Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-04
EXTRACT TOLUOL
FROM GAS PLANTS
Chemists Expected to Install
Necessary Apparatus at All
Virginia Works.
NEE EDED BY GOVERNMENT
Product Is Utilized in Manufac-
ture of High Explosives Used
by Army and Navy.

Because Of the urgent need of the
United states government for an adc
qua,e supply Of toluol for the manu-
facture OF trimi'rotoluol. one OF the
most powerful! OF modern high cxplo-
sives. which has come into wide use
in the present war. steps are being
taken By the Virginia Section OF tho
American Chemical Society TO have
every Illuminating gas plant in the
state install tho necessary machinery
for the extraction Of this important
chemical. Conferences with the direc-
tors Of all municipal and privately
owned plants will be arranged in the
next few days.
Immediate action is urged BY a com :
:nittee of the Virginia Chemists Club.
which is tho Virginia Section Of the
American Chemical Society. This COM
mittee Is composed OF Or. q. NJ. Brad
bury. OF the State Department of Agri-
cniture; DR.. Henry Froehling. Of Froeh-
ling Robertson. ana DIR. Wortley r.
Rudd. OF the Medical College OF Tir-
ginia. Similar movements have been
started in practically every section of
the country.
superintendent W =. Knowles. Of the
overtures had been made TO him. and
that the matter Lad not been dis
cussed. Such step would necessarily
have 70 be taken through the Admin
istra,ive Board, which is in direct
charge of the plant MIR. Knowles
said. however that the Federal gov
ernment was already working on this
matter. and lie understood that ma
chinery had b1en installed in the gas
plants Of several cities OF the country
TO extract th> chemical
WILL. SELL. TOLUOL At
CURRENT PRICES TO L. =.
TO extract toluol. which is an i'm
portant ingredient: OF ordinary illumi-
mating gas. it is necessary 10 only
insiall condenser. This machinery is
inexpensive AMI could b. economically
operated. IL is said. There would be
no material depreciation Il the gas
after it was stripped" of the chemi-
cal. according TO tho chemists. Gas
deprived OF totuoi loses most or It's
illum ina ting power when used with the
ordinary "hsh-taii" or fiat burners, but
with mantlcs gives light with as
i.Sh candle power as before the chem
ical Is extracted. There is also little
or no depreciation OF nca; units, and no
injury for cooking purposes.
Pra ctically Ali gas used to-day for
illuminating purposes. il was pointed
out. IS burned with a mantle. which is
heated to incandescencc. while so per
cent of ali consumption is for heating
and cooking purposes.
The committee OF the Chemical So
ciety is now arranging for conferences
with the directors OF every gas plant
III Virginia. whether they are mu-
iicipal or privately owned works. and
il is believed that Immediate action
Will be taken by many OF them. The
plan proposes only that the toIuol he
extracted and sold 10 the government
AZ the current prices. The supply of
this chemical is inadequate 10 meet the
country's needs. and chemists are
merely endeavorinG to increase the out
put as wartime measure.
MATTER REGARDED AS or
VITAL MOMENT TO NATION
1T is so important FOR the country
that our supply OF ioluol he Increased
as rapidly as possible that | am ap-
pointing committee in each section
Of our society 10 take up the matter
as actively and insistcntly as possible
with the authorities OF the cities in
the section and with the large gas
companies" wrote julius Stciglitz.
presden, OF tie American Chemical
Society. 10 officers OF the Virginia
Chemists Club.
III necessary. | would recommend
that a committee of the section should
offer TO cooperate with the officials
and the gas companies in recomme nda-
lions as TO the installation OF the
necessary device for the stripping OF
gas Of its toluenc content. The Amer
ican Chemical Society. as we'll as the
National Research Council. are urging
this matter as one Of vital moment for
the safety Of the country"
OF the several high explosives now
in use. the War department has pro-
nounced trintrotoluol--T. y. T.. as IL
has become generally termed by the
allied nationS-as the best. II lis the
easiest high explosive 10 make. and
the safest to transport. For it's manu-
facture toluol is required. At the
present time this country is producing
annually approximately 100000 gall
ions OF toluol from the by-product re-
tort coke ovens. which have increased
rapidly since the war began.
GAS PLANTS SOURCE
FOR QUICK Production
This production, however is under
contract for the supply of tn, navy
and the allied nations. At least a year
is required for the construction of ::
large battery Of by-product ovens. and
the only quickly available source of
toluol for the new army is the gas
plants These plants can bc so
equipped within three or four months
some moro quickly. to remove the
chemical.
BriEadicr General william II. Croaer
chief Of tho Bureau of Ordnance of
the War Department. recently stated
that the mobile artillery alone would
require by September. 1918. at least
90 100000 gallons of toluoI. Statistics
show that during tho year 1916 ap-
rroximately 100000. 100000 cubic feet
of gas were produced in the United
States. Chemists declare that an aver
age OF .05 gallon Of toluol should be