New-York tribune., 1920-09-19
Gas Substitutes
Which Depend on =
Water Valtaeless
Not Enough Energy i'm Such
Mixtures; Chemist Fore
sees Possibilities i'm Both
Benzol and Shale Oil

The chemist is giving more attention
to the fuel upon which depends the
propulsion>ef more than 100000 auto
mobiles, and this week, when more than
$4,000 ch emists will be in New York for
the National Chemical Exposition at
Grand Central Palace, many important
problems relating to the automobile
will be discussed. Chemists believe
that not enough work is being done in
n systematic "ay to show how to econ
omize in the use OF gasoline. William
A. Hamor assistant director OF the
Mellon Institute of Industrial Research
of the University OF Pittsburgh, says
that thorough investigation of car
burctors and fuels ard certified tests Of
the performance OF all makes of auto
mobiles would be Of vaiue III economic
ing in the use Of gasoline and giving
the public as much service as possible
:or a given expenditure.
In an article in Chemical and Metal
,urgical Engineering Mr. Hamor states
:hat the Bureau of Mines and the Blu
rcau OF Standards have studied diff
fcrent phases OF this question, but
neither has been able to conduct as
much research as should be done. The
American public cannot afford to have
the government fail short in q matter
Of so great ocopomic Importance and Of
,o-ious persona! concern to so many.
Mr.. Hamor continues: "A very per-
;inent question is. Should a higher
anal. boiling point for gasoline DC per-
nitted: A final boiling point of 80
degrees Centigrade would increase the
available supplies by considerable
percentage, while greater efficiency in
fractionation would result probably in
IN additional 10 per cent increase in
"jcld.
AS to Substitutes
The subject Of gasoline substitutes
one Of particular interest, although
ucfintc information concerning ii is
decidedly limited because of the
paucity Of research which has been
made public. The first point Of i'm
portance to mention here is that motor
fuel is essentially q source OF energy.
and that the energy must come from
somewhere. Interesting stories rega rd-
ing the discovery OF new fuels appear
rom time TO time in the newspapers.
these fuels being prepared BY adding
4 small quantity of some secret COM
pound 10 water. That these fuels are
one and all without particular value is
established by the fact rhat water con-
'"'"o ""'u' a' ll'''e {, a,a''"p.c energy
;no+"dS "iS "'''e WHY" e'o'o pe Sc
ut now seems probable that later
Oh sha!c oil may be become an i'm
portant source of motor fuel. Oil
hale probably will not assume any
considerable industrial Importance in
The immediate future, but its poten-
able feeling Of assurances that ,ba ,,sa
o. motor vehicles viii NOT have :, he
discontinued when crude netrolern,
Hccorcs too valuable for rnei nMr-
loses.
"Substitutes for gasoline shonid re-
i've every announcement IL nroGucnd
and marketed in AN ,ntelleent nnd
-ci~nti.ic manner. Tor our country nocIls
Ia incrcoso il. nntor ,nal r<,so'',aa,,
ard ro sion in .ti< d;roc.;aa oLo,,IJ
l,.. hin6crcd |, rLon;d hn ranoam;vad
However, that netro,eum rasol;ne 10
.yrc Of f9cl for ,rbich nrrsent oon:n1
n!ent has been dcxioncd and for v,b;rt
i, is cminentiv Satisfactory n ;s bn.
lievcd. therefore. that when strikino
claims arc made for the suncrioritS
of any gasoline substitute these should
not BE- taken too seriously. Tho SUBJ
titute fuel should be given fair tria,
OUT the user should be satisfied If il i,
IS coal as gasoline and should not ey-
IL
Ron,o, 10 Cod Stnm
..r, ''' ava"
ne type o. gasoline substitute
when - ot most Importance at the
present 'lme IS the mixture of hydro
taro"ns, including benZol, toluol and
E,oi' obtained as q by-product in the
y"hIhg OF coal During, the war the
',ehzo's we're USED largely, IN the pro
dHctlon of explosives and other mu
hl'iona' but since the termination of
hostlltle5 considerab!e supply has
peSn rendered aValiaDle Tor motor fuel.
IN 1act, several companies are market
'ng benZo! mixtures. generally mix
lures OF the benzolcs with petroleum
haphth2. These products have been
used under widely varying conditions.
md IN most cases favorable results
havr hr"n'obtalned.
The use Of light oils from coal as
motor fuel does not. however, offer an
ultimate solution Of the motor fuel
problem, since the total production of
.lnse hydrocarbons is rather limited.
The quantity Of light oil produced from
.oal N by-product coke ovens during
1919 has been estimated a. 10000 600