The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-12-01
DOCTORlNG CHEAP KEROSENE

II
Cheap articles, composed in part of
material that will inhame at very low
temperature, and which will form explo-
sive compounds when united with the
air, are still sold in many country places.
To prevent danger in using these oils,
persons are advised not to purchase nos
trums, generally sold by peddlers, but
sometimes by grocers, that are warranted
to render the contents of lamp harm
less. The Scientific American has the
following to say in regard to the safety
powders, as well as the means Of testing
oils to ascertain their safety when burn
ed in ordinary lamps:
Very frequently, of late, we have re-
eeived from correspondents, east and
west. samples of "stuff'' sold them by
peddlers, with the assurance that when
little of these preparations are mixed
with the poorest burning oil, the latter
is rendered perfectly safe. OF course,
one of the chief inducements to use these
compositions is the assurance that with
them a much cheaper oil of equal illumi-
mating power can be used safely. This
fraud is very dangerous one, and per-
haps the best way to stop it is by the
diffusion of little practical information
respecting these oils. In the first place,
there is nothing that can be added to or
mixed with poor kerosene oil, that will
in the least affect its dangerous qualities,
or make it any safer to use in lamps.
The danger with such oils arises solely
from the presence in them of light, east
ly volatilized and very inhammable by
dro-carbons, such as naphtha, the vapor
of which, when mixed with air, explodes
on contact with flame.
Kerosene and naphtha, or benzine, are
derived by process of distillation from
the same neutrality-suspicious. The
lighter oils-gasoline, raphtha, benzine,
etc.-are first volatilized and condensed.
As the products distill over, they are
tested Irom time to time with hydro
meter, and when it is found that the
stream of distilled oil marks about 58
degrees (Baume's hydrometer), what fol-
lows is turned into another tank, until it
is found that the gravity of the oil COM
ing over has risen to about 40 degrees,
then the stream is DETECTED into another
tank. The oil distilled between So de-
grees and 30 degrees, is called kerosene
or burning oil.
In this process about Is per cent. Of
the Light oils are produced. and as there
is comparatively little demand for them,
they are very cheap. Naphtha costs
from two to five cents gallon. while
kerosene costs from 20 to Is cents. AS
great competition exists among the re-
| timers, there is strong inducement to
turn the heavier portions of the naphtha
into the kerosene tank, SO as to get for
it the price of kerosene, or to cheaper
the latter. They change the direction of
the stream from the still when it reaches
IS degrees to 60 degrees B., instead of
waiting until it reaches So degrees; and
thus the volatile inflammabIe naphtha,
| or benzine, is allowed to run into the
kerosene, rendering the whole of the lat
ter dangerous. 1t has been shown that
the one per cent. of naphtha will lower
the flashing point of kerosene ten de-
grees, while with 20 per cent. of naphtha,
the same oil will flash at eight degrees
Fah.) above the freezing point of water.
1t is, therefore, the cupidity of the re-
finer that leads him to run as much ben
zine as possible into the kerosene. re-
gardless of the consequences.
The specific gravity is not safe guide
respecting the character of such oils, as
poor, dangerous oil may be heavier
than a safe oil. Astral oil illustrates
this. While it does not flash below 125
degrees Fab, its gravity is 40 degrees B.
Poor kerosene flasher at Sc degrees Fab,
but has gravity of AZ degrees B. Ker-
osene, when properly refined, is nearly
colorless by transmitted light and slight
ly fuorescent by reflected light. Its
| density should be about 43 degrees B.
At ordinary temperatures it should ex.
tiuguish match as readily as water,
without becoming infamed or flashing,
and, when heated, it should not evolve
an infammable vapor below ITO degrees
Fab, and should not take fire below 1875
or 140 degrees Fab.
AS the temperature in burning lamp
rarely exceeds 100 degrees Fab, such an
oil would be safe. 1t would produce no
vapors to mix with the air in the lamp
and make an explosive mixture, and if
the lamp were overturned or broken, the
oil would not take fire. The standard
which has generally been adopted by law
as safe one. fixes the flashing at 100
degrees Fab, or higher. Prof. Chand-
Ter, president of the New York City
board of health, says2 "Out of 1876 sam
pies of kerosene oil tested by me, only
% were really safe, all the rest evolving
inflammable vapor below 100 degrees
Fab" In his paper on the temperature
of oil in lamps, DIR. Chandler has shown
that IN some cases the temperature of
their contents often rises above 100 de-