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These methods of determining water are of special advantage where drying hy heat int.roduces certain errors. Such are slightly volatile solids, as benzoic acid or ammonium chloride, and substances which are oxidised or in any way changed by the heat, as soft coal and some vegetahle produats. In the case of materials where powdering and grinding in the air is objectionable on account of the rapid change in tlicir water contents, the grinding can be done under the surface of the liquid.
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The method could also he used fis manure in t,he compost heap). Fig. 2 is a close-up of the cut.ting edge and propulsion mechanism. A seamless steel tube, A , 12 inches long, l'/s inches outside diameter, 1 I H . W. G. (0.120-inch) wall, lias cut 011 the out-side a right-hand thread of '/rinch pitch the entirc length of the tuhe. A circular knife, R,of tool steel, turned with an inside diameter of 1.405 inches, is attached by drivc fit to FYO. 1 the inside of the tube at one end. The inside diameter mentioned is maintained for inch from t.he outer end, whence the diameter is increased on a short taper to flush with the inside diamet.er of the tube-that is, 1.615 inches. The outer diameter, including a short portion of the tuhr, is turned to give a knife edge tapering hack at an angle of 30 degrces. A nut., C , 5 / 8 inch thick, fits the thread 011 the tube and is carried in the yoke, D , by two pivot bolts, one of which is hole is drilled through and at right shown at E. A angles to the long axis of the tube, 1inch from the end opposite
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Received February 11. 1924.
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the knife. 4 rod may he put through this hole to operate tlie sampler by hand power, or an electric motor may he used for power, as in the illustration. The motor pictured is a high-speed drill motor with special gearing and spindle. The spindlc fits loosely inside the tube and is providpd widh a 'irinch hole, wliich is used in attaching it to the tube hy a bolt or pin, F. The sampling tube, with yoke, weighs 10 pounds. The horsepower, and op motor weighs 29 pounds, is rated at crates from any 110-volt circuit by coirnection t,hrougli the cord, 1. The operating switch is shown at. G, and a reversing switch at H . The motor has a no-load soeed of ROO0 r. p. in. and a full load speed of 3000 r. 1). m. Ilehuoing gearing &es a s"indle s ~ e e drat.io of i:iso. . In use for sampling silage, for examplc, t,hc operat,or holds the sampler in a vert.ical posit,ion as pictured, with the yoke, D, rest,ing on the surface of tlie silage in tlie silo a t the point at which it is desired to take tlre sample. He stands on t.he har of the yoke, one foot PM. 2 on each side of the tube, and holds the motor hy the pipe handles. The motor is then start,ed through tlie switch, G, the reversing switch, N, being set to give a right-hand rotation to the driving spindle. The tube is thus forced int,o tlie silagr at a uiriforni rate, the eireular rotnting knife cutting a core xdiich is forced int.0, and retained within, the tube. When the depth of sanipling desired has been reached (usually the depth of silage that will probably be used during the ensuing feeding period or subperiod), the motor is stopped, the reversing switcti thrown, the motor again operated until the tube is withdrawn, and then stopped. The motor is then detached and the core of silage removed from the tube. The sampling of loose hay in tlie mow is quit.c similar to that for silage. In sampling haled hay or straw, the hale is laid on the floor and the yoke attached to the bale at one end by a rope passing around the bale lengthwise. The tube, with motor attached and resting on the floor, is entered in the imt, the motor started, and a core is cut the entire length of tlie bale, while the operator has merely to sit on the bale
April, 1924
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to hold it from turning. In sampling hay, the tube, after entering a short way, mill drive itself without aid of the yoke and nut. Releasing the yoke a t this time reduces the power required. The diameter of the circular knife was chosen to give a cross-sectional area of 10 sq. cm.; and the length of the tube, to permit cutting to a depth of 100 cm. Cut to this depth the weight of the core in kilograms should give directly the specific gravity. Cutting to a lesser measured depth, the specific gravity may be readily calculated from the weight of the core in grams. The cost of making a single machine, especially the reduction gearing, is quite high. The tube may be operated by hand, but the motor saves much labor. The makers
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state that the cost could be materially reduced by even smallquantity production. The machine as described was constructed for the Department of Dairy Husbandry, University of Illinois, for use in connection with feeding investigations. It has been in use for two years with satisfactory results. The present form of tube requires considerable power, however, and in sampling very compact stuff to full depth the motor is slowed down to such an extent as to make it desirable to have more speed. A motor of greater power is therefore to be recommended, and the manufacturers state that one of their larger drill motors could be readily substituted. It may be possible, also, to modify the sampling tube in certain details so that it would require less power to operate.
