Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-27
BURNING COAL ASHES.
Celusive Plans to Restore the Value
OF Spent Fuel.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
Every now and then one hears Of a
scheme to get fresh heat out OF ashes with
the assistance Of certain cheap chemicals
Two such propositions have recently at
tracted attention. One. originating in AL
toona Pa. made use OF little common
salt and oXalic acid mixed with gallon Of
water. The fluid was sprinkled upon an
other mixture consisting of one part ashes
and two parts new coal. The inventor tried
to make people believe that by this means
more steam could be generated in boiler
than II pure coal alone was used. Rumor
said that various persons owning steam en-
gines had tested the compound and found
nat they did not need so much fuel as be-
fore. Another inventor used a yellow pow
der which he said was cheap. He scat
tered il over a mixture of ashes and new
coal.
Well it is possible that these inventors
were honest but experts declare that the
plans themselves are ridiculous. Similar at
tempts have been made before. They excite
momentary attention. but after IL little
while nothing more is heard OF them. OF
course IL they accomplished what their au-
thors aimed at. they should steadily grow
in favor. Previous failures. therefore. make
the utmost caution necessary in trusting
new projects of the same class.
Every watchful housekeeper knows that
coal is not always thoroughly consumed the
first time 1t is used Often the ashes con-
material. hard c'irE"~- anS -
clinkers are not good for anything. but the
cinders which ale nearly II ca. / -
good fuel. Only part of the carbon thy
possessed has been burned. and IL would be
wasteful TO throw them away. 1t is safe to
say that any new heat obtained from ashes
IL produced by the carbon left In cinders.
and it could be secured without any doc
toring'' with proper care In burning the
stun the second time. Strangely enough.
these inventors always want to use new coal
With the ashes. II their Ideas were correct
their chemicals ought to work with cilnkers
and dust alone. II not with sand and
gravel.
DR.. A. II. GIL. professor Of chemistry in
the Massachusetts, Institute Of Technology
din Boston, looked at one of the stories
Of the Altoona mans process and laughed
at it, He remarked that with certain kinds
of coal the addition Of little water was
con sidered advantageous. but he ridlculed
the other substances employed. He denied
no generated by any change in the mixture.
as has been asserted. Then he added. evil
IDENTIFY as the result OF some recent expert
ments Of his own:
mace the fire appears brighter from the vol
utilization Of the salt which colors all the
flames intensely yellow: this salt condenses
on the cooler parts Of the boiler and econo-
mizes and corrodes them. The oxal1c acfu
,s broken I'D by the heat of the fire into
steam. cartonic acid and carbonic oxide-all
products of combustion. and. with the ex-
ception OF the latter. valueless as fuel Tn
Qua nifty of CO rbonlc oxide produced is about
two-dfths OF an ounce. equivalent in heat
ing value to Il piece OF coal the size Of a
pea
The Altoona mans formula called for two
ounces of oxalc acid. We do not just now
remember the cost of this amount of oxalic
acid. but it is certainly many times greater
than that Of piece of coal no bigger than
"A pea Oxalic acid does not enable any
.,t1rn al In
burning but il can be burned itself Still.
from what DIR. Gill says. il would appear to
be pretty expensive fuel. considering the
heat II produces. Besides. the injury which
a boiler suffers from the use OF salt VIII re-
strain most people from trying the Altoona
plan.