The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-15

heated was placed around central
core, the outer portions OF the mass
acting as retaining walls. A higher
mass in this way than If dependence
Is plac ed upon the furnace walls prop
er. BY this process carbon $40 per
cent pure is made for electrical use
nnd % per cent. pure for less exact
ing commercial purposes. Natural
graphite contains only from 40 TO 80
per cent. OF carbon.
Mr.. Adhesion desired to use this
artificial graphite in the manufacture
OF lubricants but found that It was
sufficiently soft or unctuous. Now ana
then the desired kind OF graphite
would he removed from the electric
furnace, and he began to look for a
natural deposit of carbonaceous ma
teriel out Of which lubricatinS
graphite could be made. Patient ex-
pertinent with material from many
parts of the world showed that the
desired kind was to he found in
the culm piles Of the Pennsylvania
anthracite mines.
"DefoccuIated" graphite. graphite
that is broken Into small units, Will
Z "
pended from rusting iron and steel.
IL is claimed. This alone II considered
a valuable feature OF the ma tertal, and
there is still wide field to be eXplor-
ed to discover other purposes to which
II can be put. Already II il being
used as cutting compound In making
screws,
Whatever may he the Anal part to
be played by graphite in the indus
tries, its greatest value at the present
time is as II lubricant. In the million
, mec hanical devices in use, friction
must he brought down to the lowest
possible point to keep them on a high
plane OF efficiency. 1t has been
demonstrated that at least so per cent.
of the power artifciaIla- generated III
the world ia lost between the point
OF generation and the point Of ap-
plication, due to the friction of the
moving parts The better the grade
OF lubricants employed. therefore. the
less will be tho loss of power.
An expert in the application OF
graphite as a lubricant explains that
there are many kinds of. fluids and
solids designed for special purposes.
There are lubricants FOR watches and
Tor steam shovels, and the ono could
not be successfully used Cor the
other. Globular particles Of oil or
grease move within themselves under
pressure. hut IL the pressure Is too
great the particles break and the
NOV ing surfaces rub directly against
each other
Graphite is probably the beet OF all
solid lubricants. he claims, provided
il can be obtained~ In absolute purity
and be divided finely enough to be
,1tssrb..s N, Y ,hNia sstate> IN, that. coa-
dition graphite can be held in suspen-
sion in some liquid suitable for en-
ploynent as cartier to deliver the
graphite to the parts requiring iubri-
action. The excellence OF graphite for
this purpose IS due to the fact that,
when so suspended. II IL absolutely in
destructible and the particles move
within themselves under any amount
OF pressure without breaking. 1t is
not affected by the highest degree of
temperature. because the greatest
heat that has yet been produced. that
attained by tho electric furnace above
described, IL employed in Its manu-
facture.
IL is said that when the graphite is
in this molecular state the particles
are so finely divided that they actually
enter into the pores OF tho surfaces
self. This results In the building UP
Of an absolutely smooth. uniform sur
face. which 10 important In cylinder
TO which they are applied and thus be-
come an integral part OF tho metal it.
self. This results In the building
up of an absolutely sE,ooth, 3lniform
surface, which 10 important I'm cylinder
fabrication because 1t increases the
compression and results In the de-
livery of more power the life of the
working PARTS being at the same time
prolonged. In addition. the damage
70 boilers using exhaust steam. due to
accommodations Of oil and fsttay sub
stances. Is avoided. Steam genera ton
In facilitated and heat radiation is con-