Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-10-28
CAN PUT COAL TAR
TO MANIFOLD USES
CHEMISTS UTILIZE MANY So
CALLED WASTE PRO.
DUCTS
Commercial Manufacture o. Bensine
is nsde Possible

Nothing demonstrates the triumphS
OF modern scientific chemistry better
than the innumerable uses 10 which
coal tar is put. \ century ago coal
tar was considered 4 waste produce.
but today 1t enters into nearly every
department OF life. Not only has
chemistry put 10 multitude Of uses
this waste product, but through II
and its deriyatlonS number OF othct
formerly considered waste products
have been utilized.
wide range OF colors. various
burning and lubricating oils. asphalt,
Photographic developers, medicines
tlavors and perfumes are all made
partly from substances derived from
coal tar, rs are dyes and dress mate,
rial, colored paper and some foods.
Before gas was introduced as a new
hight a century ago. Frederick Accum
who wrote ore of the first books on
gas lighting suggested the boiling OF
the tar in still. and the condensation
and collection of the volatile products
The experiment was made aud the
process yielded two oils. One was
heavy and the other light 1t was
soon found that the heavy could be
satisfactorily used as a preseryativs
Tor wood that had to be fixed up1er
ground or submerged in water and
was used extensively in preserving
piers and wharfS,
Further experiments with the light
er oil were made by Scotch chem
list, Macintosh. who used it in water
proofing the clothing which still benls
his name 1t also is used as solvent
in yarnish making and as coal napihe
for lighting. Experiments with nap
that disclosed a rich treasury Of colors
which for centuries had been locked
up In coal and its refuse-tar Ben
zine was extracted from naphtha and
this in turn produced the different
shades OF violet, green, blue and yell
low. Later another chemist made the
commercial manufacture OF benzine
possible He was experimenting or
the artificial production OF Quinine,
and using a base known as aniline,
obtained coloring matter called
mauye.
This laid the foundation for the
coal tar color industry which has de.
yeloped until today almost every colcr
and shade of color IL derived from
aniline. Aniline had been obtained
previously from the indigo plant
anil. The discovery OF mauve created
a large demand for the artificial ami
line base, and gave unexpected value
20 benzinc. 1t yielded aniine by being
treated with nitric acid and with the
borings OF cast iron powdered into
dust.
Having done its work in the ami.
line still, the dust was used by the
gas maker 10 cleanse his coal gas
from the sulphur and then 1t passed
70 the manufacturing chemist, who
burned the sulphur out Of ii and pro-
duced sulphuric acid--a cycle OF opera.
lions whose beginning and end was
the utilization Of waste.
This method OF producing color was
responsible for the desolate madden
fields OF France and Holland and for
the loss to the Hindus Of their long
cherished indigo cultivation Anthra
Gene, one of the heavier oils Of coal
tar, caused the fall OF the madden
growing industry. The madden pro-
duced yiolets, reds, blacks, puppies,
and dark browns. Anthracene was
sold very cheGply for lubricating pur.
poses until certain chemists heated
it with zinc filings and produced ali
2arin and then the secret OF the mad
der plant was discovered.
In this way chemistry displaced
agriculture. one pound of alizarin
having the coloring power of ninety
pounds of madden, and the lubricat
ing oil sold at a trifle as waste be
came valuable coloring matter worth
$500 a ton, thereby creating a vast
industry.
In medicine and surgery coal tai
has worked wonders. Saccharin
many hundred times the sweetenint
power of sugar is used by diabetit
patients. Carbolc acid is separated
! from the oil of coal tar by success
sive Installations, and in surgical op
erations a spray of germ killing car
bolic acid ia used. Quinoline, anti
/ pvrine and other fever assaugers arr
made from coal tar and various an
tiseptlcs and food preservatives alst
are obtained from It.
Vanilla flavoring for cooking. whic.
formerly was prepared from a bean
can now be obtained from the vanil
lin of the gas works, and even THU
v,nillin can be made into y heliotrop'
perfume by adding oil OF almonds
while the latter can BE produced b.
treating benzine with an acid. Hug
quantities OF this oil are used in tn
making OF scented soaps.