Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-08-27
PRoMoNToRY AspHALT.oIL.
Chemical Analysis II Made Of the Pro-
duet by Eminent Ogden Savant.

A few days ago the News" made
mention OF the asphalt-oi deposits on
the Promontory north Of Ogden. and OF
the further fact that the Utah Oil q
Liquid Asphalt company had recently
made successfyul experiment where
by 1t had been able 10 llquify the pro-
duct OF It's wells TO such an extent as to
secure flow OF from 400 TO 500 gallons
OF OIL daily, the means employed being
steam boiler a pipe from which led
to steam coil in the bottom OF one of
the wells on the tract.
Mention was also made of the fact
that the company had employed the
services Of FIR Ruschhaupt, an eminent
geologist, technical and analytic chem
list, TO whom was submitted samples Of
asphaltum-oll for examination and
analysis. This work has been done,
and the News is under obligation to
l.. y. Elggren OF this city for copy
OF the report by FIR, Ruschhaupt. whose
determinations, briefly stated resulted
as follows:
Light and heavy oils, 4O54; solid
bitumen (gum asphalt $3.50, mineral
parts tsand, etc., $751; and moisture,
1876. Total, 1890
FIR, Ruschhaupt describes the Prom
ontory asphalt-oil product as follows.
Color velvet black, decidedly as
phaltlc at common temperature, with
slight indications Of sulphurated hydro
gen gas but, when heated and after
the evolution Of some pungent gases
has ceased, which viii soon take place.
the peculiar but nor disagreeable smell
OF asphalt, is noticed. At common tenn
perature 65-75 f., II represents itself as
a thick. pasty mass. yielding moder-
ately by heating. At 200 f. Il is a fuid;
but not sooner than $50 # II shows the
llqudity of water Boiling commences
at 4S5 r. Very noteworthy Is the fol-
lowing: At 100 f. II begins to foam,
which is caused by the evolution OF
some gasses (carbonic acid gas, light
hydro-carbon, and finally of some
steam, with increasing tendency to
boil over. This ceases however, at
about 300 f., and Ia entirely over at
$3.50 +, At 430 f. a slight decomposition
takes place. which is made remarkable
by the evolution OF small quantity OF
empryumatlcal products. Repeated ex-
perlments have proved that this can be
avoided by taking care that the sides
OF the vessel, IN which the substance is
distilled, are not over-heated. Having
reached the boiling point (i50 F)
more and more asphalt smell Is noticed
Kept at the first boiling point for about
half an hour, Il somewhat thickens,
which is caused by evaporation of oily
constituents, after which the boiling
point can be increased 10 500 r. without
fear that decomposition will take place.
AT $40 II, this takes place. Boiled at SIS
for about three quarters Of an hour.
during which some more oil escapes,
the mass now represents liquid asphalt,
which, after cooling TO 70 f., repre-
sents solid gum asphalt Of superior
quality, since It Is not only Of more than
common hardness. but also Of a greater
than the common tenaclty. The name
asphaltlc oil for the crude substance,
! find, Is not well adapted since Its
thick. pasty consistency brings II into
the class which, by experts I'm Ger
many, Is more correctly denomlnated as
mountain or rock tar"
The report OF FIR Ruschhaupt is too
lengthy to be reproduced I'm its entirety,
but, In conclusion, he states that after
almost all Of the oil has been distilled
from the asphalt-ol product, the re-
hard gum asphalt II excellent
I'm quality for street paving. since II
Is of the required hardness and ten
acity while Il can be used with the
best NJ success IN the manufacture ~
hard India rubber articles, I'm the max
ing OF 6rst-c class black varnish for iron
pipes. columns bridges. insulators. and
In the manufacture Of asphalt paper
and many other articles Of similar
nature.
Mr. Elgeren left n sample Of the as.
az the office Of the "News,'
which can be seen by those interested
IN this industry.