The Washington times., 1924-04-09
Gas NOT
MERE LUCKY
ACCIDENT
More Than $500 Substances
Tested Before Final
Selection.

Years of AArd work, and not a
lucky accident are responsible for
the discovery 'aAd, perfection of
STANDARD" Ethyl Gas, according to
Thomas Midgely, jr. vice presi-
dent and general marager of the
General Motors Chemicar Company,
manufacturers Of the new automo-
tive fuel which is being inS.oduced
in Washington by the Standa~d Oil
Company of New Jersey.
ever since the inception Of the
industry" says Mr.. Midgely, "enE.
Hneers have recognized that IL
would be possible to get greater
power and economy from the use
of petroleum fuels in internal COM
bustion engines if compression
could be increased without a very
obsectional fuel knock developing
in the motor. In every day use,
motorists can recognize this eff
cheney in the use of fuel when
their engines knock when accele-
rated quickly or when going over
hills or operating under a heavy
load with an advanced spark.
Exhaustive Experiment.
For years in the General Motors
laboratories at Dayton, whose work
is. devoted to the advancement Of
the 'automotive industry, study,
experiment and tests have been
conducted to develop something
that would increase the efficiency
Of this present day fuel. More
than twenty five hundred substances
were tested in months and months
of research work and a score or
more Of these substances, that
would eliminate this trouble, were
found. Finally one of these sub
stances was selected that would
accomplish this purpose with great
efficiency, and be in every way
commercially practical.
During these years test cars
were driven hundreds of thousands
Of miles and many new testing in
struments were built in developing
and producing this new fuel mate
rial. 1t is known as ethyl fluid.
and when mixed in proper proper
tons with ordinary gasoline entire
ly eliminates, under all conditions
and over all roads, the inefficiency
commonly denoted by q knocking
motor. 1t must be recognized that
the fuel knock in a motor Is only an
audible sign, when conditions are
in an extremely bad state, of an
inefficiency that is present in this
fuel even when no knock is heard.
AS a result of removing these con-
ditions there is likewise removed a
loss or power, a waste of gasoline
! and all harmful carbonization.
Famous Inventors.
1t is a significant coincidence that
standard" ethyl gas was developed
by the same men who invented the
self-starter-and in all probability,
without the self-starter, the mum.
Der OF automobiles in operation to.
day would be about two million
rather than fifteen million. And
from these same men comes the
statement that standard ethyl
gas Is the most important discovery
given to the automotive industry
since the invention of the self.
starter, for it makes possible not
only an increased efficiency in the
pFesent-day automotive engines, but
an increased efficiency in automo.
tive engines Of the future. In 9th.
err words, where we get today an
economy Of eighteen miles to the
gallon. Of gasoline, it will be Dos.
slble, through the use of stand.
ard ethyl gas to build engines in
the future that will give us easily
tnlrty'six to- fifty miles per gallon
Of gasoline"