THE MEANING OF VACUUM

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2935, 22 November 1916, Page 4

THE MEANING OF VACUUM

r-» AND HOW.A BIG COMPANY HELPS IN-AUSTRALASIA.-, The reason why the Vacuum Oil Company Proprietary, Limited, adopted the name of "Vacuum" was explained by their advertising manager, Mr. W. li. E.. Judd, on his recent visit. He explained; that all crude oils as they como from the ground have to be distilled and refined. The old process of distillation was by applying direct fire under the stills. This process of distillation is all right for motor spirits and kerosones, hut the extreme heat of direct fire burnt, or charred, the by-products from which lubricating oils are made. The Vacuum Oil Company then invented a p_rocess_ called the "Vacuum" process, in which the distillation of the crude oils took'place- in a semi-vacuum —that is to Bay, the crude oil was placed in' a still from which the air had been to a large. extent exhausted, thus relieving the'atmospheric pressure. Heat was applied bv means of live steam, with the result that there was no charring nor burning of the lubricating oils. ' In the manufacture of a large percentage of their high-grade Gargoyle oils, nothing hut the highest grade Pennsylvania crude oils are used, which cost from three to four times as much Tier' barrel as other crudes. The manufacture of their higligrade Plumn Motor Spirit and American Laurel Kerosene is conducted at different works to their lubricating -oils, and during the past eighteen months the problem of keeping tho Australasian market supplied with these products has been very difficult. The freight to-dav on a. ease of kerosene or motor spirit is about Bs. This freight rate of kerosene is greater,to-day than tho wholesale price at whibh some of the cheaper kerosenes wero sold before the war. A great deal of trouble has been experienced in procuring a sufficient number of boats to carrv this cargo to Australia and New Zealand. It is surprising to learn that there are about fifty boat loads of oil brought to .Australasia every year. The averago sailing vessel carries 70.000 to 90.000 cases, and the averago steamer 130,000 to 200,000 cases. Tho company maintains mammoth warehouses in the main centres for the storage of these commodities, and an army of Australian workmen is kept busy handling tnem. A large percentage of their lubricating oils is blended and manufactured within tho Commonwealth. In the big manufacturing works at Sydney. Melbourne, and Fremantlo, Australian matprinl i« vsed wherever possible. Mr. Judd also informed us that last year his comnany purchased 750,'000 now lithogranhed tins, and that ovcrv tin was made in Australasia, which meant givinz emnloymont to n larrre number of tinsmiths. In addition to this, the companv filled in their comnounding works 960,000 tins of lubrieatiiitf. oils. Tho average reader has no conception of the amount of lubrication necessary to keep the Commonwealth wV»ls of machinery moving smoothly. Machinery could not be ft in motion if it were not for oil. Our locomotives could not run —the axles of our pae- , songer coaches and coot's trucks would become so hot (hat a firo would take place. No machine, from an aeroplane encine down even to the watch vou wear will run: without lubrication. The motor without oil in its cylinders could not go a niiPi't n r..of a mile. There is no nroduct that the companv specialises in more thoroughly than motor lubricating oils, inasmuch n° they manufacture a grado of motor oil for each class of motor-car. and tho Gargoyle mobiloil tins are found in every community in Australasia.