Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-04-13
MAKING Of bR|QUE1TES
PROCESS OF MAKING eRloUErres
FROM IloNlre COAL 70
INTERESTING.
PROBABILITY OF eEsTAellSHMEN
OF eRloUErrINc PLANTS
NORTHWEST.


Researches Being Made by Represen.
tative Of General Washburn in Ger
many Refardins the Process Of erl.
quette eakino-eismarck May Have
a Plant.
Minneapolis Journal: Conditions |
favor the early development OF a great
Ignite briQuette manufacturing busi-
ness in the northwest in the near fu-
ture The use of such fuel has be-
come common in Germany, where the
industry has reached vast proportions.
Advance sheets of the consular reports
mention the presence of William de Ia
Barre Of the Minneapolis Water Power
there to study the briquette making
there to study the briquettemaking
business. Mr.. de Ia Barre was sent
by General w. d. Washburn. who is so
largely interested in the ignite fields
of North Dakota. to study processes
with a view to establishing a factory
in the northwest. In North Dakota
and Montana there is layer Of Ignite
$4,000 square miles in extent and from
20 to 800 feet thick, and Germany has
pronounced the quality Of the best for
briquetting. Here is what the consul
lar reports say of tests made with it.
Leaves Little Ash.
"The Dakota Ignite is old and hard,
contains 38 per cent of water, but
crushes and pulverizes easily and
forms, without binder, briquettes of
firm structure, which burn readily.
are practically smokeless, and leave
only per cent of ash, while the best
German brown-coal brbiquettes yield
from 9 to II per cent of inorganic resi-
due. The percentage Of water con-
tanned is rather low, but by adapting
the heating drying process to that pro
portion of moisture, this obstacle, such
as it is, can be easily met, and the
reduced task of evaporation will be an
economy in the general process"
A typical German plant not far from
Berlin turns out daily from 500 to 600
tons Of briquettes which sell on the
cars at the factory for from 81 sc to
$2.14 per ton. Brown coal briquette
companies in Germany pay dividends
of from Is to 20 per cent.
With such profits in the industry,
and the vast supplies of Ignite in the
northwest. including the beds in North
Dakota, Montana, and some in Iowa,
the northwest will doubtless soon see
the development of the business. The
fact that briquettes make an almost
smokeless fuel will also add to their
popularity.
An Interesting Process.
The process of manufactures is in
teresting. Ignite containing less than
30 per cent of water is difficult to
handle. The part played by the water
contained in Ignite forms the key tC
the whole economic briquetting pro
cess. The crude brown coal is brough
from the mine, crushed and pulverized
and then run through large revolving
tubular cylinder, heated by exhaus
, steam from the driving engine, AM
hung on an inclined plane SO that tn
powdered material runs downwar
through the tubes by gravity and 1
carried into the machine press tina
: stamps it into the briquettes. Durin
. this passage through the cylinder, 1t
=. dried and heated until there remain
the right proportion of moisture, con
bined with the proper temperature t
:, develop the latent bitumen in the lii
mite and make the powdered mas
plastic and easy to mold under heav
pressure between heated iron jaw
into a hard, clean briQuette. with
glistening surface and sufficient firm
ness of structure to stand weathe
transportation and other cOntingeI
cies. To do this perfectly and ect
nomically the natural Ignite shoul
> contain, as it comes from the mine, al
proximately enough water so that hea
!. ing to the proper temperature 70
pressing will serve to evaporate ou
just enough water to leave it at tn
proper degree Of moisture.
= State Historical Society
Q. Notice is hereby given that ther
III ,,;,, ho n v,,oofipo of tho State HiStO]