March 2, 19 16] 



NATURE 



23 



chemical treatment of the oils obtainable from peat- 

 producer tar one can, under appropriate bacteriological 

 control, isolate oils of intense bactericidal activity suit- 

 able for the manufacture of antiseptics, disinfectants, 

 and germicides. When it is remembered that phenol 

 (carbolic acid), the standard disinfectant of this type, 

 is greatly required in the manufacture of explosives 

 (Ivddite), drugs (salicylic acid, aspirin, etc.), as well 

 as for many other synthetic products, it will be readily 

 realised that these peat disinfectants would be wel- 

 comed as efficacious substitutes for carbolic acid, if 

 -thev were forthcoming in sufficient amount, especially 

 at the present time, when antiseptics are so urgently 

 needed. 



The neutral oils left after extracting the germicidal 

 acidic oils with alkali could be used as lubricants, as 



pyridine bases are pungent liquids useful both as sol- 

 vents and as disinfectants. The recovery of these 

 compounds could be rendered practicable by suitably 

 modifying the peat-producer plant. 



Summary. 



1. The industrialisation of p>eat could be most 

 efficiently brought about by gasifying it in gas pro- 

 ducers, as this procedure would render feasible the 

 recovery of several valuable by-products. 



2. The combined nitrogen of the peat can be 

 economically recovered in the form of ammonium 

 sulphate. This valuable fertiliser, together with the 

 peat ash containing potash and phosphoric acid, could 

 be restored to the land from which the peat has been 

 taken. 



The Power Gas Corporaiion, Ltd., Stockton-on-Tces. 



Fig. 3. — Mond pea: power gas plant, with ammonia recovery, designed to gasify about loo tons peat per day. In opteralion at a Central Electric 



Station, Pontedera, Italy. 



liquid fuel, for example, in Diesel engines, and when 

 mixed with the pitch from peat tar would furnish a 

 refined tar. 



The higher fractions of the neutral oils boiling above 

 250° C. deposit on cooling considerable quantities of 

 almost colourless wax, which would serve as a pro- 

 mising starting point for the manufacture of candles. 



The aqueous distillate from the producer contains, 

 in addition to ammonia, certain organic substances 

 soluble in water, among which have been recognised 

 methyl alcohol, acetone, acetic acid and its immediate 

 homologues, and pyridine bases. Methyl alcohol is an 

 important solvent and the starting point for formalde- 

 hyde. Acetic acid and its homologues are required for 

 the manufacture of acetone and other ketones. Acetone 

 is an important solvent used in considerable quantities 

 the manufacture of the explosive, cordite. The 



XO. 2418, VOL. 97] 



3. Peat tar, another by-product, can be fractionated 

 into the following useful materials : — Refined pitch 

 and tar, candle wax, lubricating and burning oils, and 

 very powerful disinfectants, greatly exceeding carbolic 

 acid in germicidal strength. 



4. The aqueous distillate from the producer contains 

 methyl alcohol, acetone, pyridine bases, and crude 

 acetic acid, all of which are capable of recovery- and 

 utilisation. 



The economical utilisation of peat in the generation 

 of gaseous fuel, even without recovery of by-products, 

 is to-day an accomplished fact. It can scarcely be 

 doubted that, with efficient chemical control, a larger 

 plant of sufficient capacity to deal rationally with the 

 ammonia, tar, and other products of the destruc- 

 tive distillation of peat would lead to still greater 

 economies. 



