Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-18
AUTO SALES AIDED
BY BIG OIL OUTPUT
More Gallons Per Dollar and
More Miles Per Gallon
Are Motorists Aims.
BY j. C. ROYLE.
u U NNO \
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, July 1S.-The flush
production of oil and the huge stocks
of gasoline have done much for the
automobile industry, whatever harm
they may have done the petroleum
companies. Average gasoline prices
now are only about IS per cent high
err than in 1918, while the average of
all other commodities is 81 per cent
higher, according to governmental fig
ures.
This fact undoubtedly has done
much to encourage purchase of pas
senger automobiles in the United
States, and their increased use for
touring purposes. America has
wide advantage over other nations in
this matter, since the. average price for
20 world centers outside the United
States in both hemispheres is 3S.4
cents a gallon. Bucharest, situated
in country with huge perol UNI sup
plies, is the only capital where prices
are approximately on the American
level. Even Mexico, whence millions
of gallons of oil are eXport0' to
America, shows a level nearly so per
cent higher than the price north of
the Rio Grande.
wore Miles Per GdIi0n.
The automobile owner of today,
however, is intent not only on getting
more gallons for every dollar. but
more miles for every gallon. Recent
high compression engine develop
ments have been made with that idea
plainly in view. Moreover the
changes have been not only" mechani-
cal but chemical. Much time and
thought has been put into develop.
ment Of improved fuel with gasoline
as base, which will give more miles
and less knocks
This has commenced to focus atten.
ton on what is called vapor phase
cracking processes. 1t is claimed
mat these processes produce a fuel of
quality comparable with benzol an a
blending agent in the compromising Of
premium motor fuels.
The first operation in refining
petroleum is to separate its hydro
carbons into groups which boil at Ger.
tain temperatures. The first separa.
ton occurs at the casing head of the
well, where the gas accompanying the
OIL yields extremely light hydrocar-
bons. This gasoline is too light for
ordinary use, but is valuable for
blending, and some of the easy-start-
ing properties of high test Winter
gasoline is attributed to its presence.
The distillation of crude gradually
separates the groups of hydrocarbons,
which come cut as straight run gaso-
line, kerosene, gas oil, light lubricat.
ing Oil and heavy lubricants, includ-
Ing paraffin wax. Cracking proc
esses simply consist of splitting the
molecules Of the heavier distillate
products under heat and high pres.
sure into smaller molecules which
constitute more volatile products, such
as gasoline. Thus it is possible to
distill off from the crude oil the
gasoline originally present in it. and
then obtain additional gasoline by
cracking the residue.
High Temperatures Employed.
In the more recently developed
vapor phase processes high tempera-
lures are employed. This type of
gasoline is peculiar because Of the
unsaturated hydrocarbons which it
contains and to which it is alleged to
owe its anti-knock properties. 1t is
more expensive to manufacture, and
its production seems likely to be con-
fined to refiners who want a blending
agent to supplement their ordinary
motor fuel and put it into the pre-
MUM class.
The Diesel automobile engine, which
will burn any kind of liquid petroleum
product whatsoever. has been success
full eXperimentally, but needs practical
use and demonstration. The newer
types Of high compression gasoline
motors Law nollch stress on low fuel