218 PROCEEDINGS OP THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



XIV. 



ON THE COMPOSITION OF CERTAIN PETROLEUM 

 OILS, AND OF REFINING RESIDUES. 



By Charles F. Mabery. 



Presented October 8, 1890. 



In an examination of crude Lima oil that I had occasion to make in 

 the early development of the Ohio oil fields in 1885, I observed the 

 peculiar penetrating odor of the sulphur compounds ; and while they 

 were present in all fractions during distillation, I noted that they 

 collected principally in the portions with higher boiling points, be- 

 tween 200° and 300°. A systematic examination of the oil was soon 

 undertaken for the purpose of ascertaining the form of the sulphur 

 compounds ; but little was accomplished when the work was inter- 

 rupted by a destructive fire, and it was not resumed until two years 

 later. 



In published accounts of the composition of petroleum oils I have 

 found very few allusions to the presence of sulphur, and those that 

 appear are limited to the products of distillation. Hagar* found 

 carbonic disulphide in petroleum ether, but none in burning oil. H. 

 Vohl t reported sulphur in considerable quantities as sulphuric acid 

 in numerous samples of crude (Roh) petroleum. But from the 

 data given and allusions to the products as burning oils, they had 

 undoubtedly been refined with the aid of sulphuric acid. Much 

 difficulty has been experienced in the removal of sulphur from the 

 distillates of Ohio oil, and consequently few if any of the commercial 

 products are entirely free from sulphur, while it is frequently present 

 in considerable quantities. 



This paper contains a description of results thus far obtained, of 

 which the following is a summary : — 



1. The separation and identification of methyl, ethyl, normal propyl, 

 iso- and normal butyl, pentyl, ethylpentyl, and hexyl sulphides, which 

 are present in crude Ohio petroleum. 



* Jahresb. Liebig, 1867, p. 947, Aus Pharmac. Centralle. 

 t Ibid., 1875, p. 1053; Dingl. Journal, ccxvi. 47. 



