe these arrangements to be made, and it was just during th.c last few weeks of their exemption that a Mr Emerson submitted to the proprietors a scheme for the advantageous use of sawdust for the manufacture of a gac-produc-ing carbide. Two of the big timber „ companies determined to try it, and, the result is the erection of a plant on a small scale in one of the timber yards. Mr Emerson Bays that his processes practically occupy the same position in the conversion of the cellulose tissue of wood into carbon as the Bessemer process does in eliminating the carbon in the process of manufacturing steel. In the O - , tawa district he considers natural conditions exist that are best suited to carry out the commercial possibilities of his process in the manufacture of calcium acetate, calcium carbide, light and heavy oils for the manufacture of paints and varniab. By his procesp, he claims carbon can be produced in a greater state cf purity, than by any other means, and more cheaply than coal can be mined. Coke and charcoal, he con* siders, must always be more or less contaminated with slate, sulphur, silica, etc., which are objectionable in the manufacture of iron and steel as well as of calcium carbide. He experimented with Ottawa Bawdust and produced what he considers a practically pure carbon. Curbide manufactured from such carbon will, he hod, produce a larger quantity of acetylene gas thin carbide pro. duced from coke, and the cheapest light known. Hi 3 method h first to produce the carbon from ihe sawdust, then to electrically t-melt this with lime to form calcium carbide. His plan appears to hake ao far commenced itself to the wealthy lumbermen in question as to lead" them to go to the expense of establishing an experimental plant for it, and the Government to eu?ptnd it* eawduat dumping law a year longer.—^lnventor.