Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-07-16
MAGIC COAL TAR.
Once Despised, 1t Is Now a Source
of LimitIeSS Products.
SPANS THE WORLD OF COLOR.
II Yields Almost Every Shade or Hue
and Is Used In Practically Every In
dustry-in Medicine and Surgery,
Also, It Has Worked Wonders.


Among the almost limitless number
of natural products Of this country
coal tar stands we'll in the lead in the
variety of uses to which it may be ap-
piled. Evil smelling, it is the rough
material from which many valuable
substances have been obtained after
years of persistence by science and in
dustry.
These substances include wide
range of colors, various burning and
lubricating oils, asphalt for pavements,
Photographic developers and great
number of medicines, favcrs and per-
fumes. Coal tar is used in practically
every manufacturing process where
dyes are needed, in making cloths,
silks, dress materials, cOIOred papers
and even colored articles Of food.
About a century ago coal tar was
considered almost a waste product, and
no one had thought it worth while to
experiment with it, At that time gas
was being introduced as new light,
and Frederick Accum. who wrote one
of the first books on gas lighting, sug-
gested the boiling of the tar in still
and the condensation and collection of
the volatile products. The experiment
was made, and the process yielded two
oils. One was heavy and the other
light. 1t was soon found that the
heavy could be satisfactorily used as a
preservative for wood that had to be
fixed underground or submerged in
water and was used extensively in pre-
serving piers and wharfs.
Further experiments with the lighter
oil were made by a Scotch chemist,
Macintosh, who used it ,m Waterproof
ing the clothing VII" bears his
name. 1t also j. used lis . sofwent in
varnish makiag and as coal naphtha
for lighting. Experiments with naph-
tina disclosed a rich treasury OF colors
which for centuries had been locked up
in coal and its refuse-tar. Benzine
was extracted from uaphtha and this
in turn produced the different shades
of violet, green, blue and yellow. Later
another chemist made the commercial
manufacture of benzine possible. He
was experimenting on the artificial pro-
duction of quinine, and, using base
known as aniline, obtained NE coiorlhg
matter called mauve.
This laid the foundation Ior the coal
tar color industry which mas develop
ed until today almost every color and
shade of color is derived from aniline.
Aniline had been obtained previously
from the indigo plant anil. The dis
covery of mauve created large de-
mand for the artificial aniline base
and gave unexpected value TO benzine.
1t yielded aniline by being treated with
nitric acid and with the borings of cast
iron powdered into dust Having done
its work in the aniline still the dust
was used by the gas maker TO cleanse
his coal gas from sulphuJ lna tnen II
passed to the manufacturing chemist,
who burned the sulphur out OF II ana
produced sulphuric acl-a cycle or OPP
erations whose beginning and end was
the utilization of waste.
This method of producing color was
responsible for the desolate madder
fields of France and Holland and for
the loss to the Hindus of their long
cherished indigo cultivation. Anthra-
Gene, one of the heavier oils of coal
tar. caused the fall of the madden
growing industry. The madder pro
(rlced violets, reds, blacks, puppies and
dark browns. Anthracene was SOLD
very cheaply for lubricating purposes
until certn'" chemists heated " "@'