Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-17
Isl OFFICIALS SEEK
NEW GASOLINE TEST;
OLD STANDARD VOID
Bureau Issues Statement Ask
ing Public to Be Patient Until
Substitute Method Is
Discovered


WASHINGTON. oct f7.--Decisring that
there now cxirta no accurate test 70 deter
nint readily the quality of gasoline. the
Rnrteu of Standards today Issued state
neut ureirr ne pnrilc % be patient pending
di<eovery of tntt--an undertaking upon
which the Bureau now y engaged.
The Bureaus statement said.
IN view Of the fact that statements have
appeared IN the prers 20 the effect that the
Bureau OF Standards will formulate q test
detect at once an inferior product. Il he
comes necessary 20 correct any false Inn
utttsion that may have been aroused and to
add q brief summary Of the situation.
Tn the frrt place. no suoh simple test IN
known IN the present state ofthe science OF
Petroleum technology. In the early days
of the petroleum Industry. when all our
xesolincs. kerosenes. fuel oils and lubrcat-
ma oils were derived from one source. viz
Pennsylvania crude petroleum. a simple
amounts 20 tho same thing. the Daume num-
ber by means Of a hydrometer. served as n
fairly reliable Indication Of the qualities OF
theao products.
To-day. however. the specific gravity test
y virtually worthless a. check on the
suitability OF gasoline, for example. for
given motor equipment The reason why
this IL 80 IS that many new oil fields have
been opened up In recent years that yield
petrcleums Of very different physical and
manufacture have been introduced that yield
products having very different properties
IN no way related 10 the specific gravities
The problem Is an extremely compli-
Gated one. and presupposes q definition OF
gasoline. IL Is highly probable that the
specification or definition OF standard gaso-
line and the tests that viii be necessary
70 determine whether the gasoline complies
with the specifications will be quite compii-
Gated and viii require the services OF a
trained chemist to make them.
1T seems most probable that the denni-
tion OF gasoline will have 20 be based on
the percentage that distills over between
specified temperatures when the distiilation
~ carried out under specified conditions
This distiliation test. speaking in nontech-
nical terms, II measure OF the freedom
with which the gasoline will vaporixe
The gasoline must not vaporize too freely
Tor two reasona: one. that II would not be
rafe and. secondly. It's loss In storage by
evaporation. would be too great Hence.
the specification may have to contain lirnlta-
tions Of the percentage dIstillIng over below
certain temperature. coupled perhaps,
with proviso that certain percentages
shall distill over below other ilxed tempera-
tures. In order that requisite amounts OF low
poiiins constituents shall be present to in
sure easy starting OF an engine
likewise the specification must contain
= prov sion that all must dstill over below
certain maximum temperature in order TO
eNcude from the gasoline the heavier
petroleum distlllates. such as kerosene
"Complicated as such specification as
mas been briefly outlined above may seem
20 the layman, II Il not at all improbable
tnnt other tests must be devised to limit
the percentages OF so-called aromatic and
unsaturated hydrocarbons that may be per-
mittcd in a good motor gasoline.
Another point about which there is
often Misunderstanding II the relative
eniciency OF high and low censlty gasoilnes.
X " common opinion OF gasoline users
mat gasoline OF low specific gravity Cor
high Baume reading) Is more efficient In
fnat they can get more miles out OF a
gallon. This Is not true n the motor equip
nsent Is adapted TO the fuel used.
Legislative bodies are beginning TO take
up this question. and much OF this legisla-
tion Is certain TO be ili-adyised, although
enacted with the best Intentions. because
u cannot In the nature Of things receive
the careful consideration OF technical ex-
pcrts that is required for the satisfactory
solution of questions OF this kind"