Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Second part - X. Manufacturing Industries. By Å. G. Ekstrand, Ph. D., Chief Engineer, Control Office of the Department of Finance - 4. Oils, Tar, India-rubber, and kindred commodities - India-Rubber - Hard and soft Soap
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816
x. manufacturing industries of 8wedbn.
In 1900, the total value of the turnout
in this industry was 4,032,000 kronor,
75 % of which fell to the lot of the
two factories named. About 1870, the
value of the whole output in the
india-rubber trade was only some few
thousands of kronor. The import,
both of the raw material and
manufactured articles, has also advanced
considerably and was estimated in
1900 at 4,669,000 kronor, of which
1,473,000 kronor were for crude
india-rubber or guttapercha, 734,000
kronor for tubes, pipes, straps etc., and
2,086,000 kronor for other
manufactured articles in the india-rubber trade, — for the most part galoshes. In
recent years, there has sprung up a not inconsiderable export, estimated in 1900
at a total value of 670,000 kronor; the export goes principally to Norway and
Denmark. (A krona = l’io shilling or O 268 dollar).
Hard and soft Soap.
Soap is obtained by the decomposition of different kinds of fat, both solid
and fluid, by means of alkalies. Generally speaking, hard soap is soda, soft soap,
potash chemically combined with fatty acids to salts. The boiling: of hard soap,
like so many processes, used to be done on a small scale to supply domestic
needs; from wood-ashes and lime the required potash ley was obtained, which
was boiled with an admixture of tallow. A soft tallow soap was the result, from
which by thorough salting with cooking salt a firm and good hard tallow soap
was obtained. The first factory for the making of soft soap in Sweden was
founded in 1823 by Lars Montén; he did it in co-operation with the famous
chemist Berzelius. Though the raw materials for this industry, especially tallow,
linseed oil, and potash, might be obtained, at any rate in part, in the country
itself, probably the greater proportion of the raw materials used is brought from
abroad, whereby a saving is made, more especially since a variety of oils obtained
from tropical plants, such as cocoa-nut and palm oil etc., have begun to be used
in soap-making. Soft soap used to be generally employed in washing, but has
latterly been superseded bv hard soap, the manufacture of which has been
cheapened by the partial employment of resin (colophony) in place of fat. For
toilet soaps, cocoanut-oil is primarily made use of. Soaps have also been recently
manufactured prepared by taking as neutral a soap as possible for a foundation,
grinding it to a powder, perfuming it, and pressing it. Besides other good qualities
possessed by soaps prepared by this method, they also admit of being scented
better and more lastingly than others.
The manufacture of both hard and soft soap has made great strides during
the last 20 years in Sweden; it must have at least doubled in amount during that
time. The export has decreased slightly, while the consumption in the country
has more than doubled. It may also be mentioned that though soft soap still
exceeds hard soap in quantity of production, it is principally the manufacture of
the latter that has grown. The soap imported is chiefly of the choicest scented
quality, though the best Swedish soap-works nowadays are able to produce
excellent samples of that type, too.
In 1900, 129,412 quintals of soft soap, and 36,598 quintals of hard soap
were made in Sweden. (A quintal = 1’9 7 cwts.). Stockholm occupies the fore-
India-rubber Factory, Helsingborg.
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