OXIDATION AND DETERIORATION OF COAL. 313 
oxygen subsequent to the removal of the oxygen supply is shown 
by the following facts. 
An analysis of the residual gas above coal 1 stored in nitrogen 
gave the following results: 
Constituent. Per cent. 
Carbon dioxide 0.6 
Oxygen 0.0 
Nitrogen 99.4 
To demonstrate beyond question that the small amount of 
carbon dioxide did not result from a slight leakage of air through 
the rubber stopper and subsequent oxidation of coal, proportion- 
ately larger portions of coals 1 and 2 were sealed off in an 
atmosphere of nitrogen in flasks. After one year they were 
opened, and in each case the pressure was found to be increased 
by a small amount and the gases had the following composition: 
From flask | From flask 
Constituent. containing | containing 
coal No. 1. | coal No. 2. 
Per cent. | Per cent. 
Carbonidioxidess2-- sant a enon nce an noe cea n acne canoes 4.0 6.0 
Oxy genns sense oe coe eee eee IE eee se oe 0.0 0.0 
INitror ene =e oo Sete ee 8 ee el 96.0 95.0 
The same sort of deterioration as I have just described takes 
place along the outcrop of coal beds and is limited only by the 
nature of the coal and the penetration of the air. The latter is 
not very great in well-watered regions like the Philippine Islands 
where the ground-water table is high, but in arid regions it is 
natural to suppose that the air may penetrate and deterioration 
take place proportionately in greater depths. However, recent 
work has shown that deterioration does not always extend to 
the ground-water level or even to a considerable portion of the 
distance. 
This paper gives results which are by no means complete, and 
leaves several points unsettled and much to be accomplished. 
Only the preliminary investigation has been carried on, but 
with the information and experience derived from it the author 
hopes more effectively to continue the work. 
PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. 
ANON. Storage of coal under water and tests of the weathering of coal. 
Eng. News (1908), 60, 729. 
BEEHLER, W. H. The storage of coal by submergence in salt water. Proc. 
U. S. Naval Inst. (1906), 32, No. 2; Eng. News (1906), 56, 208. 
Bement, A. Loss in coal due to storage. Chem. Eng. (1910), 12, 9. 
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