254 Peek/mm — Nitrogen Content of California Bitumen. 



The discovery of these substances has led to very important 

 changes in the technology of the bitumens in which they occur. 

 Both the acid and basic radicals of the compound ethers are 

 very easily removed from the distillates. The remaining oils 

 are more easily susceptible to ordinary treatment with concen- 

 trated acids and alkalies, producing oils in every respect supe- 

 rior for their respective uses to those containing the basic radi- 

 cals and tars, which it has been found the concentrated acid 

 will only partially remove. The burning oils possess superior 

 illuminating power and the lubricating oils are improved in 

 color and are of greatly increased viscosity for corresponding 

 degrees of specific gravity. 



This discovery has also opened up a new source of supply 

 to technology for the pyridin and chinolin bases and probably 

 other allied substances not yet known to science. It is prob- 

 able that not only pyridin and chinolin are present but that also 

 a large number, if not all, of the methylated compounds of 

 these bases are associated with them. The quality of the basic 

 oils from this source is very superior, they being easily freed 

 from the combination in which they exist in the native bitu- 

 mens and their distillates. 



This discovery is also of equal interest when made the sub- 

 ject of purely scientific speculation. The presence of these 

 basic oils establishes beyond any question the animal origin of 

 the bitumens in which they are found. I have tested all of the 

 varieties of bitumen, from the most fluid petroleums to solid 

 asphaltum, found in the region south of the line which forms 

 the northern boundary of San Louis Obispo, Kern and San 

 Bernardino Counties, and have invariably observed the reaction 

 which indicates their presence. These varieties of bitumen 

 include the petroleums found in the vicinity of Santa Paula, 

 malthas from the same neighborhood, from near Los Angeles, 

 from Carpinteria and from Asphalto on the north side of the 

 Coast Ranges west of Bakersfield. I have not treated any of 

 the oil from the vicinity of the Pico Spring directly for basic 

 oils, but the large amount of nitrogen found on analysis of this 

 oil in 1868, indicates the presence of these compounds. The 

 determination of the percentage amounts of basic oils present 

 in crude bitumens presents some difficulties not yet overcome. 



A number of facts observed indicate that all those forms of 

 bitumen that have been least exposed to the action of atmos- 

 pheric oxygen, contain the largest proportion of basic oils. 

 Analysis shows less nitrogen in the malthas and still less in the 

 asphaltums, than in the petroleums. It appears that the com- 

 pound ethers or esters which exist in the native petroleums are 

 decomposed with substitution of oxygen for nitrogen. This 

 substitution I have made artificially. The result is the pre- 



