Evening star., 1937-09-16
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Chemists are Just beginning to break
the lock OF the treasure chest of
petroleum.
In 1t, there Is every reason to believe,
Nature has packed away rich assort-
ment.
The chemists are twisting, juggling
and cracking the atoms and molecules.
They are operating with such formidable
sounding processes as isomerization, de-
polymerization, cyclization and de poly
alkylation.
This oil from the earth's depths, in
which was stored the sunshine which fell
on the earth 200, 900 900 years ago. hardly
was known at all until the beginning of
the last century. Then it was made use
of chiefly as lubricant and, little later,
as source of kerosene for lighting. It
was decidedly better than whale OIL
Petroleum was accepted at its face
value. Chemical methods were relatively
crude. At about the time they developed
to the point where they might have been
used effectively, the automobile came
into existence and the countrys oil re-
sources were strained for time to pro-
vide gasoline. Right on top of the auto
mobile came oil heating.
The petroleum industry prospered. The
earth was combed for new Oil fields.
Great fortunes were made out of it-and
1t is human nature to let well enough
alone. Thus, in sense, petroleum be-
came the victim of its own prosperity.
But today 1t Is looked upon as q vast
reservoir Of chemicals from which hun
dreds of new industries will arise"
The American Chemical Society held
symposium on this new day for petro-
leum at its Summer meeting in Rochester
last week and deplored how little chem
lists knew Of what the treasure chest
may contain. Practically no effort has
been made up to the present to explore
its potentialities for dyes, perfumes,
plastics, explosives, even fabrics. Chem
lists know. declared DR.. Frank c. Whit
more, president-elect Of the society, of
"only two or three dozen chemicals con-
tanned in crude oil and these amount
to only about 10 per cent Of it's total
structure.
At the same time, Drs. Gustav Egloff
and j. C. Morrell, Chicago research
chemists, told of some of the new uses
to which petroleum constituents already
are being put in the production of alco-
hols, glycols, ethers, oxides, aldehydes,
ketoneS, acids, resins, etc. Notable ele-
ments OF petroleum are so-called straight
chain paraffln hydrocarbons. The mole
cules OF these very complex substances
are tied together in straight lines. Chem
lcal processes have been developed, DR..
Egloff said, by which the chains can be
turned into rings-the characteristic
structure of benZene. These ring hydro
carbOnS can be turned into many prod
ucts, including explosives, medicines and
dyes, which hitherto have been obtained
chiefly from coal tar From benzene
itself, formerly chiefly coal by-product,
can be formed toluene, important as q
highly anti-knock motor fuel and as a
raw material for the production of
explosives.
One of the most important processes
developed is that Of isomerization by
which the internal molecular structure
OF compound is changed There are
In petroleum various "octanes," or sub
stances atoms OF carbon and 18
OF hydrogen. When the carbon atoms
are arranged in a straight chain the
material is a powerful knocker in q
motor. BY changing the internal struc-
ture the knocking can be eliminated
altogether.
Petroleum presumably contains about
everything to be found in coal tar, from
which literally thousands of synthetic
products are obtained. The symposium
last week, DR.. Whitmore said, marks
the beginning of new and earnest at
tack on our ignorance Of about 90 per
cent Of al the millions Of barrels Of