Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-12-11
What should be the Legal Standard of Ker
eRene?

These are two widely prevalent errors in
regard to the use of kerosene. One is that
kerosene explosions are always the result of
carelessness; the other, that the use of
kerosene is necessarily attended with more
danger than accompanies the use of animal
or vegetable oils; in other words that IL is
| impossible to make an Illuminating oil from
petroleum which will not be more or less
risky under ordinary household conditions
But these errors are due to popular ignor-
ance, with regard to the nature and proper
ties of the mixture Of petroleum products
properly denominated kerosene, aud the
conditions under which low grades or
adulterated kerosenes explode. Crude Pc
troleum, from the compleXity Of its com
position, has been aptly compared to Il
book; the products given off at successive
temperatures being the leaves, each show
Ing more or less pronounced characteristics
Its more volatile parts are given off at
temperature as low as the freezing point of
water. AT summer heat appears rhigoline
which boils at 65 deg. Fab; at tempera-
lures below ITO deg, gasoline Is given
of; and between that and 800 deg, the
product is called naphtha. The naphtha dis
titled at a temperature above ESQ deg. is
distinguished as benzlne. All these pro-
ducts are without oily properties; are vola-
tile at common temperatures; take fire
readily; and when their vapors are mixed
with from seven TO nine times their vol
ume of air they burn with an explosion,
even when not confined. Between 800 deg.
and 400 deg. kerosene is distilled mixture
of products rangiug in character between
benzine and the heavy parafine oils, too
thick for use in lamps. According to Pro-
fesssor Chandler, 100 parts of crude petro-
leum yield by distillation, 1-2 parts of
gasoline, 10 of refined naphtha, of ben
zine, 90 OF kerosene, IL l-2 of paraffine,
Qubricating) oil, of paraffine, and 10 of
coke, gas, and loss. BenZine Is worth
about half as much as kerosene; naphtha
and parailine oil about one-third aS much.
The temptation of refiners of petroleum Is
to mix their oils with the lighter and cheap
er naphthA then bring up the product to
the appearance of kerosene by an admixture
of paratfine oil, also lower in price than
pure kerosene. Ii is the naphtha, with its
low flashing point that causes all the mis-
chief. The legal standard for kerosene IN
New York and many other States is 100
deg. fire test; the United States Standard
is ITO deg. In Michigan all oils are for
hidden which flash at 140 deg. or below.
Obviously if the law is enforced in the last
named state, kerosene accidents are quite
impossible there. An effort is being made
in Boston to have the standard raised from
i 90 deg. to ll0 deg; some insist that il
should be made as high as 1S5 deg. Pro
fessor Chandler, President OF the Board of
Health of New York city, asserts that the
standard of l35 deg. should be adopted
everywhere; in which case there would be
an end of kerosene explosions, provided, of
course, that law be ngidly enforced. !
cost of the OIL he ~ so raised the actual
creased more than a ceh1.-~.4tl --.>a As.ai--