NEW FLAX BLEACHING PROCESS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4433, 29 March 1930, Page 3

NEW FLAX BLEACHING PROCESS.

CLAIMS OF NEW TRADE FOR

n:z. hemp. N.Z. FLAXMKLLERS’ ASSOCIATION INTERESTED. Members of the N.Z. Flaxmillers’ Association, which met at Foxton yesterday, evinced considerable interest in a new fiax bleaching process and promises of fresh, trade for N.Z. hemp made by Mr. A. Stevens, of Shannon. Mr. Stevens was introduced to the meeting by Mr. C. H. Speirs, exPresident, who intimated that Mr. Stevens had had many years experience in bleaching and dye works in England prior to coming to N.Z. Mr. Stevens said that seven years in the fibre trade at Home had given him a practical knowledge of fibre from the “brush” fibre to artificial silk and also a knowledge of what was required in bleaching. On coining to N.Z. a few years ago his one desire had been to establish a means of producing an article in the hemp line in this country" suitable for Home requirements. He had not been concerned with a better cordage or rope fibre in bis experiments nor the production of a white fibre but both of these had been accomplished by his process. His only desire had been to qualify the N.Z. hemp for the fields of trade open to it in England to-day. Experience bad taught him that the N.Z. article was debarred from certain avenues of trade by reason of its gum content which limited it to a very small field, practically confining it to the production of rope and twine. He had therefore worked with the object of’ removing the gum and bringing the fibre up to its natural springiness which virtue was hidden by the paddock hardened gum. In England there existed a trade know’ll as the “Union goods trade” where one fibre was graded with another for the purpose of manufacturing a certain article. At present the N.Z. article could not qualify for this trade owing to the gum hardened nature of its texture but he had been successful by his process in bleaching the fibre in such a way as to bring out its springiness and qualify it for this new trade. Unfortunately, said Mr. Stevens, the Grading Department does not realise the nature of the trade which I am aiming to capture for the N.Z. hemp and when sample hanks were sent down to Wellington I received a reply that they had been graded high fair and were no better than what the present methods could accomplish. That is not the point. Colour does not come into this particular trade which I am seeking to capture and if the Department would realise (his (the hanks could possibly be graded independent of colour. Mr. Stevens then produced a number of samples of fibre treated by his process. , A high fair hank, a hank of fibre bleached from rejected leaves, tow and some of the ordinary hanks softened by the process claimed the interest of the millers present for some time. They were very soft to the touch, strongin tensile and showed no trace of grim. Samples of Irish linen in its raw state, bleached and ready to spin were also submitted while Mr. Stevens placed a card on the table containing samples of fibi’e of all New Zealand’s competitors. A -yarn of fibre, as used in the Union goods trade, already mixed was also displayed. Mr. 4 Stevens said that his process occupied only between one and a half and two hours according to the weather conditions and was in no way dependent on the sun. The samples submitted bad been bleached in an ordinary kerosene tin. The yarn of mixed fibres was the trade to which be was desirous of adapting the N.Z. hemp. It was a fifty-, fifty mixture of Irish linen and another hemp, spun in Belfast but there was a very wide field for such an article.

The president (Mr. H. A. Seifert) asked if the N.Z. hemp could be softened sufficiently to meet the requirements of Union goods trade. Mr. Stevens: Yes. Mr. Seifert: And retain its tensile strength ? Mr. Seifert: Yes. I have a number of letters in my possession from manufacturers and spinners at Home bo whom I have sent samples of my process 'bleached' fibre wherein they recognise the suitability of the N.Z. article so treated. These hanks were prepared at Mr. C. H. Spews’ mill and graded by the Government grader before being sent away. Asked the cost per ton to prepare fibre by his method, Mi 1 . Stevens said that the Government had investigated it and Mr. C. Barnicoat of the Scientific Research body had worked the cost out at 7/4 per ton which Mi’. Stevens maintained was well above the actual cost which he had calculated would be in the vicinity of 5/- per ton. Government investigators, he said, had watched the process in operation. No washing was required as is known at the mills at present, very little water being required. He estimated that the volume 'of water required along the machine would be in the vicinity of three gallons per minute per stripper. Tails in the fibre did not count as the fibre was torn to pieces for Union trade and rebuilt and colour was of no importance as the article was dyed. All the hanks he had sent Home had been of low grade in order to allow a o-reatcr margin when the new trade was established. One of the firms he had been in touch with had written him to the effect that they bad sent of the treat-

