INDUSTRIAL ALCOHOL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1844, 25 June 1918, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL ALCOHOL.

UNDER the heading of “Industrial Alcohol in New Zealand,” Dr. J. S. M’Laurin, Dominion Analyst, writes interestingly as follows in the New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology; —There is undoubtedly a great future for alcohol as a source of power and heat. This is clearly shown by the following figures giving the approximate amount of alcohol produced in Germany for the year 1913-14, and the quantities of the various substances from which it was manufactured. Owing to the absence of returns for East Prussia for August-September, 1914, the figures are somewhat below the true values. Total alcohol produced, 81,000,000. gallons. Substances used in the production of this alcohol: —Potatoes 2,000,000 tons, percentage of total 85.90; cereals and other meals 320,000 tons, percentage of total 10.00; molasses and beets, 57,800 tons, percentage 1.90; brewery refuse 710 tons, percentage 0.02; core fruit and residues 10,000 tons, percentage 0.33; stone fruit 18,000 tons, percentage 0.00; fruit and grape wines 4,200 tons, percentage 0.12; wine yeast, grape mares 15,000 tons, percentage 0.50; other materials 2,000 tons, percentage 0.00; total tons, 3,027,710. It is very questionable, however, whether alcohol could be produced in New Zealand at the present time or in the near future at a payable price. The pre-war wholesale price of petrol in "Wellington was about Is 8d per gallon. One gallon of petrol is equal to approximately 1 gallon of absolute alcohol, when each is used in an engine designed for that class of fuel. To compete with petrol as a fuel for motors, etc., alcohol would therefore require to be sold at not more than, say, Is 3d to Is (id per gallon. The principal materials from which alcohol may be produced on a commercial scale are starch, sugar, wood, and calcium carbide. Of starch-bearing substances the most largely-grown in New Zealand are wheat, barley, maize, and potatoes.