The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-19
REFINING PETROLEUM.

The crude petroleum as it comes from the wells
is subjected to distiaton, when the most volatile
constituents pass of first, in the form of vap0r,
and are condensed by passing through coil Of
iron pipe surrounded by cold water and collected
as beI zine. Subsequently the burning oil or kero-
sene makes its appearance. This Is followed by
q heavier oil, which may be used for lubricatng
machinery, and there is finally small residue Of
tar or coke left in the still.
That portion of the product which is designed
for Illuminating oil is then subjected TO the action
Of sulpbuTic acid TO remove the odor and color,
and destroy little tar which il still contains.
Il is then subject by the more careful refners to
a some " nat elevated temperature to expel a small
percentage of beDzne which il still contains.
Thus purified, il constitutes the kerosene oil as
is sold in the market.
QUALITY OF KTRosESE OIL.
There is 10 natural dividing line between be n
zine naphths. burning oil and lubricating oil.
These liquids flow in a steady, uninterrupted
stream from the still. II we collect sample aud
test il with the hydrometer it may have specific
gravity of 75 degrees Beaum il Is light benzine
gasoline, and If we continue TO test it from time to
time. We shal find that it becomes heavier and
heavier, till finally il may perhaps reach 20 de-
gIees Beaum, when we have heavy lubrcstiog oil.
The irscIioDiBg of the Gistate is entirely arbi-
rsry, and has resulted from the adaptation of the
different products TO different purposes in the arts.
In the earlier revenue laws Of Congress the fol.
lowing Classification was established:
Gasoline OF benzine oils lighter than 20 degrees
Beaum.
q. ,
HuInlng oil, between 26 and 80 deg. Beaum.
LubTiesting oil, below SO de-. Beaum.
The re6ner tests the stream as ii flows from the
still end when il reaches certain gravity he di-
verts il from the beDzine tank to the burning oil
tank.
Gbe conscientious Tefner runs sll the dangerous
oil into the beBzne tank, and only when the oil is
sufficiently heavy 10 be safe does he allow il to
pass into The receiver. Bot as the 0enzIne must
be sOld az lower price than burning oil, the re-
fners are many Of them led TO collect as little
henZIne anu as much kerosene aS possible.
1t must not be supposed, however, that the spe.
cifc gravity of the coal oil can be considered
safe index of its quality. On the contrary, the
specific gravity gives very little idea OF the quail
ty, for while benZine and naphtha render the kero
sene lighter the gravity of good kerosene is pre-
served by the presence OF heavier oil. SO a
| poor, dangerous oil may be much heavier than q
safe oil.
THE FIRE TEST.
AS the products of petroleum are dangerous in
proportion to their inhammability, test Las loag
| been ia use. by which the temperature is deter.
| mined al which the oil evolves an naammabls va
por-lbe ''vaporizing point the tempera.
ture at which the oil itself may be handled with
burning mstch-the burning point"
The vspOriziDg point of good kerosene oil should
| not be much below loo degrees Fahrenheit, and
the burning point should DOS be below Ito deg.
Fam enheit. Unfortunately the results of this 10
vesreauon show that but little of the oil sold in
New York comes no 10 this standard.
/
belt fer the burning test, but this law was unfor-
| tuDaiely repealed.
The Tree laws of New York fix the burning
| point at 100 deg. Fahrenheit which is decidedly
too low, as is shown by the great increase in the
number Of burning casualties.
| PROCESS FOR RENDERING BENZINE NON. EXPLOSIVE.
| Processes have been patented, aud vendors
have sold rights thu oughout the country, for pa
tented and secret processes for rendering benzne,
| gasoline end nsph,ha nOn.explosive. Tlus treated,
| II IL sold SuCh al
| rors oil" etc.
These patents and secret processes are not only
ridiculous but II cir sale TO ignorant persons is
| cnme only equslled by murder.
l. is impossible TO render these light oils non-ex-
| plosive and saie. The addition Of few grains Of
| alum. potash, bOrsx. alcohol gum camphor, ETC.,
T. barrel of beDzIne does not change its danger
| Gus character in the least. The experiment Of
pouring little Of The fluid into bottle aud apply
| ing burning match is DO proof whatever, for 10
| produce an explosion IL Is necessary TO secure
| certain ratio OF air TO benzine vapOr. which it
| would not be possible to do ia a bottle once In
| 10 fifty times.
| The fire lest gives the only sure indication. APP
ply lighted match 10 little of the oil contained
10 a cup or saucer, and If it can be made to take
! fire, il should be considered az once as unsafe
| even though the experiment be made in one of
| the hottest days in summeT-should 1t not take
fire, il might sill be dangerous oil, as safe oil
| must not evolve comousiloie Vapor below one
hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
| ExptrineLteYs must be reminded that great
care is Dece ssry in applying this test, as persons
| rot accustomed 10 make Euc0 experiments are
liable 10 serious accidents. BY carelessly trying
| The FIRE test Oh a sample Of kerosene, gentleman
il New Bedford burned up the entire refinery, oil,
bs rels, It'll, and buildings.
| QUALITY OF TIE KEROSENE OIL SOLD IN NEW YORK.
In compliance with the direction of the Metro
politan Board of Health, seventy eight samples Of
| kerosene oil have been procured from the same
number of retail dealers in different parts of the
| cifv.
These have been carefully subjected to the fire
test 10 determine the vaporizing and burning
| points.
Here follows tabular statement giving the
gravity vsporzing point. burning point, aud place
where purchased, of the 70 samples referred to-
L..