cd fibre together with Mr. Stevens’ letter to Calcutta to ;i manufacturing concern there for comparison, ■•but,” said Mr. Stevens, “I supplied that particular firm in 'Calcutta with fibre for years and I know that I have got an article here that will boat it.” Referring to strength tests. Mr. Stevens said that the Grading Department had found this quite satisfactory and no deterioration had resulted in a six months test; carried out by the Department. “Quite recently,” concluded Mr. Stevens, “I wrote away in connection with the South American trade which I hope to be able to meet.” Mr. IV. H. Wilson asked what saving would accrue from the fact that paddock bleaching would not. be necessary with the new pro-

cess. Mr. Stevens said that his plant could be erected for a sum in the vicinity of £OO. He anticipated that a reduction of £2 could he made in (the present cost of manufacture while he would also be able to put up the price of the finished article by £1 10/- over and above the present ruling price for New Zealand hemp thus making a saving of £3 10/- per ton. The price demanded for his article in his recent letters (o Home manufacturers was £1 10/. above the price recently obtaining for New Zealand hemp on the London market..

The President pointed out that the Scientific Research Committee had recently appointed Dr. McLauren to investigate all el aims for patent processes and asked if Dr. McLauven had tested Mr. Stevens process. Mr. Stevens said that both Mr. Ban lie oat and Mr. Aitken had investigated the process but they bad not appreciated the value of the article in respect to the purpose for which it was manufactured. Dr. McLauven had been invited to inspect the process in operation at Mr. Speirs’ mill but had referred the speaker to the Chief Hemp Grader’s report on the matter to the effect that the article produced by him was no better than, what millets could already produce. “We have not got the N.Z. hemp on the right market,” said AH. 'Stevens. “If we had, the whole country would now he planted with fiax and I doubt if even that would be sufficient .to meet the demand.”'

Mi-. C. H. Speirs said that when Messrs Barnicoat and Aitken made their tests of the process they did not realise the nature of the trade for which Mr. Stevens was manufacturing, but took colour into consideration, thinking that it would have to be graded according to colour before being suitable for manufacturing purposes, with the result that Mr. Barnicoat,’s report was to the effect that the process did not produce a superior article to the one already being manufactured. lie had been very interested in Mr. Stevens’ process, it was simple. The fiax was stripped in the same manner as at the mills to-day, washed and then passed through an extra wash and dried under cover ot on a bright day, the latter of course being quicker than indoor drying. Mr. Wilson: Then the drying is subject to weather conditions “l

Air. Stevens: Drying can be uu-lei-Liken quite well in drying rooms.

The President said that there would be no difficulty in that connection as drying rooms were used on the Continent to handle large quantities. They already had ample data on the matter. Mr. G. Rough said he could not see where any benefit would accrue from the process if the article was not graded more than high fan - . Mr. C. H. Speirs: The difference is thul this article is for an entirely different market. As long as it is passed for export it is all right as it goes to an entirely different destination from the ordinary hemp. Air. Stevens further stated that ’there was a great demand for straight out hanks in England and this was another channel that could lie explored. It was a new thing lor a new field. Mr. B. B. Wood when discussing- the new process had told the speaker that the fact that there had been mention of a Calcutta trade would bring the article into confiict with the jute trade, but he could assure his audience that the article would ne\er be used in the jute trade in the trade he was seeking in that quarter. Air. Stevens offered to instai his process in any mill and to work in cju-o(pe ration with the miller in the production of the article at certain terms or, further, if the Association oared to take the matter up all correspondence, etc., could be placed , before them and the matter further discussed. The meeting accorded Air. Stevens a vote of thanks for his attendance and explanation of his process and the matter will probably come up for further consideration at a later date.