New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-18
Boil Gasoline
IF You'd Know
Its Fuel Value
Gravity Test Doesn't Mean
as Much as Cooking"
Says Service Manager
Bv |. c. NOlLES

The careful motorist Is just as anN-
ious to buy the gest gasolene for MS
car as he is TO sec that he has the
proper pressure in his tires. But most
motorists probably have used some So
called "high test" or "72 gravity or
some other gasolene with a fancy name
without obtaining any improvement
either in easy starting. economy or
freedom from carbon. The result IS
that many have concluded all gaso-
lenes are about equally good or bad.
There is no question that some
grades of gasolene are superior 70
others, but none of the common prop
critics of appearance, odor or even
weight are conclusive tests OF merit
When gasolene was of uniform gradc
the weights of equal units OF volume
represented fairly accurate check on
relative qualities. Thus, Y degree,
gravity" or "test" simply represents
a certain relative weight or density,
while 60 degree" is somewhat heavier.
The fact is that buying gasolene by
the gravity test alone is hardly any
better as an indication Of gasolene
quality than buying coal by its weight
n cubic foot would be a test OF the
coal. A $50 degree" gasolenc, when
might be either a pure, equal distllla-
ton. excellent for motor car fuel, or
IL might be "A combination of so degree
gasolone with 40 degree kerosene IN
equal parts by weight.
The real test Is TO determine tne
lowest temperature at which the huiu
will boil, the percentage that poils
away at different temperatures as tho
heat increases, and finally the tenn
perature at which the fluid is all boiled
away. A gasolene that boils at from
100 degrees (Fahrenheit) TO 80 de-
Crees. and boils away entirely at from
$50 to 375 degrees, makes an excellent
motor car fuel.
Eight or ten years ago gasolene was
hardly more than a distiller's byprod.
let and the gasolene distilled averaged
about 90 per cent of the crude petro-
leum. The increased use of automobiles
forced the distillers 10 obtain the Iarg-
est possible percentage OF gasolene
from the petroleum, nearly 1,25O,OOo,-
600 gallons of gasolene being consumed
annually in the United States for pleas
ure cars alone. If gasolene distilled
were only 20 per cent of the petroleum,
6.250. 000.0 900 gallons of crude oil would
be needed to produce the gasolene LOT
these consumers only.
To understand how the increased
percentage of gasolene has been OBJ
tanned il is necessary TO remember that
crude oil is a mixture of large num-
Der of chemical compounds Of carbon
and hydrogen. In most of these COM
pounds hydrogen forms large part,
and they are gaseous, volatile fluids
that boil at low temperatures. by ap-
plying gradually Increasing heat
these vapors come Off successfully, and
being condensed give the various grades
of fluids, from the lightest to the
heaviest. This so-called fractional dis
tillation is accomplished by steam dis
tillation. or by combined steam and
fire distillation, and produces a uni
formly high quality, but relatively
small quantity of gasolene. flre dIs-
tillation, however, breaks up the heav-
Ter hydrocarbon compounds into more
volatile constituents, yielding a larger
percentage of gasolene.
Designers Of high grade motor cars
have provided many features to pro
duce economical running, Tor the car
itself has an important bearing on the
gasolene problem. As for the gasolene
itself. if the motorist can he should
obtain the information on the boiling
range, and then by observation should
determine whether increased efficiency
in the fancy grades make them econom-
ical to buy.
In connection with the article writ
ice