This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 edition. Excerpt: ...receptacles placed on the other side of the rollers. The cotton is now in the form of small thin flakes and is called "pyro," and contains about 58 per cent, of water. At this point it is submitted to careful laboratory tests. If this mass was now compressed into blocks it would be in the usual form of guncotton. Dehydrating.--The pyro is now taken to the dehydrating press and the water is extracted by means of alcohol, which is forced through the pyro by air pressure, the alcohol displacing the water. Sufficient alcohol is left in the cotton to accomplish its colloidization, when ether is added in the next operation. About 15 pounds of pyro is placed in the cylinder of the dehydrating press and subjected to a pressure of 200 pounds to the square inch. This forms it into a cylindrical cheese. Not all of the water is forced out by this pressure, so about 14 pounds of alcohol is let into the cylinder. Air is now admitted over the alcohol and subjected to a pressure of 100 pounds to the square inch. This forces the alcohol through the pyro, the liquid flowing out through the pipe below. First water comes out, then a mixture of water and alcohol, and finally alcohol of full strength. A pressure of 3,000 pounds per square inch is now put on the cheese, and more of the alcohol forced out, enough remaining, however, for colloiding. Colloidization.--The pyro-cheese, weighing about 17 pounds, is taken from the dehydrating press to the colloiding machine, which is an ordinary kneading machine. Three of the pyro cheeses are broken up and put into the kneadcr with about one-half of their weight of ether. The kneader is started and the charge is mixed until all the ether is absorbed, which as a rule requires about two hours. At the end of...