Unlocking the treasure in coconut shell

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Part of The Coconut Journal

Title: Unlocking the treasure in coconut shell
extracted text: e Jhc (/rear COJIIIIICrL iaf />ossibifiries of tile corotwr sbcfl. UNLOCKING THE TREASURE IN COCONUT SHELL By WM. J. ORLAND P1·esident National Electt·ic Corporation (Manila) THE manufacture from Coconut Shells and Husks, on a commercial basis, of certain products which enjoy a world wide market with prices which are not only lucrative, but quite staple the year round is now a reality in Manila. Coconut Shells which in the past have been considered of little utility, is today the basis of a new industry which will bring great returns to the people and do much toward the industrialization program and the rehabilitation of the Coconut industry. All the above products contain from 30 to 100% ingredients made from Coco nut Shells. The year 1940 marked the begin ning of a new Era of prosperity for the Coconut industry, and may well be call ed the year in which the unlocking of the William Orland The Coconut industry and the peo ple in general are indebted to the Of ficers of the National Coconut Corpol·a tion for their vision and efforts in mak ing this new industry possible. When one considers the fact that approximate ly 24,000 ordinary size Coconut Shells, the equivalent of one ton, (Coconut Shells were formerly considered waste) has now a minimum value of Pl65.00 pesos after treatment, it becomes ex ceedingly difficult to place a value on the vision and foresight of those nwn who made this a reality. Coconut Shell began. This new Era was brought about by men who believed that the rehabilitation of the Coconut industry would be brought about largely by the utilization of the so-called Coconut waste products, determined men, who had faith in the ability of its people to overcome any obstacle, be they ever so great, thus the National Coconut Corporation was organized. As an illustration, the following will give you some idea of a sad picture which is on the way of being remedied. The Philippines imports annually a large amount of Carbon products, such as Flashlight Batteries, Tele phone Batteries, Radio Batteries, Carbon Electrodes, Motor Brushes, Graphite etc. These items drain the Philippines of an enormous amount of money, which in turn helps to create an un favorable trade balance for the country. Realizing the importance of utilizing Coconut Shells, the National Electric Corporation, co-operating with the technical staff of the National Coconut Cor poration, have brought to a successful conclusion a series of long experiments, and finally established a factory to manufaeture the above products on a com mercial basis. The National Electric Corporation factory in Ma nila, is now operating, using 100% Filipino labor and American methods of mass production. The Factory has a daily capacity of: 25,000-Fiashlight Batteries 2,000-Telephone Batteries 300-Radio "B" Batterie!l 100,000-Carbon Electrodes Page 20 The process of converting Coconut Shells into the various grades of Carbon is rather complicated. The following is wl'itten merely to give the layman a picture of what happens to the Coconut Shell after it is taken from the "Tree of Life," and starts on its long and hot journey to be unlocked. I say hot journey, because, in the first operation, the shells are placed in a retort and remain there for several hours under terrific heat. We are now forc ing the shell to give up its wood preservative, while at the same time we are converting it into high-grade c � arcoal under the process known a.s destructive dis tillation. The charred Shells are now taken from the re tort and placed into a specially designed apparatus to receive special treatment under pressure. Thus ae tivated carbon for Gas Masks is produced. Other charred Shells after leaving the first re tort are again placed in another retort for further carbonization and to reduce its electric resistance to the passage of current. A � ter the above treatment, the Shells are ground to vanous mesh, and placed in bins, latet· to be mixed with other ingredients, or used alone depending on the product to be manufactured. This product is known as Carbon. In the manufacture of Electrodes the Carbon is mixed with other ingredients and heat : �d, while still h ?� · it is compressed into desired shapes under t('r nftc pressure by a specially designed hydraulic press, later to be marked for proper lenghL'l by machine, and again packed in containers and placed in special kilns to be baked for several days. Later when the Electrodes have cooled suffieie11tlv to hand! �, they are cut, and the ends propPriy shape�! by machme, they are now packed and l'l'ady to Sl't'W thP. many and varied uses of industry. (Plea.