Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-01

CHEMICAL PROCESSES
PERFECTED BY RITTMAN


Isy MORNING JOURNAL ereciAl trAsto wistI
Washington. Feb eS-Two discov-
cries. both of vast importance to Amer
lean industries and one regarded also
as a priceless military asset were am
nounced today by Secretary Lane of
the interior department They are
chemical processes developed after
years Of research by pr Walter f.
ltttman chemical engineer of the
bureau of mines.
one is expected to enable OH re-
finers to increase their output of gas
oline by zoo per cent The other
makes possible the production from
crude petroleum of toluol ana benzol.
bases for dyes and high explosives.
for which in the past. the United
States and the rest OF the world have
depended almost exclusively upon
Germany
no Protect Discoveries
Dr. Rittman has applied for patents
upon his processes to prevent the pos
sibilty Of any monopoly la their use
aud win dedicate them 10 the Amer
lean people.
These processes. said Secretary
Lane today ARE fraught with the ut
most Importance. The Standard oil
company has had big advance over
the independents in production of
gasoline, having a patented process
obtaining three times the amount of
gasoline from given quantity Of
petroleum than thr independents now
obtain. Independent producers, as a
whole, have never been able to APP
proach these results Now the fed
eral government through the efforts
of Dr Rittman, proposes to make free
for the use Of all a process confident
~ expected TO increase their yields
of gasoline fully 200 per cent and
perhaps more. Dr Rittman claims
his process is safer. simpler and more
economical These are economic fca-
lures Of great Importance.
Comes Opportunely.
with a steadily Increasing demand
for gasoline for automobiles, motor
boats ana engines, this fortunate dis
coveIy comes at the proper time. ltI
is but two years ago that the automo-
bile industry, fearful the supply of
gasoline might not be adequate for it's
rapidly expanding business, offered
100000 prize for a substitute that
would cost less than gasoline This
new process adds to the hope chat in
spite of the wonderful growth in the
use of gasoline, there may not be amy
shortage IN the future,
Il am led to believe it will not only
be Of inestmabe value to refincrs
but limited capital as
well as these of wealth, but also to /
the hundreds Of thousands of users
Of gasoline. When 1t is realized the
gasoline industry each year yields
500, 600, 600 to $l50,OOO,OO0, the inn
portance Of this discovery is seen"
The Dye Industry.
'rhe second process discovered by
Dr. Rittman may prove Of much more
value than the first, in that il sue
5ests the establishment Of an indus
Try in which Germany heretofore has I
been pre- emincnt-the dye industry
md also promises indirectly a meas
are Of national safety Of inealeulable +
IMPORT Among the necessary in
gredients Of high explosives .toiuol and I.
)enzol are in the first rank Here
ofore these products have been
mainly obtained in Germany and
england from coal tar Explosives
have had 10 depend
argoly on these sources The federal
government now proposes to obtain
oluol and bcn2ol from crude petrol
,um. These products can be pro-
luced from practically any American T.
petroleum. The supply can be made
ufficient rot only for the American
rade, but also for other purposes and
It reasonable cost.
Powerful Explosives.
"The real comforting thing how
ver, is that i'm time Of great national
tress, if the nation is over called upon
o defend itself we will be able TO
The most efficient and
most powerful explosives known in /
Were il not for this dis
.overy il is possible hat in such an
we might be compelled to
ely largely on greatly inferior eN-
,losives and this would spell national
disaster
'Dr Rittman concludes from his
experiments that this process may
,ecome more economical than Ger
nan methods and it may result in
ventually giving the United states a
upemacy in the dyestuffs industry
hat has for some time belonged TO
germany II would tend to prevent
disturbance Of the great industries en-
aged in the manufacture of silks,
ottons and woolens in such extraor-
inary times as we are now expericnc-
ng.