The proportion of oil varies with
the breed of sheep. A difference in climate and soil materially affects
the yield of oil. This is shown by analyses made of different kinds of
wool, both foreign and domestic. Spanish wool was found to have but
eight per cent. grease; Australian wool fifteen per cent.; while in some
fleeces of Pennsylvania wool as high as forty per cent. was obtained. To
extract the oil from the wool, a fleece was put in a tall cylinder and
naphtha poured on it. The naphtha on being allowed to drain through
slowly dissolved out the grease. This naphtha solution was distilled;
the naphtha passing off while grease remained--a dark oil having high
specific gravity and remaining nearly solid at the ordinary temperature.
I am indebted to Mrs. Richards for this method of extracting the oil.
The process is quick and inexpensive, and is applicable to the treatment
of large quantities of wool.
The object of these experiments was to find the readiest method of
separating wool oil into its bases and acids, and further to identify
the various fatty acids. A solution of the oil in naphtha was cooled to
15 deg. C. This caused a separation of the oil into two portions: a white
solid fat and a fluid dark oil.
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