THE CUBA REVIEW 



29 



The fuel mixture was completed by the addition of 40 gallons ether to each 60 

 gallons denatured mixture, resulting in a fuel made up as follows: 



Alcohol 55.55% 



Ether 42.78% 



Kerosene 1.00% 



Pyridine 0.56% 



100.00% 

 (99.89%) 



It is interesting to compare this with a formula developed in South Africa along 

 the same lines in which the denaturing regulations were evidently more reasonable: 



Alcohol 55.0% 



Ether 44.9% 



Ammonia 0.1% 



100.0% 



Equal in Power to Gasoline 



For the purpose of this article, it may be assumed that mixtures containing alcohol 

 and either in the proportion of 55 to 44 approximately, together with a slight admixture 

 of acetic acid neutralizer, will be used for motor fuels of this class. It may be as 

 well to state at this point that sulphuric ether is obtained from ethyl alcohol by a 

 rather simple process and at a slight cost. Therefore 99 per cent, of the constituents 

 of the fuel are obtained from the molasses. From a manufacturing point of view, 

 this is important. 



Fuels of this nature will give the same power output per gallon as the present run 

 of gasoline — or what masquerades under that guise today — or about 90 per cent, of 

 what used to be obtained from good gasoline, therefore the potential market value is 

 the same. Until it is well established in any locality, it must be expected to sell at a 

 lower price than gasoline. On this basis, it is evident that molasses will find its best 

 use as a raw material for the manufacture of alcohol-ether motor fuels. It will be 

 most economically produced in a plant adjacent to a sugar factory, taking the daily 

 molasses output of the factory during the grinding season and working up the stored 

 product of another factory which will be shipped to it during the off season. Such a 

 plant would be under the same administration as the sugar factory and under the same 

 chemical control. It would be able to dispose of its product locally, for it is safe to 

 say that there is ample present market for all the motor fuel that can be produced 

 from molasses in the territory where the molasses originates. 



Outlook for Future Demand 



As to market conditions in the future, wherein local conditions will be affected 

 by world supply, there is this to be said: There is evidently a time coming when 

 we shall have reached the maximum production of oil. So far, demand has gained on 

 supply so as steadily to force the price of gasoline upward and the quality downward. 

 The demand is increasing and we may expect that the price will gradually increase 

 and that the supply will be relatively less than it is now. Then we may expect to 

 see alcohol gradually supplanting gasoline wherever local price conditions warrant. 

 When this happens, there will not be enough molasses to supply the alcohol needed 

 and recourse will be had to potatoes or corn, or whatever is the cheapest material. 

 More and more alcohol will be demanded, and it will be forthcoming from some 

 source. Molasses, being the cheapest source of supply, will show the greatest profit 

 to the producer of alcohol, and its disposal in this manner cannot fail to become an 

 increasingly profitable adjunct to the sugar business. 



