142 PRELIMINARY REPORT ON COAL-TESTING PLANT, [bull. 261. j 
ments made with one was significant of what could be done with the 
others. 
Pitch A. — A series of experiments was tried in the laboratory with 
pitch A in order to determine its binding qualities. It was found thai 
the best practical results were obtained with 9 per cent of this hare 
pitch on an easy briquetting coal, but with the other coals the percent 
age would be very much higher. 
Pitch B. — This pitch was tested with West Virginia coking coal 
With 3 per cent of pitch B a fair briquette was obtained. With L per 
cent the resulting briquette was a little better. With 5 per cent, how- 
ever, a good briquette was obtained, which had the desired lustrous 
fracture. With Arkansas coal it required 6 per cent of this pitch tcj 
give the desired results; and as this coal represented more nearly thdi 
character of the coals to be briquetted, this was accepted as the per] 
centage required of this and the similar pitches, C and D, to make ai 
good briquette. 
Pitches C and D. — These, which are very similar to E, were usee 
from the formulas derived for B, and in nearly all cases the run,' 
made on the English and American machines were satisfactory. 
Pitch E. — This pitch, which melts at 180° F., is a trifle too bard fo:> 
satisfactory briquetting on the English machine, and is not equal t< 
pitch B, C, or D. 
Pitch G. — This pitch, which melts at 196° F., is too hard (simila 
to A and X) to be used alone in briquetting. 
Pitch X. — This pitch, which contained only 0.71 per cent of volatil 
matter, was tested with a number of coals and it required from 13 t 
20 per cent to make a briquette that was at all coherent. 
Pitch Z. — The' producer-gas pitch Z was tested with Arkansas coa 
6.7 per cent of the pitch being used. While hot both of these br 
quettes were soft, but on standing one hour they became very hard an 
had a glossy or lustrous fracture. When tested in the muffle the 
burned without disintegration. 
A series of experiments was made which indicated that there is i 
advantage in using lime with pitch in an attempt to reduce the pe 
centage of pitch that it is necessary to use. With, however, tl 
introduction of some third reagent which would react with the lin 
it is possible that a binder could be produced which would be cheap 
than pitch alone and be as satisfactory. 
ASPHALT. 
In experimenting with the asphalts, they were used alone as a bind 
and also in combination with other compounds. There were a nui 
ber of satisfactory results obtained in the laboratory work, but onlj 
very few of these could be tried on the English or American machii 
on account of their construction. 
