•rati, BRIQUETTING TESTS. 141 
been used, were crude oil from Spindletop, Tex., which was produced 
by the Gulf Refining Company, and a petroleum from the Beaumont 
district, having a specific gravity of 15. Hash test 505, and fire test 570, 
which was produced by the Great Southern Refining Company. These 
ire designated Pi and P£, respectively, throughout this report. 
The only other oil that was tested in briquetting was a Kansas crude 
oil, which is designated throughout this report PS. 
MOLASSES. 
A few 7 experiments were made with molasses in order to determine 
the possibility of utilizing waste products from sugar and beet refin- 
eries in briquetting lignite and lignitic coals that occur in the vicinity 
of sugar refineries. Although no positive results have been obtained 
with the use of this binder, the work has shown the probability that 
^uch waste products can be utilized in connection with certain other 
materials to give a satisfactory binder. 
LIME. 
Lime has been used in combination both with rosin and with molasses, 
md some encouraging results were obtained. One of the main objec- 
ions to using more than a very small amount of lime is the fact that 
t increases the percentage of ash in the fuel without raising its heat- 
ng efficiency. On the other hand, however, it is one of the cheapest 
)f binders, and in most cases is convenient to the coal districts. 
CLAY. 
A few experiments were made with clay in combination with other 
Compounds in an attempt to obtain a suitable binder for lignitic coals, 
t)ut without success. 
LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS. 
In testing the value of the various binders for briquetting coal, a 
,eries of experiments was made with each in the laboratory by briquet- 
ing the mixture in a hand press. The mixture of coal and binder was 
ieated in a clay' assay crucible over a Bunsen burner. In most cases 
ifhey were heated only to about 212° F., but where the binder was 
oftened with difficulty the temperature was increased. 
PITCHES. 
Special experiments were made with the different pitches, A, B, C, 
ftc, and where there was considerable variation in their composition 
more nearly complete series of experiments was made. When, how- 
ever, the pitches were similar, as B, C, and D, the series of exper> 
