Sources of
Carbohydrate Raw Materials T H E LARGE SCALE manipulation of carbohydrate raw materials is the concern of a vital and growing segment of the chemical process industries. Exclusive of food uses, developing applications for starches and their derivatives, for dextrose and sorbitol and their derivatives, for furfural, for chemicals based on sucrose and for many carbohydratederived fermentation products, have made manufacturers freshly aware of the economics of their processes and therefore of the sources of their raw materials. While there is a considerable literature treating these various raw materials from the standpoint of possibly useful derivatives, the growing chemical maturity of the industry and the competitive challenge from noncarbohydrate sources make a n economic comparison particularly timely.
The Symposium o n Carbohydrates as Sources of Raw Materials was a presentation of the ACS Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry at the 126th Meeting of t h e American Chemical Society, New York, N. Y .
In the group of articles which follows, authors were asked to present the relative economics of the various raw materials falling into their respective categories. A critical evaluation of the government’s attitude toward farm surpluses was invited since many of these chemical raw materials represent food sources first of all. Finally, the description of the case history of a specific product (furfural) was requested in order that all of the factors entering into management decisions regarding raw materials could be observed and appreciated. Together, these articles represent a practical and valuable source of both procedure and data fbr the industrial user of carbohydrate raw materials. SIDNEY M. CANTOR, Chairman
AGRICULTURAL SURPLUSES AND WASTE Harry C. Trelogan and 0. V. Wells.. ........................................................
1390
ECONOMICS O F SUCROSE H . B. Hass and Ody H. Lamborn.. ..........................................................
1592
WOOD INDUSTRIES A S A SOURCE OF CARBOHYDRATES Averill J . Wiley, J o h n F. Harris, Jerome F. Saeman, a n d Edward G. Loclte.. ................ 1397 STARCH: RAW MATERIAL SOURCES AND ECONOMICS Norman F . K e n n e d y
1N5
ECONOMICS O F FURFURAL PRODUCTION H. R. Duffey a n d P. A. Wells, Jr..
14418
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July 1955
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
1389
