Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-19
MILLIONS SAVED
THROUGH SCIENCE
lrenee du Pont Points Out
How Chemists Are Aiding
Motorists.

Motordom can look to the chemist
for millions in savings during the next
few years. Irenee du Pont of the r, I.
du Pont de Nemcurs Co. declares in
a statement To the American Chem
ical Society on the development OF
organic materials paralleling progress
In the dye stuffs industry.
Compounds OF the accelerator class
enormously increase the mileage of
automobile tires Al comparatively
trifiing cost. and the use Of tetraethyl
lead viii cause an enormous increase
in the mileage per gallon Of gasoline
used in automobiles. and this. too, at
an insignificant cost he asserts in
a summary of chemisfry's triumphs.
New finishes. he adds, also have
resulted in further large savings"
Rubber AcceIeratOrs.
= Rubber acceleraters he calls one of
the most notable specific accomplish
ments % he la 6oratory. These com
pounds. ne points out. not only have
the properly OF Fastening the curing
process in the manufacture OF rub
her goods, bat TO q considerable eX-
tent have improved the quality Of
the Rubber into which they are in
corporate
MI. gu f'Cht tit6G w. 4. heeT
as authori:>. for the estimate that
these rhen.cals were saving the
American rs'oltc at the rate OF $50
900 900 l,er prnum and by their speed
ing up '!ie nufacturing processes have
saved The ubber mania cturers $50.
600 .U0U .dd .tinnal capital investment
which WuUi otherwise have been re-
ouired
"One ut the large rubber com
panies." he tntInnes has made an
estimate thsi ne increa sed mileage of
tires made with accelera ors over the
mileage WnTh would have been oh
tanned without such ingredients has
In the las: ten Neass aggregated 240.-
00e. 600 600 the miles. or equivalent
10 sending 2.5na.a00 automobiles
around !he world al it's Equator The
total COS Of these accelerators has
beer hut ? small fraction Of the value
e the rosui'~ obtained
.\mi.knock Gasoline.
'Ano;h her oiltsta ndins accomplish
ment is ;he invention of the so-called
anti-krnck for gasoline used in in
ternal combustion engines.
'It j. Vet known that the thermal
efficiency % IN internal compression is
put upon the mixture OF fuel and air
p
tunatelv. when a pressure is reached
which = nu re definite for any particu
lar fue'. the nature of the explosion
in the engine suddenly changes. pro-
ducirg what is known as knock :;
hat tbs knock. is occa stoned by a
rearlT instantaneous and very high
pressure explosion in which a large
propGrti0 OF the energy is given out
a. radiant energy TO he absorbed by
the walls OF the cylinder and. there
fore. not available for mechanical
work ~ ;he crank shaft. The critical
pressure Which induces knock is far
below that which could be easily OBJ
tainahla mocha nically.
THOMAS Midgley of the Dayton
Engineering Laboratories. in his in
veStisa ton OF the cause Of knocking.
discovered that adding small amounts
If certain compounds to the fuel ma
teriallN cha nged the pressure at which
knocking was produced. He finally
found et,aethyl lead, whose properties
in his regard are quite astonishing.
Amounts as small as one-tWentieth
IF J per cent of the fuel are ordi-
ns;ily sufficient to permit an increas
~ 80 per cent in the initial compress
sion. with corresponding increase
In the efficiency Of the motor using it.
Mileage Increased 80 Per Cent.
1T Is now certain that the mileage
Of automobiles per gallon of gas can
he increased 80 per cent by it's use.
Consequently one-third of all gasoline
used can be saved by the use of this
compound
IL 1t had been universally applied
last year this would have resulted in
a saving of some 3 900, 000, 900 gallons
~ gasoline. One may reasonably eX-
pect tina, this saving actually will be