ALGOUS PEAT 281 



Analysis of Ash of Algal Peat. 



(Made by Mr. T. 0. Heinricli.) 



Behaviour of Algal Peat on Subjecting to Destructive Distillation, 



Per Cent. 

 Aqueous distillate (cruder 



' 10-01 



pyroligneous acid) j ' 



Charcoal . .... 6020 



Tar 19-15 



Uncondensed gases, &.c. . . . 10-64 



100 



The proportion of charcoal and of tar are very high. Groves and Thorp, 

 "Chemical Technology," vol. i. p. 206, give as an average of a number of samples 

 of Irish peat made by Kane and Sullivan the following figures : — 



Per Cent. 



Water 31-4 



Tar 2-8 



Charcoal 29 2 



Gas 36-6 



100 



Some results of the dry distillation of a few of our local hardwoods may be of 

 interest for purposes of comparison. Here again the proportions of charcoal and of 

 tar obtained from the algal peat is comparatively very high. 



Products of the Dry Distillation of some New South Wales Timbers. 



The accompanying table gives the results obtained by subjecting some specimens 

 of New South Wales timbers to destructive distillation in such a way as to convert 

 them into charcoal. 



The wood was cut into small pieces, and introduced into a I'etort, a low heat 

 being applied at first. The temperature was gi-adually increased to a bright red- 

 heat. The retorts used were filled with the wood, so as to conduct the operation in 



