The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-23
If excess Of light and heavy oils.

rarely less than 4S degrees Baume or
heavier than A degrees. Forty-slx de-
grees Baume Is the limit by our pres
ent law. should not, however. favor
rejecting an oil even II two or three
degrees below this. provided the oil
stood all of the other tests, particular
ly If the amount distilled at $40 de-
grees r., and the residue left at $50
degrees F., were With nthe limits and
If the sample gave good .photometric
tests.
Flash Test.-As already'stated, crude
petroleum is a mixture of a large num-
Der of light and heavy hydrocarbons.
Kerosene Of good quality should be
very free from the light hydrocarbons,
such as gasoline, benzine, etc., as we'll
as from the heavy hydrocarbons, such
as lubricating oils and paraffins. A
very small amount of the light volatile
oils left in kerosene by imperfect dis
tillation or afterwards introduced in
any way, render the oil dangerous be-
cause of the fact that these highly
volatile oils vaporize at a low temper
allure and form an explosive mixture
with air. The effect of minute guam
tity of such hydrocarbon as gasoline,
present in a pint Of oil, can be readily
seen by the tendency in the oil to pro-
duce miniature explosions or puffs.
After much careful investigation, oil
has been generally considered unsafe
which flashes at less than 100 to 105
degrees F.; 40 degrees is sometimes
required. Our requirements have been
raised to 105 degrees.
The flash point means the tempera-
tire at which sufficient amount of
inflammable vapor will accumulate to
ignite or explode when mixed with air.
A we'll kept and properly burning kerr
osene lamp is not expected to heat in
the reservoir as high as 100 degrees,
and therefore an oil which flashes at
los is not considered dangerous. Lamps
are sometimes found in such very bad
condition or of poor construction that
the reservoir may reach 100 degrees
or more, in which case, of course, there
is danger due to the lamp, not neces-
sarily to the Oil.
The flash point, however, Is general
ly considered as the best test of dan
gerous oil. This is the only test re-
Quired in some places. While this test
reflects the presence of a light and
dangerous hydrocarbon or naphtha, it
tells us nothing as to the Illuminating
value of the oil, and it should there
fore always be supplemented with va
rious tests to indicate illuminating and
other properties. By referring to the
analyses which follow it will be seen
that several samples are below the re-
quirement and below what they should
be for safe oils. 1t will also be seen
that the lowest flashing points were
found in oils on the market when the
present method of testing was begun.
There seems to have been a slight i'm
provement The flash test should be
applied with great care in order to OBJ
tain uniformly reliable results. If this
is done the Elliott tester, as specified
in the law, will give very good results.
Fire Test.-This test is for the pur-
pose of determining the temperature
at which the body of the oil will take
fire and continue to burn when the
flame is brought to the surface of the
liquid. 1t is generally considerably
higher than the flash test and usually
rises as the flash test rises, although
this is not necessarily the case. There
is no definite relation between flash
and fire points. 1t is possible to have
a small amount of light volatile oil in
sample, which may flash, especially
in closed tester, at a low point, while
the main body of the oil would not
take fire or continue to burn until a
rather high temperature might be
reached. This has been observed in
some samples. Such a condition is
likely to indicate either a mixture of
light and heavy oils or it may be due
to the accidental presence Of a very
small quantity Of gasoline or similar
products. While the fire test gives US
general idea of the temperature at
which the oil will ignite, it tells but
very little as to it's safety, that being
told by the fash test, nor does it give
much information regarding its illumi-
mating value. 1t is, however, well
enough to have the test to aid, In con-
nection with the other tests. in gen.
eral estimation Of the oil value.
i DistillatiOn Tests-There are two
distillation tests required in the North
Dakota law, namely, the amount which
vaporizes or distills at or below 80
degrees F. and the amount which does
not vaporize or distiM at or below $40
degrees F. AS an indicator of the illu-
minating value of kerosene, these dis
tillation tests are better than all the
other tests mentioned in our law ex-
coping the photometric test, which is,
of course, a direct measure of the illu-
minating value. 1t may be said, how
ever, that the photometric and distilla-
ton tests, when carefully studied. usu-
ally show very concordant results, as
will be seen by comparing the distilla-
ton tests and the photometric tests
given in this report. The distillation
tests tell but little concerning the safe
ty of the oil, unless the portion dis
titled at below 80 degrees is excess
i've, in which case it simply indicates
that there is large portion of light
oils in the kerosene. If any of these
oils vaporize at a very low tempera-
ture, they may render the oil unsafe
If, however, this test is accompanied
by the flash test the presence of these
light oils will be revealed. The amount
Of oil that remains undistilled at $40
degrees F.. NAV he termed the heavy