Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-04
GOVERNMENT CHEMIST TELLS OF
PATENT PROCESS DISCOVERED
BY HIM.
MODEST AND HARD
WORKER FOR MANKIND
United states TO 1s Placed in Position
@ Independence With Respect TO
Dasss For, Production Of DysstuHs
ard iIiion Expiosivss-Fasent in
Name Of United States Government.
[special corresportlence.l

lSpcCldi NOIISSPOIIuSIlCc.I
Washington. March A. Eight-cent
gasolene.
The value of the petroleum product
OF the United States enormously in
creased, to say nothing Of the product
of the rest Of the world.
The oil supply of the country con-
served.
The United States placed in posi-
ton of independence with respect to
the bases for the production of dye
stuffs and high explosives and particu-
larly smokeless powder.
These are some Of the results which
DR.. Walter F. Rittman Of the bureau
Of mines, predicts will follow his dis
covery Of the new chemical process for
the production Of yasolene and pro-
cess for the manufacture from crude
petroleum Of benzol and toluol, hereto
fore obtained from coal tar and used
as the bases Of dyestuffs and high eX-
plosives.
The announcement concerning the
marvellous discovery or discoveries of
DR.. Rittman was recently made by
Secretary Of the Interior Lane. Patents
on the processes In the name Of the
people OF the United States have been
applied for. DR.. Rittman talked over
some phases Of what he had accom-
plished today, tho he is not yet ready
to give all the scientific details con-
corning his processes.
Rittmah Modest.
To begin with, DIR. Rittman Is modest
about what he has done. He Is not a
gray-haired and whiskered scientist
but young man VINO might be taken
for college athlete and who is one
In fact. He IL chemical engineer Of the
bureau Of mines and mis- research work
has been done at Columbia University.
Since the announcement Ct the dis
cover OF his processes for obtaining
gasolene and benzol and toiuol, he has
been overwhelmed with inquiries from
chemists and others. Capitalists are
ready to. invest millions. The bureau
Of mines has announced it will loan DR..
Rittman to help any concern that
wants to take up the new processes
commercially.
"This is not the result Of any in
spiration." said DR.. Rittman. 1T is
simply the result Of hard digging and
research which I have done; since 1902.
Nor 10 IL my own SlLOEt eHlAoty'
have had the help and advice OF many
competent men, among them Prof. NJ.
C. Whitaker, Of Columbia, and Prof.
J. L. Morgan. Of that institution.
For my purposes. utilize either
crude petroleum or residuums oil after
the Kerosene and gasolene have been
removed by ordinary processes.
ITO produce gasolene. under the in
fluence OF heat the big molecules OF the
oil are broken up into small gasolene
molecules. The way In which this
breaking up is brought about Is con-
trolled by the pressure existing in the
apparatus. When you heat popcorn it
cracks. In the same way. the petro-
leum molecules crack. If I could con-
troll the cracking Of the popcorn,
could control the size of the popcorn.
Now it is possible to crack the petro-
leum molecule and control. thru pres
sure the size Of the molecule at the
same time. After this. the vapor is
condensed.
TT may be said that to get gasolene