sugar. By keeping it alkaline and treating with the proper bacteria a
high yield of glycerin can be obtained.

In the fermentation process for making alcoholic liquors a little
glycerin is produced as a by-product. Glycerin, otherwise called
glycerol, is intermediate between sugar and alcohol. Its molecule
contains three carbon atoms, while glucose has six and alcohol two. It
is possible to increase the yield of glycerin if desired by varying the
form of fermentation. This was desired most earnestly in Germany during
the war, for the British blockade shut off the importation of the fats
and oils from which the Germans extracted the glycerin for their
nitroglycerin. Under pressure of this necessity they worked out a
process of getting glycerin in quantity from sugar and, news of this
being brought to this country by Dr. Alonzo Taylor, the United States
Treasury Department set up a special laboratory to work out this
problem. John R. Eoff and other chemists working in this laboratory
succeeded in getting a yield of twenty per cent. of glycerin by
fermenting black strap molasses or other syrup with California wine
yeast. During the fermentation it is necessary to neutralize the acetic
acid formed with sodium or calcium carbonate. It was estimated that
glycerin could be made from waste sugars at about a quarter of its
war-time cost, but it is doubtful whether the process would be
profitable at normal prices.

We can, if we like, dispense with either yeast or bacteria in the
production of glycerin. Glucose syrup suspended in oil under steam
pressure with finely divided nickel as a catalyst and treated with
nascent hydrogen will take up the hydrogen and be converted into
glycerin. But the yield is poor and the process expensive.