1879.] -*-C>5 [SadtlerandMcCarter. 



Preliminary Notice of an Investigation on "Petroccne," a product of 

 the Destructive Distillation of Petroleum. By Samuel P. Sadtler and II. 

 G. Mc Carter. 



(Read before the American Philosophical Society, February 1th, 1879.) 



In the number of Compies Bendus for lGtli December last (tome 87, p. 

 991), which has just come to my notice, appears an article by MM. L. 

 Prunier and R. David, entitled, " sur la nature de certains produits cristal- 

 lises, obtenus accessoirement dans le traitement industriel des petrol es de 

 Pennsylvanie. " 



In this article the authors announce that they have begun an investiga- 

 tion of "Petrocene," a solid residue from petroleum, which they obtained 

 from Dr. H. Twedtlle, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. They give some general 

 statements as to the several hydrocarbons, the presence of which they con- 

 sider to have been indicated by the determinations they made of fusing 

 points, boiling points, solubilities, together with crystallizations gotten 

 with picric acid, and with binitroanthracene. Judging in this way, they 

 state that anthracene, phenanthrene, chrysene, chrysogen and other hydro- 

 carbons are present. They give no specific figures of analyses, but say 

 merely that the percentage of carbon varied in their different analyses from 

 88 to 96 per cent, in 100. After propounding some interesting theories, 

 based upon these indications, they close by promising to communicate the 

 results obtained from a farther study of the subject, if, as they hoped, these 

 should be new. 



This same material has been the subject of our investigation for several 

 months past, and we have obtained results which, while not as yet com- 

 plete, are so far advanced as to be beyond the point of Messrs. Prunier and 

 David's work, as it is stated in their article. We would therefore claim 

 equal right to the field as scientific workers, and shall continue our studies, 

 and hope to push them to an early completion. 



The material we have operated on consists of a full set of Dr. Tweddlc'^ 

 preparations, as described by lfim in the Franklin Institute Journal Vol. 

 72, p. 204, which was given to one of us some two } r ears ago, by Dr. F. A. 

 Genth, and a bottle of the crude distillate before treatment with petroleum 

 benzine, given to us by Dr. G. F. Barker. 



Some weeks of study had indeed been given to these products in the 

 summer of 1877, by one of us in conjunction with Dr. E. F. Smith, of the 

 University of Pennsylvania, which work was interrupted and only resumed, 

 as stated, a few months ago. 



The following is a brief and general statement of the ground covered by 

 our work. The conclusions are all subject to revision as the examination 

 of purer products may demand. 



We found that the method of breaking up the compound by treatment 

 with solvents did not suffice to give us pure products of constant composi 

 tions. We therefore availed ourselves of the method of forming double 

 crystallizations with picric acid from solution in alcohol and benzol. We 



PJIOC. AMEIt. PHTI.OS. SOC. XVIII. 103. X. PRINTED MA11CH 20, 1879. 