Alcohol from Cane Blackstraps’ Effect of Varying Additions of Acid By W. L. Owen and J. D. Bond LOUISIANA SUGAR EXPERIMENT STATION, NEWORLEANS,LA.
FORMER PRACTICE H E acidification of The acidification of cane molasses is one of the most important the wort is one of steps preparatory to its conversion into alcohol. The amounts of Perhaps as a result of the the most important acid required have been found to oary, not only with the type of variation in the buffer stages of m a n u f a c t u r e molasses used. but also with the race of yeast employed for its feraction of the salts contained through which molasses mentation. The acid requirements of the various yeast cultures in various types of blackpasses in its conversion into are more constant in Cuban than in Louisiana molasses. The strap, which suppress the alcohol. It may be conseraddition of acid to both Louisiana and Cuban molasses results ionization of the added acid vatively stated that it ranks in an initial depression with the addition of the minimum quantity to varying degrees, recomsecond only to the process of acid, followed by a stimulation, and this in turn by a final demendations of a very varied of yeasting in its effect upon pression after the optimum addition had been exceeded. The more nature as to the amounts of the efficiency of alcohol eficient races of yeast seem more tolerant of wide oariations in the acid required in the acidimanufacture from molasses. acidity of molasses than the less eficient races. fication’ of molasses wort If unintelligently employed, are found in the literature. it may render entirely inPeck and Noel Deerr2 state that an acid addition of 10 gallons effectual the utilization of the most efficient strains of yeast. sulfuric per 1000 gallons of wort is the common practice in On the other hand, the intelligent and discriminating use of of molasses distilleries. In their experiments, however, they use acid map greatly increase the efficiency of the poorest strains it in the proportion of 1 to 1000. Noel Deerr3 states that in of yeast, and may even direct the spontaneous fermentation Demerara it is customary t o add sulfuric acid a t the rate of 1 gallon to 1000 gallons of wort. Humboldt4 recommends an .of molasses wort into fairly productive channels. addition of only 1 gallon to 10,000 gallons of cane molasses wort, I n spite of its great importance, however, the control and Amsteins prescribes such an addition of sulfuric acid as of acidification in molasses distilleries has not yet become a will give an acidity corresponding to 1.5 to 2.0 cc. of 1 N sodium standardized procedure. There remains to be developed hydroxide per 100 cc. Williamsa claims that the molasses wort some method for measuring the acid requirement of molasses must contain 0.1 per cent free sulfuric acid, and Henneberg’ that the addition of 0.75 per cent of sulfuric acid to cane for distillery purposes, which can be used as a control measure. states molasses wort resulted in twice as much alcohol as where only At the present time the general practice is to add a constant 0.1 per cent was added, and 1 per cent was better than 0.75. amount of acid to all types of molasses, irrespective of source (Per cent here refers to cubic centimeters 1 N required for 20 or composition. It is not surprising, therefore, that un- cc.) Effront and Prescotts state that the best practice of acidiin cane molasses distilleries is to maintain an acidity satisfactory and unprofitable yields of alcohol frequently fication equivalent to 1 to 2.5 grams of sulfuric acid per liter. Molresult from the improper acidification of the wort. Molasses hanto patented a process of fermentation in which the acidiwith unusually large acid requirements is very susceptible fication was carried out with hydrochloric acid in the proporto trouble from bacterial infection, when diluted and set tion of 3.5 cc. per liter. up in the customary may. Apparently, the accurate and The general practice in this country is to acidify with rational method of determining the acid requirement of sulfuric acid in the proportions of 1 gallon to 1000 gallons molasses for distillery purposes would be by measuring the of wort. In the Magne process, which is very extensively H-ion concentration. The purpose of this investigation, used in the fermentation of blackstrap molasses, sulfuric however, is to determine the effect of acid additions, rather 2 Hawaiian Sugar Plantevs’ Assoc., Bull. 28. than to seek ideal means by which the requirements for such 3 “Cane Sugar,” p. 568 additions can be correctly measured. Unfortunately, the 4 Louisiana Planter, 68, 206 (1922). methods of measuring H-ion concentration have not been 6 Ibid., 68, 126 (1922). 6 “Power Alcohol, Its Production and Utilization,” p. 64. developed to a point where they can be carried out as routine 7 “Garungsbakteriologische Praktikum,” p. 188. procedures in molasses distilleries. 8 “Enzymes and Their Application,” p. 89.
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‘Received October 8, 1923.
s BdZ.
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chzm. sucr. dist., 31, 936 (1916).
