The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-05-10
THE SEATTLE
OXYGEN co.
Produces Highest Grade
Electolytic Oxygen

This city can we'll boast OF being
tho home OF the Seattle Oxygen Com
pany. firm which produces the
highest grade OF oxygen known 10
the commercial market The oxygen
made by this company IL produced
by the .ieetroiysiH Of distilled water.
This Ras ls superior To that taken
from the air. the usual method OF
obtaining H.
The Seattle Oxygen Company was
organized In this city In October.
1914. and has been steadily inoreas-
ing It's output every year. All
profits made by tho company stay In
seattle TO help build up tho city.
Mr., IA. A. Halium. President. says
that he does not expect local patron
age on that basis alone. but because
the product is superior 90 that OF
any Eastern concern doing business
In this territory.
Lrtson Ballet. weli-known cnKi-
neer. compares oxygen as Il IL pre-
pared by the two known processes.
lie writes
al the present time the OXYGEN
production OF the United states
amounts 20 about J. 900. 900 cubic feet
per day. Of which nearly &c per cent
IN produced from the air. by the
Linde aud Claude processes The re-
naming IS per cent IL produced by
.i-ctroiysis from distilled water.
Oxygen itself. whether from air
or water or produced from chefni-
calls. IL not cornburtlblc. II viii not
explode nor unite with Itself. but "
you mix oxygen with an1tyiene or
other oombustible gaa the other gas
will burn or combine with the ony-
gen when ignited. That condition ~
taken advantage Of BY using the
other Kas thru the torch with ory-
gen to bring III. metal up 10 the
poini OF kindiinR
You can take any torch and burn
a streak thru a beard Just the same
M you can thru . steel plate. You
viii have 10 cool the board below
the klndling point behind the cut.
which 10 all the difference
The oiectroiyue method OF pro-
ducing oxygen ia somewhat more 81.
pcnsiv- than the methods OF obtain
ing atnayphrric Oxygen. but u has
several advantage that make 10
worth considering. for acme nppilea-
lions
"For every cubic foot Of Oxygen
obtained ~ .lcctroiysis from water.
two cubic feet Of hydrogen h slr4ui-
tAnoousiy obtained The hydrogen
has fuel value that Ia used thru
the torches or bIowpipcR for kind
ling tho metal 10 be cut. sff~ctins a
bix saving IN acetylen. sas used
with Oxygen for the same purpose
sFr<fnnsss.NaafaM a..
with a higher percentage % purity
than atmospheric oxygen ordinarily
10 produced For biast-furnasr work
and for explosives this extra purity
probably makes but little difference.
but in the cutting OF stool and iron
the difference 10 greater than popn-
larry supposed
The impurities Of tho oxygen
when obtained from the tao sourc.s
air or water. are different Oxygen
~ from - To = per cent OF nitro
ken. while oxygen obtained from
oishll~a water contains from = to
y OF 1 prr cent OF hydrogen.
a Ef.kt amount 81 unnecessary
impot lance seems 10 have oe.n CIV
en- ~ Tn" manner os ksnolinE the
iron. Many experiments have been
made with the aifGercnt prehcAttng
eahra. NJ own experience and OBJ
sersauon lead me 20 conclude that
WIN tttf aAAAaF AAbHf VI Rh1AFu anu
tho Same conditions thruout. the
fuel used for preheating makes very
little difference. II any. in the re-
suits.
80 far have not been able 60
find any nitrogen IN the iron STAG.
nor In any OF the products Of the
combustion. but this much is known.
the nitrogen does not burnt ex-
pands rapidly with heat IL sbaorOs
heat. ana u occupies space. Hence.
q hfI a. a
nitrogen impuriiy. W. must allow
for those four factors. IL H. a chem
teal law that can not be argued. and
as matter OF fact We find rough
sr cut no doubt due TO the cooling
effect OF nitrogen expansion and ita
Absorption OF heat
The hydrogen impufity 10 so
small in commercial oxygen that Sta
value u unifnportant but IL quite
certainly less detrimental than the
nitrogen. Moreover. anaiyae OF COM
mercial oxygen show several times
more nitrogen ifnpurity In atmos-
phcric oxygen than hydrogen i'm
purity IN eiectroiytic oxygen.
and quantities OF The oxygen re-
duired for given work vary in eff
cheney from II to 40 per cent. Col
lcctcd data from the work OF dozens
Of other experimenters show the
difference TO range about the same.
all In favor OF the clectrolytic oxy-
gen.
Prom practical work In n plant
that used ov.r si00. coo worth OF OK
ygen a year ! made the estimate
that the average increase in cost OF
finished product. chipping. grinding.
and dressing the cut INCLUDED. was
from 30 20 60 per cent with air-pro-
dnccd oxygen over clectrolytic opy-
gen.
II seriously doubt IL absolutely
concurring results can ever be OBJ
taincd. for differences in analysis
of the metal. cut. differences in tenn
perature, and humidity Of tho SUR
rounding atmospheric. and differ
ences In elevation tharomctrtc con-
ditlons), viii likely make some diff
ference In results. The human eIe-
ment in adjustment OF even mechan-
tcaiiy operated torches Will also
make n dlfference"