New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-01
Chemist Presents to lnde-
pendents Way to Treble
Production.
u. S. MAY MAKE
OWN EXPLOSIVES
DR.. Rittman's Discoveries Also
Enable Americans TO Manu-
facture DyestuffS.

Washington. Feb 2S. The discovery
Of two chemical processes one OF tre-
mendous Importance to the oil in
dustry. tho other far-rcaching in its
effect on the manufacture of dyestdtts
and explosives in this country was
announced by the Department OF the
Interior to-day. The first is expected
to greatly increase the supply OF gas
clenc end brsot the St9nd7rd '1ls
monopoly of gasolene, while the other
NAV make the United States lde-
pondent of the rest Of the world in re-
gard to materials necessary for the dye
industry and the manufacture of high
explosives. making this country inde-
pendent of any other in case Of war.
DR.. Walter +. Rittman, chemical
engineer of the Bureau of Mines, IS the
discoverer of the two processes, and he
has applied in behalf of the govern
ment to have them patented to prevent
a monopoly and to dedicate them to the
whole American people. The work was
done NJ Columbia University, New
York. the facilities of the laboratory
having been turned over 20 the federal
government bv the president. DR.. Mich
olas Murray Butler.
The first Of these processes promises
&c enable independent reliners in this
country to increase their output of
casolene from petroleum 200 per cent
or more. "itn an estimated produc-
tion by the Independent rehners OF H.
COG. 900 barrela Of gasolenc a year. this
will mean an output from the lnde-
pendents alone nf 36,OO0,00O barrels,
Greater than the present total produc-
ton from all sources.
Means New American Industry.
The second process includes the man.
ufacture from crude petroleum OF
toluol and benzol, both OF which nave
heretofore been obtained from coal
tar As Germany has specialized Tar
bevond other countries in byproducts
from coal tar, the United States and
the rest of the world have been doml-
mated by that country as regards toluol
and benzol, which arc the important
bases for the production Of dyesturs
and high explosives, and especially
smokeless powder.
The second process discovered by
DR.. Rittman may prove OF much more
value 10 the country than the hrat
said Secretary Of the Interior Lane to
dav. "in that il suggests the establish
ment of an industry in which Germany
has heretofore been prC-emincuJ lhe
dye industry and also promises lndl.
rectlv a measure of national safety OF
incalculable import. Among necessary
ingredients of high explosives used IN
modern warfare toluol and benzol are
in the first rank. Heretofore these
products have mainly been obtained in
Germany and England from Goa tar, ana
the explosives manufacturers have had
TO depend largely on the supply from
these sources in the making OF eXplo-
sIves.
81 understand that some toluol and
benLol have been obtained from Amerl-
can coal and water gas tars. bu this
supply does not begin 20 satisfy the
present demands. The federal govern
ment now proposes 70 obtain the tOluol
and benZol from crude petroleum also.
| am further informed that these prod
ucts can be produced from practically
anv American petroleum. and that the
supply can be made sufficient not only
for the entire American trade but also
for other purposes. This process has
gone far enough to indicate that the
two products can be produced at =
reasonable cost.
Independent in Case of War.
"The real comforting thing, however,
is that We have the knowledge that this
new source Of supply is at the COM
mand OF our people, and that in time