23. An Improved Method of using Oil Gas, 1 



By Kenneth Somerville Caldwell, B.Sc., Ph.D., F.I.C 



[Read at the First Indian Science Congress. January 15th, 1914.1 



One of the great difficulties met with in carrying on 

 scientific work in India is connected with the question of gas 

 supply. In most mofussil laboratories oil gas is used and is 

 prepared in the well-known apparatus manufactured by 

 Messrs. Mansfield & Sons. This apparatus is simple in con- 

 struction, requires little attention and no skilled labour. The 

 gas is prepared by dropping ordinary kerosine oil into a red 

 hot iron retort, and after washing with water is collected in a 

 gas-holder. The one drawback to such a gas from a practical 

 point of view is the fact that it is very much richer in 

 unsaturated hydrocarbons than coal gas and requires in 

 consequence a far larger quantity of air for its complete 

 combustion (Table I). If used with the ordinary Bunsen and 

 allied types of burners a large percentage of gas escapes 

 complete combustion, resulting in considerable waste and 

 rendering the gas unsuitable for laboratory work. This diffi- 

 culty is in part overcome by adopting a specially made burner 

 and by supplying the gas at a higher pressure. The arrange- 

 ment however cannot be regarded as satisfactory for two 

 reasons; firstly, because burners with such small nozzles more 

 easily get out of order than the ordinary burner, and secondly, 

 because it is impossible to use with the gas the various other 

 types of burners so necessary in chemical work. To one 

 accustomed to work in Physical and Chemical laboratories 

 these points are obviously of great importance. 



It was with the object of overcoming these difficulties 

 that the following investigations were undertaken ; 



The gas under consideration was prepared in the manner 

 indicated above and the following may be taken as a typical 

 analysis of the same. For purposes of comparison figures for 

 an analysis of purified coal gas are also given. 



Table I. 



Volume per cent. 

 Oil Gas. Coal Gas 



Hydrocarbon vapours . . 8-2 



Unsaturated hydrocarbons ..31*0 4 



I Indian Patent Xo. S78 of 1913. 



