PETROLEUM AS FUEL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1445, 15 January 1887, Page 4

PETROLEUM AS FUEL.

Writing some time ago on the subject of steam, communication with Europe we expressed the opinion that the time was fast approaching when the speed of steamers will be. greatly increased and the duration of passages consequently shortened, with a corresponding reduction m the cost of freight and passenger fares. And we indicated dtat thfe means by which we looked for fms J revolution m ocean traffic being brought about was by the adoption of peti oleum ,ajs fuel instead of coal, thereby increasing the available cargo space by reducing the area required for the stowage of fuel. For years Russian steamers on the Caspian have been burning petroleum, but for vessels making long oceaji voyages the stowage Qyajrgfi-.quantities of that article m its cranl i state Is attended with dangers have hitherto prevented its ad^tMh.V Sci^iice haj, however, as might have been predicated, stepped m And overcome the difficulty, and late newsliinforms us that the Atlantic slftttners are now about to try the exp£Hrhetif of using bricks 6f petrbleum irtsfeda of coal. The rnpdc ; by which *k^ e sP?ft?' eui ?Vhb ! r' t k s are prepared is, m^MWhf r &s '^c Ausifaldsian and South American, the invention of Dr Kayfttownj a chemist inthe service of the Russian* government io the oil

regions of Baku, near the Caspian Sea, who has discovered a method of crystallisation, or rather saponification, of petroleum, crude oil, or kerosene, with a view to which scientists have experimented for many years. By the new method we are told " the crude oil is changed into a hard, or semi-solid substance, which has almost lost the characteristic smell, as well as its great inflammability. In this state it may be shipped long distance! without danger or inconvenience, and by a simple and cheap chemical operation can be again made fluid and then refined." The process of solidifying the petroleum as used by Dr Kauffman is very simple, "and is described as follows : — " The oil is heated, and from one to three per cent, of its weight of common soap s added, with which it is boiled for about half an hour. After that time it will be noticed that the soap is all dissolved m the oil, and the fluid will suddenly turn into a hardened* puttylike substance, which will get as hard as stiff tallow when cold. This may be pressed into any shape desired." Of the fuel thus prepared we are told that the substance is very hard to light and burns very slowly, without making any smoke, with a reddish flame producing great heat, and leaving about two per cent, odorless, black and hard residuum. Its heating power, is stated to be " nine times greater than that of coal; that is, one pound of petroleum fuel produces the same amount of heat as nine pounds of the best coal." This means,* m the case of steamers, that eight-ninths of the space now devoted to coal will be available for cargo, and a great saving m the cost of fuel, the result of which must necessarily be to cheapen the cost of freight and of ocean travelling. It is further believed that the new fuel, which is odorless and of no gi eater inflammability than wood or coal, will come largely into use for household and manufacturing purposes, as it can be burned m the form of bricks m any stove or furnace. To New Zealanders, with our large supply of native coals, this aspect of the case will not be of any great interest, but the prospect opened up of the cheapening of ocean traffic by the use of the new fuel will undoubtedly be regarded as exceedingly satisfactory.