The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-07
New Oil Fields Yield Petro- leums of Totally Different Aspects from the Original Crude Oils of Pennsylva- mia.

7 feet that the Bureau of Standards will : formulate a test which may be ap- 5 piled by any purchasers to detect at once an inferior product. 1t becomes < necessary to correct any false impress sion that may have been aroused and ito add a brief summary of the situa- xstion. In the first place, no such sim a!ple test is known in the present state of the science of petroleum technology. In the early days of the petroleum Industry, when all our agasolines, kero- senes, fuel oils, and lubricating oils were derived from one source, viz, Pennsylvania crude petroleum, sim tple measurement of the specific gravity ESor what amounts to the same thing, 1.-the Baume number, by means of sIhydrometer, served as fairly reliable sfindication of the qualities of these iproducts. To-day, however, the speci- fife gravity test: is practically worth Jess as check. on the suitability of gasoline, for, example, for a given mo- tor equipment. The reason why this z is so is that many new oil fields have been opened up in recent years that yield petrole3ms of very different physical and chemical properties and new methods of manufacture have NeAh ! Introduced that yield products having very different properties in no i. way related to the specific gravities. fsthe problem is an extremely compl1- cated one, and pre-supposes deflnl- ltion of gasoline. It is highly probable that the specification or definition Of II standard gasoline and the tests that will be necessary to determine wheth- CT the gasoline complies with the specl- fcations will be quite complicated and f will require the services of trained chemist to make them. It seems most probable that the definition of gaso- line will have to be based on the per 'cerstage that distils over between speci- fled temperatures, when the distilla- ton is carried out under specified conditions. This distillation test, speaking in non-technical terms, is a measure of the freedom with which the gasoline will vaporize.-~ The gaso- line must not vaporize too freely for I two reasons, one that it would not be safe, and secondly it's loss in storage, ] by evaporation. would be too great. Hence, the specification may have to contain limitations of the percentage distillfng oyer below 8 certain tempe rature, coupled, perhaps, with a pro- viso that certain percentages shall dis I til over below other fixed tempera- lures, in order that requisite amounts of low 1boiled constituents shall be present to insure easy starting of an engine Likewise the speciffcati ion must contain a provision that all must distil oyer below a. certain maximum temperature, in order to exclude from the; gasoline the heavier petroleum dis tillates. such as kerosene. >.~
 Complicated as such specification as has been i briefly outlined above may seem to the -layman, 1t is not at all improbable that other: tests must be devised to limit the percentage of so-called aromatic and unsaturated hydrocarbons that may be permitted in a good motor gasoline.
 The question still arises whether or not it may be necessary to define two tor more grades of motor gasoline.
 Enough has been said to show that no simple tests can be used to fix the hcomposition of such complex mixtures eof hydrocarbons as are represented by gasolines2sa:ss The popular opinion that ispecific gravity Cor degrees Baume) twill suffice as a test for gasoline is un- fortunately erroneous. For example ia gasoline of 70 degrees Baume from some oil fields is, no more volatile than a gasoline of 65 degrees Baume from other, oil fields.
 ; r.. Another point about which there is often a. misunderstanding is the rela- tive efficiency. of high and low density gasolines. It is the common opinion of gasoline users that gasoline of low specific grakity Cor. degrees Baume) ing) is more efficient in that they can get more miles out of Ia gallon. This is not true if the .motoA equipment is adapted to the fuel used,
 The message which it is particu- 1arly desired to convey is that the pub lie should not expect nasty action. It is extremely important that we pro ceed with the greatest caution and in the light of the fullest technical infor- nation. There Is only one way, or at
 most a very few ways, of doing the / right thing, while there are an infinite number of ways of doing the wrong thing. A mistake of any kind, such as specification that is unnecessar- fly restricted and which might undu- fly limit competition will disturb economic and manufacturing condi- tions and might only result in impos- ing greater burdens on the consuming public. .x -.g
 There are two aspects to the ques- ton under consideration, the one, To, cal, the other national. There is nc doubt that the; advantages that would result from a satisfactory standardi- zation of gasoline by the National Gov: ernment are many. Not the least o! these would be it's influence on state and municipal legislation, relating tc this question, and its effect in making such legislation more nearly uniform throughout the country. Legislative bodies are beginning to take up thi
 question and much of this Legislation fs' certain to be i'll advised, although enacted with the best intentions, be
 cause 1t cannot in the nature of thing red Five the careful consideration o
 tekhnfca1 experts that is required fo the satisfactory solution of questions O
 this kind. It win readily be seen tha
 the effect of indiscriminate Legislation might produce conditions nothing short of chaotic. <
 The question that very naturall
 arises at thisy point is -. with sucl
 complicated specification for gasoline
 for which the user cannot make tn i necessary tests-how will it be pos ! <n I'd {v%o oc