=Gambier= is an extract of the leaves and twigs of the eastern shrub
_Nauclea gambir_. It is a catechol tan of peculiarly mellow quality and
great practical value. It contains much catechin, but little
phlobaphene, and yields a beautifully soft leather, but without weight.
It is an exceedingly suitable material for the early stages of tanning,
and is much liked for tanning leathers that have to be curried, and is
widely used in the manufacture of upper leather. It is, however, an
exceedingly expensive tannin, and the extract is made in a very crude
way by Chinese and Malays without much supervision. Hence its strength
in tan and general quality is extremely variable. The plant is
cultivated for the purpose of extract manufacture, and prunings are
taken in the plant's third year. They are bruised and boiled with water
in the open. The infusion is strained, concentrated, and poured into
cooling vessels in which it sets to a paste. Two varieties of gambier
are well known, "cube gambier" and "block gambier." In the latter the
extract remains as a paste containing 25 to 40 per cent. of tannin. It
is sold in oblong blocks of 1 or 2 cwt., either wrapped in cocoanut
matting or in wooden boxes. Cube gambier is made by running the
concentrated syrup into trays 2 inches deep and drying in the sun. When
partly dry, it is cut up into 1-1/2-in. cubes and dried further on
cocoanut matting. The rough "cubes" as imported contain 40-50 per cent.
of tannin.
=Myrabolans Extract= is now largely manufactured in this country. A
liquid extract of 25, 30 or even 35 per cent. strength is made for
home consumption, and a solid extract for export. The light colour,
high strength and easy extraction of the natural material have all
facilitated the task of the manufacturer.
The material is extracted in open vats or stills of copper, which take
one ton or more of nuts. A battery of 4, 6 or 8 of such stills is
usually employed, and the temperature is kept well below boiling-point
except in the vats containing the nearly spent material. The liquors
move forward quickly, and the material is quite spent in 24 hours. The
material when cast contains less than 1/2 per cent. of tannin. The
liquor obtained is 40°-50° Bkr. (6 - 7-1/2 per cent. tan), and after
settling is concentrated at 40°-50° F. in a single effect vacuum pan,
which though more costly in steam is quicker than the multiple effects,
and gives the low temperature required. For solid extract the more
concentrated liquor is run direct into tarred bags, in which it soon
solidifies.
=Hemlock Extract= is manufactured from the North American pines and
imported into this country to some extent. It gives a very red colour.
=Mangrove Extract= is made from the bark of _Rhizophona Mangle_ and
other species of mangrove which grow freely in the tropical swamps of
West Africa, Borneo, etc. Much solid and liquid extract has been made
from this material, but is not very popular on account of its harsh
tannage and dark red colour.
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