The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-09-09
-Dietz on Science
GASOLINE, ONCE
WASTE, NOW is
GOLDEN fluid
Invention of Auto Solves
Big Nuisance for
Early DiStiIIerS.
BY DAVID DIETZ
soriDps Howard Science Editor

The twentieth century child, born
in the midst Of the automobile age,
will find it difficult to believe that
there ever was a day when gasoline
was regarded as a waste product
But forty years ago there were
only four automobiles in the United
States, Gustav Egloff, chemical
engineer Of Chicago. tells us, and
gasoline in those days was Just
something that nobody wanted.
From 1859 to about 1905, gaso-
line, always present in crude oil,
was a nuisance to the refiner," he
says. He was at his wits end to
get rid of it.. He ran it into
streams, rivers AMI lakes until the
Law called a halt due to the many
resulting fires. The INSCRIPTIONS
dealer adulterated his kerosene with
the worthless stuff, resulting in
many disastrous lamp explosions.
In 1871, in New York City, the
great chemist, Prof Charles F.
Chandler, discovered that there
were keroseneS being sold which
were pure gasoline Again the law
interviewed and drastic measures
were taken to remedy this evil"
Situation Is Reversed
Then came the advent Of the auto.
Today there are 100000 autos in
the United States. And as the auto
increased in use, the demand for
kerosene fell off. Oil lamps were
rapidly supplanted by the electric
light
The position Of the oil refiner was
completely reversed by this change
in public demand.
His problem now was to increase
his output of gasoline and decrease
his output of kerosene" DR.. EglOff
continues. ''As some INSCRIPTIONS
dealers earlier had mixed as much
of their worthless gasoline with
kerosene as possible, they now tried
to get rid Of their unwanted kero-
sene by mixing it with gasoline.
For a time it looked as though
the oil industry never would be able
to keep up with the mounting de-
mand for gasoline. Prophets of
gloom predicted a shortage of crude
oil, fearing that the oil resources
would last only few years"
These prophets, however, failed to
take into account the progress of
science. The picture changed with
the development of new means of
locating oil pools and with the in
ventiOn of the cracking process. AS
a result, the oil industry is produc-
ing at the rate of $4,000, 900 gall
Ions a year, and Dr. Egloff believes
that there will be enough oil to last
a century more.
Not only has the chemist shown
the way to produce more than 300
per cent increase yield of gasoline
from crude oil in twenty years, but
in addition, he has produced a new
and superior gasoline to that dis
titled from crude oil in the ordinary
way" he says.
Cracking produces gasoline of
different chemical composition from
that naturally present in crude oil.
Instead of merely boiling off the
gasoline fraction of petroleum,
cracking subjects the oil to intense
heat and pressure; temperatures of
the order of $50 degrees Fahren-
heit, and pressure of 400 pounds"
Natural Product knocks
The sort Of gasoline made by ma
ture consists of larger molecules
than those which result from the
cracking process, DR.. Egloff tells us.
The cracking process does just
what its name indicates. It cracks
the larger molecules of hydrocar-
bons in the petroleum into smaller
molecules.
Natures gasoline burns too rap
idly and knocks violently during
combustion in engines of most mod
ern cars" DR.. Egloff said. 80 we
crack natures oil-even gasoline-to
make anti-knock motor fuel.
Motor car manufacturers have
been quick to take advantage of the
constantly improved quality of gas
oline to better the operation Of their
cars by increasing compression
pressure"