XXVII.— THE CONSTITUENTS OF PENNSYLVANIA, OHIO, 



AND CANADIAN PETROLEUM BETWEEN 



150° AND 220°. 



By Charles F. Mabery. 



Presented October 14, 1896. 



The conflicting statements published long ago, and still uncorrected, 

 concerning the composition of the portions of Pennsylvania petroleum 

 distilling above 150°, the absence of any information relating to the con- 

 stituents of Ohio and Canadian petroleum, and the erroneous assumptions 

 as to the composition of American petroleum based on the results of 

 Markovruikoff and his assistants in the Russian oil, taken together, render 

 a study of these portions of American petroleum of extreme interest. One 

 cannot fail to be impressed with the marked differences of opinion that 

 have prevailed as to the composition of the portions of American petro- 

 leum with higher boiling points. Some authorities, influenced by the 

 profound investigations of the Russian chemists on the Caucasus oil, 

 have believed that the constituents of American oil above 150° are 

 naphtenes, with a reservation as to whether the series C„H2„ announced 

 by Warren should be accepted as naphtenes. Others, depending on the 

 results of Pelouze and Cahours, which form the basis of the statements in 

 chemical literature concerning the constituents of these petroleums, have 

 held that the series C„H2„+o does not find its last representative in nonane, 

 boiling point 151°. Similar differences of opinion have been expressed 

 by practical oil men, those who have witnessed the development of the 

 petroleum industry from the beginning, concerning the composition of 

 these oils. Some believe that Canadian and Ohio oils are essentially and 

 fundamentally different from the Pennsyvania oil. Others hold that the 

 chief constituents are identical, and that differences observed in refinina: 

 are due to variations in the proportions of the principal constituents, and 

 to the presence in some oils of small amounts of other bodies that are not 

 found in all. I must admit that my earlier impressions on this subject 

 have not been verified in the light of the results which will be presented. 



