The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-03-03


at Dayton, Ohio, by chemists of the
General Motors Corporation, to the
effect that they have discovered that
the introduction of tellurium in gaso-
line will increase motor efficiency by
100 per cent, created general interest
among mining men and metallurgists
of Montana. The statement, though
somewhat mystifying to experts on
refining ores containing tellurium in
this state, attracted attention because
of the apparently reliable source from
which the announcement emanated.
That the introduction of metal
like tellurium into gasoline would in
crease motor efficiency 100 per cent,
or in other words would double the
mileage obtained by any car on a
gallon of gasoline, is, if proved to be
true, one of the most important dis
coveries made recently in connection
with gas engines seems certain.
Tellurium is at present derived
from the copper and lead industries,
obtained in electric refining of cop
per and lead. 1t has been considered
waste by-product and an objection
able impurity in commercial metal
There is stated to be certain amount
of tellurium in the Butte copper ores
that are electrically treated at the
Great Falls smelter. but the slime de-
posits containing it are shipped to
New Jersey for extraction of values
so that no tellurium in volume of any
importance is extracted from ores in
Montana. The supply of the metal is,
so limited, in fact, that only about
60 tons per year is produced annually
in the United States.
The announcement at Dayton came
from two of the chemists of the Gen
eral Motors Corporation. Thomas
Midmeley and Thomas A. Boyd, who
have been experimenting with the
metal in the development of an anti
knock" compound. They state that
they have experimental with tellur-
ium and solenium for months in an
effort to produce compound that
would eliminate motor knocks. The
compound sought for that purpose
has not yet been found, but one that
increases gasoline efficiency has, they
say.
Boyd and Midmeley announce that
they succeeded in doubling the pre-
vious mileage of motor cars by use
of a high compression motor with
gear ratio altered to suit. Their
statement says in part
THE scarcity of tellurium and its
mercial. use in the motor car field,
hv,< <h4 1hnr S0\o 81 - oh =
with their investigations in hope of
finding cheaper substitute.
I'VE discovered that the tellurium
compounds were more efficient than
any other agents for addition to gas
oline to prevent the knock which is
so familiar to motorists when an en-
CINE is laboring on a grade with the
throttle open.
Favorable results obtained indi-
cate that with anti-knock compounds
much higher compression can be used
in internal combustion engines than
has been possible with the present
low grade gasoline in general use.
'Dr. Victor Lenhoer, Of the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin, who has been in
terested in the experiments, says that
much work remains to be done be-
fore the motorist can benefit by the
successful experiment. It will be
necessary to ascertain all objection
able features in use OF such COM
pounds and how they can be over
come. He is quoted as saying
with the interest that has been
manifested by many research men in
the country who are experimenting
with tellurium, it is probable that
many other discoveries as important,
or even more so than this, will be
made in the future
cuticura for Sore Hands