�e turn to pnffr', .'IR) The COCONUT ,JOlJRNAL BENITEZ, EXECUTIVE . • • (Continued from pa.ge 10) a va$t program of industri'alization of the coconut and its by-products. Tpe nearly illimitable re servoir of industrial richeS which the coconut tree holds in its various parts fill one with amezement at the potentialities which the industrialization of this plant holds. Scientition of coconut by-products he feels that it should lead the way in the· search of scientific methods whereby the potentialities of these by products will be more fully exploited. The best means of assuring this, he says, is by having a. strong and progressive scientific· depart ment which shall uncreasingly labor on the fic experimentation and research along this line be said to be still in their swaddling clothes in the Philippines, yet we are already attaining surprising results. What scientific research will unlock in its advanced stages in future years may well be something to marvel at. He considers the abil ity of our coconut people to adopt themselves to a changing environment in their attitude toward:; the coconut a challenge to their educaton and progressiveness. "It is a real challenge to the capacity of our people," he says. "I say it is a real challenge to our capacity, because it cons titu.tes a. trial of our abil ity to adjust ourselves to a changing environment. An essential pre-requi site to that utilization is training and experience. I believe whole heartedly in the value of scientific research and I believe that every encourage ment should be given to scientists in their effort. CONRADO BENITEZ ... ( Contin1ted from pa.ge 10) · work given by the college of business. Because of his wide interest in educational matters that vitally concern the University of the Philippines, his name was mentioned when the Board of Regents was engaged in the task of selecting a successor of the late President Ignacio Villamor. He is well-known in Japan, China, and Canada for being twice delegate to the conferences of the Institute of Pacific ·Relations, and for being the executive secre· tary and director of the institute in the Philippines. Dean Benitez was member of the Filipino participa· tion in the Joint Preparatory Committee on Philippine Affairs appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States in consultation with President Quezon of the Philippines, for the purpose of studying the trade relations between the United States and the Philippines with a view to an orderly and adequate adjustment of the Philippine national economy. Once president of the Jose Rizal College, Dean Be nitez was formerly partner in the Abad Santos and Benitf>Z law firm at Manila, and alumni regent of the University of the Philippines. In the National Constitutional Convention he was chairman of the committee on industry, and member of the committees on public instruction, national defense, agricultural development, sponsorship, and selection or the resident commissioner under the Commonwealth. He was also member of the committee of. seven that drafted the Constitution. He is member of the Historical Research and Markers Committee, Board of Indeterminate Sentence, Pardon Board, Philippine Economic Association, and of the execu tive council of the Philippine Academy of Social Sciencf>s. He is editorial correspondent of the Pacific Af!rtirs; Phil ippine representative of thf> World Alliance for Interna tional Friendship; secretary and director of the Philippine Coconut Planters' Association; adviser of the Internal ional Club, U.P.; and organizer of the International Relations Club of the Philippines. scientific problems involved and reflect its progress in a continued expansion of its field of research. The Need for Ideals Speaking of. the objec tives of the Corporation, he came to the subject of ideals. It might appear at first blush that ideals have no relevant connec tion with the activities of the Corporation but Dr. Benitez quickly disabused the such of any Ideals c annot listene1· notion. be dissociated from every worthy enterprise, he said, and in the case of the National Coconut Corporation, the task en trusted to it is a noble one. That task, aceoJ·d ing to him, is a heavy responsibility in itself. "We who a re entrusted to utilize various coconut by-products. And not only is the application of scientific methods valuable to the exploitation of the by-products of the coconut but also to improvement in our methods of coconut farmin." with the task of car rying out the work of the Corporation must never forget that the Corporation haR a mission. That mission is the rehabilitation of the coconut indus try. It is a trust resposed in us. Therefore wt> should make the realization of that mission our ideal." Because one of the main objectives of the N a tiona! Coconut Corporation is the greater utiliza- -G.Z. UNLOCKING THE ... (Continued from, paye ?.n) Thus the coconut shell has been unlocked, mostly through the efforts of the National Coconut CorporaPage 38 tion Officials, who had faith , viHion and dared to at tempt.
Date: 1941
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