36 Kansas Academy of science. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD DAY, 



NOVEMBER 23, 1883. 



The President, Dr. Kobert J. Brown, in the chair. The following papers were read : 

 COAL-OIL LEGISLATION. 



BY H. E. SADLER. 



Crude petroleum, or coal oil, consists of a great number of hydrocarbons mixed with 

 or dissolved in each other. They group themselves commercially into three classes, dis- 

 tinguished by a difference in sp. gr., and in melting and boiling points. The refiner 

 separates petroleum into "crude naphtha;" also sold as "gasoline," a mixture of 

 liquids with boiling points ranging from 65° to 250° F. ; "kerosene," with boiling 

 points from 250 to 350; and "residuum," boiling at from 350° to 500° or more. Of 

 these the naphtha, composing 15 per cent., is redistilled into three mixtures — "gaso- 

 line," with boiling points below 120° ; refined naphtha, 120°-175° ; and benzine, 175°-250° ; 

 and the residuum, amounting to 30 per cent., is reworked for paraffine wax and lubricating 

 oil. The remaining 55 per cent., after being deodorized and perhaps decolorized by 

 acids, &c, is sold for illuminating. The larger establishments commonly "crack" the 

 oil, a process by which the residuum is converted into naphtha, kerosene and coke, and the 

 petroleum so treated yields about 66 per cent, kerosene, 20 per cent, naphtha, the re- 

 mainder coke and waste. The naphtha is then sold for private air-gas machines, for 

 making oil gas or enriching coal or water gas, for gasoline stoves, extracting oils from 

 seeds, and a constantly increasing number of uses. The demand is not sufficient as yet, 

 however, to make it worth more than about one-fourth as much as kerosene. 



As in most cases of fractional distillation, it is impossible to separate the liquids by 

 one boiling. This necessitates a redistillation of at least the lighter portion of the kero- 

 sene and the heavier portion of the naphtha, at an increased expense. 



This light oil, the by-product of kerosene manufacture, serves well many purposes, 

 but for most of them it is greatly injured by the presence of kerosene. So, too, good 

 kerosene is an ideal burning fluid. It gives a smokeless, white light, equal to eight 

 sperm candles, at a trifling cost, estimated by Professor Chandler as follows: 



8-candle sperm light, 42c. per pound, 57.2 mills per hour. 



" gas light, $3 per M, 7.6 " " 



" kerosene light, 25c. per gallon, 2.2 " 



" kerosene light, 20c. per gallon, 1.7 " " 



At any temperature to which it is likely to be exposed, good kerosene does not take 

 fire, but will extinguish a match or burning wick like water. Unlike naphtha, cam- 

 phene or coal gas, it forms no explosive mixture with air; and it can contribute nothing 

 to fire except by saturating other combustibles to increase the intensity of their burning. 

 It may even be poured on a red-hot fire with no more danger than attends renewing the 

 coal. 



The presence of a small proportion of residuum in the kerosene injures its sale. The 

 color is bad. It soon gums the wick and burns with a dull, yellow, smoky flame. No 

 man can sell you such oil twice. Reputable dealers cannot sell it once. On the other 

 hand, the presence of small quantities of naphtha makes the kerosene burn with a pure 

 white light, rendering traces of residuum less perceptible, and it cannot be detected ex- 

 cept by a test of the oil, or, too late, by an explosion. To the refiner, then, the question 



