New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-09-15
4 NEW WAY TO GET OXYGEN.
RAOUL PICTETs CHEAP PROCESS AND It's
POSSIBILITIES.
From The London Mail.

From The London Mail.
1t was rec -ntly announced mat the new Sv.-s
method of producing oxygen for Industrial pun
poses had been taken up 10y powerful English
syndicate. The inventor, NJ. Raoul Pictet. ULo
claims that his process enables him to obtain
unlimited supplies of the gas from the atnu5-
i'''Ie at nominal cost. has supplied our Geneva
correspondent with additional particulars Of $
81 At discoverv-a discovery which, il is assert
ed, VIII completely reyulutlonze thu metal
trades and have vast influence on chemistry
The details given for the most part in n
Pictct's own words. and the conclusions n ar
iiFeS at are for experts to consider. There is no
DOUBT As 10 the fact that the discovery has been
widely taken up in England
1t took the inventor twenty -onc wears Of ey-
periments to find out that the usual method II
extracting oxygen from the air 10y chemical
means was impracticabe for commercial pur-
poses on account OF the enormous cost of thu
chemical process.
Taking for 4 starting point the results OBJ
ing that the point of lquefactior of oxyscu
urder atmospheric pressure is minus ~ de-
grees. while that Of nitrogen under the sam.
conditions is minus 800 degrees he constructed
an ingenious apparatus by means of which Er
was enabled To gradually extract the nitrosen
pure.
The apparatus is divided into ten equal parts
separated from each other by a metallic pIa .a
to which is attached basin containing a crr.
tain amount of Huueted air. \ spiral tube con.
ducts the liqueied air to the basins This *.
terror tube. called the eXchanSer. is continued
under the name Of interior tube. within the lp-
paIatus, and winds round the metallic basin.
When a slight pressure is applied To the luun-
fled gas by means of the eXchanger. nitrogen IF
ID per cent purity is liberated. This action ia
continued in each of the ten divisions until in
the bottom one only pure oxygen remains and
is drawn off in Il gasometer.
The cost of the operation is less than the tenth
of Il penny per cubic yard of oxygen.
Nj. Pictet claims that the results of the ap-
pliCatOn of this system to metallurgiCal work
VIII be extraordinary. He maintains that the
enormous waste of coal in the working of metals
Will be done away with, and that immensely
greater temperatures will be obtainable by the
of industrial oxygen"
Soldering large masses of iron and steel will
be an easy matter and riveting will be done
away with. The plates Of vessels, the beams os
bridges. railway lines, etc, may be constructed
in future in one piece.
industrial oxygen will reduce the hardest
rocks such as quartz to a liquid state in Il short
time and the mining industry will be revolt
tionized. and crushing superseded by melting.
The practice of chemistry will be mmenS ely
benefited, says NJ. Pictet The cost of innumer-
able chemical products will be greatly reduced.
one of the chief instances of this will be water
gas, so much used in chemical industries. which
will be ob,ainabie ut cost of tenth of a penny
per cubic yard. The result of this for lighting
purposes will be tremendous.
1t is only question of time says the inventor.
before every public building will be supplied
with oxygen pipes and stiffness in theatres.
schools and other buildings will be unknown.
For hospitals, and especially in the operating
room, oxygen, which on account of its prOhibi-
tive price could not be put into general use.
will be employed more FREE. Every town will
have its oxygen mandatory in few years.
M Pctet adds, and coal will be superseded b.
oxygen
A large oxygen mandatory is being built ut
MeSSrS. Galloway,