Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-03-10
COAL OIL.
Conditions Of Explosions-Fire Test
When there Is Danger-High Test

Conditions Of Explosions-Fire Test
] When there Is Danger-High Test
A correspondent of tie St Louis Repub-
lican, who is evidently posted fully in the
matter of coal-oils, gives valuable informa-
ton for every person who has occasion to
buy refined petroleum and its products for
Illuminating purposes. We copy the most
interesting portion of his communication.
Everything made from petroleum is men,
toned in this market as ''coal OIL" though
the term Is little used in other markets. and
hence coal oil is saddled with the blame of
every accident or fire that occurs, whether
from refined oil, or its refuse, naptha and
gasoline. Your article falls into the CON-
mon error of attributing to coal oil what is
true only of naptha or gasoline.
Ii refining crude petroleum a volatile,
fiery element is run off in the form of
vapor, and condensed into liquid The
refined oil remaining is thereby given a
''fre.test." The hghtest in density of this
volatile liquid is known as gasoline, and
ranges in gravity from say "a to So degrees.
The lowest gravity commonly scld is GO to
81 degrees, and is known as naptha or ben
zine. About fifteen per cent of these light
| liquids is obtained in the refining process
The 50 degrees gravity gasoline is used in
city are thus lighted. 1t is the safest way
to use it, and yet it has been known to blow
up house, through defective meter, as
any gas may do. The "a degrees gravity is
used in portable gas lamps" Naptha of
65 deg. gravity is used in common lamps
under the disguise of s.Aurora Oil, "Petro
Oil, "Petroline," &C. Other gravities are
used by painters, and for various CONNER
cial purposes. 1t is claimed by the owners
of these patent light "oils" that some chem
ical ingredient is put in them that takes
away their explosive quality, but chemists
pronounce the claim impossible. They are
all intensely infammabe. having no fire.
test, and cannot be manipulated without
danger of catching fire. There is penum-
bra vapor always on the surface, and escap-
ing, so that it is not necessary for a light
to come in actual contact; and when a can
is left open it will fill room with an ex-
plosive gas. These coils" are dear at any
price.
Refined coal or carbon oil, having been
freed of these volatile fluids, has a s'fire
test, and is made to stand all the way
from ITO degrees Fahrenheit, which is New
York test. to 100 degrees, the choicest oil
made. None is Intentionally made below
100 degrees test. BY fire test" we mean
the degree of heat necessary to be given the
oil before 1t will ignite and continue t. burn
on applying lighted match. The vapor-
izing point is the degree at which il will
emit vapor. which will simply flash, but
not continue to burn on applying match
The writer has never seen any coal oil in
this market, in the hands of wholesale deal
ers, that would ignite, even on plunging a
lighted match into it. At ordinary tenn
perature, 100 or ITO degrees. test oil even
will put out lighted match when applied
as il water, and will do il as often
as applied, until the oil has thereby been
heated to Its 'vaporizing point, which is
10 to 15 deg below its fire test. 1t will
then, in an open vessel simply flash and go
ont. Hence carbon oil of 10 deg. test is
handled with perfect safety. IL set on fire
by retailers or servants, 1t must be from
gross carelessness. Many ridicule this as
sumption, but as any man or woman can
try the harmless experiment by putting
lighted match into a cupful, there is no
use of foolishly arguing against a Nate-
ment so easily verified. Ifitshould ignite,
it is not even 100 deg. test oil, and should
be discarded. Oil is refined to attain this
very end.
Now, it will be asked, if coal oil OF 10
deg. fire test, will not emit vapor under
say 80 deg. to 110 deg temperature, whence
the recent explosion, and explosions else
where? 1t must be presumed that the tenn
perature of the oil in the lamps, from the
warmth Of the room, and the internal radi-
alton OF heat from the burner, must have
been above its vaporizing point, say 90 deg
and it is possible for it 20 rise above 100
deg. Yet unless air and fire combine no
explosion would follow. But that rare
combination will, or does sometimes occur,
and hence the writer holds that 10 deg.
oil is not absolutely safe, in every kind of
burner, handled by every kiNd of servants,
and in the hot months, the fire test should
beat least ten degrees higher to be entire
ly SAFE.
But if people want better oil, and are
willing to pay for it, they can get it. A
pure white oil Of 160 to 100 degrees fire
test, is, and can be had for 60c by the five
gallsns. Such an oil will not emit vapor
under 140 to 175 degree temperature, de-
gree of heat never given the oil in any
lamp while burning and hence must be ab-
solutely safe against any contingencies that
causes explosions. 1t is also secure against
accidents that happen from tipping over
lamps and spilling out oil. 1t should be
more generally used. As cheap a light as
such an oil gives. at 60 cents, any man
having visible means of support can afford
to buy.
1t is asked: Why such variance in the
inspection by different inspectors? First,
there is a difference in the Thermometers
used; second, the bulb of the thermometer
may be immersed by one inspector lower
in the oil than by another, and unless the
| oil be heated slowly and allowed to perfect
| ly equalize in temperature, a marked vari-
ance in first test will appear. 1t is very
| easy to SO heat the oil and adjust the ther-
twenty five degrees.