The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-08-04
Making n Briquettes
Without Binding
Viii Prove Of Great Benefit to 0p-
orators Of Ignite Mines in
This State

!. l AO aOuAC0u VI AAA0O0s VA4Ou6A AV0
experiments at the Pittsburg test
ing station, believes that it has
developed a fuel supply for the
western part of the country that
will be of immense value. It has
succeeded in making briquets
without the use of binding ma
terial out of Ignite from Cali
fornia, Texas and North Dakota.
The difficulty heretofore with the
manufacture Of briquets has been
the cost of the pitch which is con-
sidered necessary to hold the coal
dust together.
Lignite is poor form of coal,
brown in color. and is found in
great abundance in several western
states, notably North and South
Dakota, Montana and Texas. It's
use has been greatly restricted
because of it's tendency to slack or
turn to dust shortly after it is
mined and brought to the surface.
Because of the great amount of
moisture it contained, between 30
and 40 per cent, the Ignite has
been difficult to burn under
boilers or in stoves. There is said
to be 15O, 600 square miles of ter.
r1tory underlaid by Ignite and
millions of acres belong to the
government. The bureau of mines,
some time ago, conducted a series
Of experiments at the pumping
plant Of the reclamation service,
at Williston, n. D., and succeeded
in developing furnace that would
burn the Ignite satisfactorily.
But this did not solve the prob
lem of the transportation of the
Ignite. The bureau therefore
sent to Germany, where the
briquetting of Ignite is much
farther advanced, and obtained
from that country powerful
briquetting machine. The ex-
periments have gone far enough to
indicate that Ignite can be satis-
factorily briquetted at a cost that
makes the manufacture of briquets
commercially possible.
The results of the experiments
are contained in a bulletin. "Bri-
quoting Tests Of Ignite. just
issued by the bureau Of mines.
The author, Charles L Wright
says: ''The results Of the briquet-
ting Investigations conducted by
the government are expected to
prove of considerable value, not
only to the government itself as
the owner of extensive Ignite
deposits and the largest single
purchaser Of fuel, but also to the
people in the regions whore Ignite
issfound. The problem Of fuel
supply in those regions is Of
peculiar interest, for many Of the
lignite deposits are situated long
distances from fields Of high-grade
ooal. The problem assumes still
larger proportions when one rea-
Lies that the development Of
manufacturing industries in those
i regions depends upon the ability
! 10 obtain a cheap and satisfactory
fuel.
Mr. Wright gives the approx
mate cost Of briquets, loaded on.
care, from a briquet plant located
at the mines, as $2.5l in Texas,
1858 in North Dakota, and in
\ California as 1924. This applies
q briquetting run-of-mine Ignite
to improve it's heat value and
weather resisting properties rather
a. to briquetting slack Or wasteth
coal. It is believed it will be
4 assible 70 make briquets from the
4 = Naste t coal, which will reduce the
b materially
opiss of tlais bulletin, No. u,
~ be tained ~ those interest.