554 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LYI, No. 1434 



fication of existing methods would improve its 

 coking qualities? The report is preliminary only 

 and further experiments are in progress. 



The fractional decomposition of coal and coal 

 components: S. W. Parr and T. E. Latng. Next 

 to the fractionation of coal by solvents the frac- 

 tional decomposition of coal in its combined form 

 and also of its separate tj-pe constituents has 

 furnished the most valuable data concerning the 

 character of different types of coal and their be- 

 havior in the process of decomposition. Investi- 

 gators iu this field heretofore have failed to ap- 

 preciate the significance of oxygen either com- 

 bined or absorbed, but especially the role of the 

 oxygen held in some form of absorption. The 

 results as interpreted from the standpoint of this 

 investigation have an entirely new meaning and 

 are of fundamental importance in connection 

 with studies along the line of coal carbonization. 

 A proposed theory of coal carlionization: S. W. 

 Parr and T. E. Layxg. This paper presents the 

 summarized results of the several contributory 

 lines of investigation on topics directly related to 

 the carbonization of coal. The evidence seems to 

 be conclusive that a correct theory for coal car- 

 bonization has yet to be written. It is not to be 

 inferred that its final formulation is attempted in 

 this paper. However, the results now in hand 

 point out the general outline. The basic prin- 

 ciple seems to be that the bonding effect wdiich 

 results in the production of a coherent mass is 

 due not only to the presence of bituminic mate- 

 rial, but to the absence or control of deleterious 

 products of decomposition from the eellulosic sub- 

 stance, which under certain conditions may 

 weaken or completely nullify the bonding prop- 

 erty of the bituminic bodies. The production of 

 coke is therefore not a simple matter of destruc- 

 tive decomposition of organic matter, but a 

 destructive decomposition accompanied by cross 

 reactions w'hich may, under varying circumstances, 

 produce an altogether different result as to the 

 physical character of the final product. The 

 paper is a preliminary report only. 



Ulilization of gas at lorv pressures: Anna P. 

 Warren. So much has been said about the use 

 of gas and so little information of practical value 

 to the domestic consumer is available that ex- 

 periments under actual home conditions are in 

 progress to determine the conditions necessary for 

 maximum thermal as well as practical efliciency 

 at the minimum pressure and rate of consump- 

 tion of gases varj-ing in heating value from 1,150 

 B.T.U. to 500 B.T.r. per cubic foot. Up to the 

 present time, under standard conditions, natural 



gas is tlie only commercial gaseous fuel that will 

 give relative high thermal as well as practical effi- 

 ciency undef one ounce pressure. 



Available hydrogen in coal and a direct method 

 for its estimation: JosEpp D. Davis. Available 

 hydrogen, called ' ' disponsible ' ' hydrogen by 

 German w'riters, is hydrogen contained iu coal in 

 excess of that required to satisfj" the total oxygen 

 calculated to water. It is customary to calculate 

 the available hydrogen of a coal from its ultimate 

 analysis. The method described in the paper is 

 volumetric. It is similar to that used for the 

 analysis of combustible gases wherein the slow 

 combustion pipette is used. The coal is burned f 

 in a known Volume of oxygen and the volume 

 contraction observed after the combustion has' 

 taken place is due to'oxVgen consumed in burn- 

 ing the available hydrogen to w-ater. 



Therm.al operation of modern regenerator coTce 

 ovens: D. W. Wilson, H. O. Forrest and C. H. 

 Herty, Jr. Briefly stated, there have been 

 included in this report: first, discussion of data 

 needed to show complete^ the thermal opera- 

 tion of a modem regenerator coke oven battery; 

 second, description of the experimental methods 

 employed to obtain the needed data together with 

 a table giving experimental figures obtained ; 

 third, a table balancing total heat input against 

 total heat output is given, with a discussion of 

 this and a calculation of the efScieucy of the 

 ovens; fourth, a so-called sensible heat balance 

 is tabulated, tlie net heat effect of the cokiflg 

 process is discussed and the relation between the 

 sensible heat balance and the exothermicity of the 

 conversion from coal to coke is indicated. 



Producer gas from poicdered coal: K. T. Has- 

 LAii and L. Harris. Aside from the possibility 

 of using a low grade fuel, the use od: powdered 

 coal for the manufacture of producer gas would 

 give a constant composition gas free from tar, 

 thus being easily cleaned, and the producer would 

 be flexible, rapidly handling changes in load up 

 to full capacity. As a result of experimental 

 work not yet completed a gas of 12.0 per cent. 

 CO and 7.0 per cent. CO2 has been generated. 

 Theoretical and experimental considerations show 

 that the main factors are, first, high temperature 

 in the combustion chamber (1,100-1,300° C); 

 second, air for combustion highly pre-heated (900- 

 1,000° C); third,, coal finely pulverized, aaid 

 fourth, air and coal well mixed together and so 

 maintained until the end of the reaction. 



Chaeles L. Parsons, 



Secretary 



