BROWN COALS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 97, 18 January 1919, Page 11

BROWN COALS

A USEFUL RESEARCH • . VALUABLE RESOURCES . (Contributed.) ■ An.important publication has .recently beoiV issued on brown co;il a paper by Messrs. H. .Kand!>, JLA., 15.5 c., "ai:d W. 0. 1L ■ Gilling, W.A., H.Sc.j national research- Scholars, cm--.body.iug the results of their researches bnrried putiuider tho provisions of the ■scholarship. It has been issued'asa bulletin.by the Board-of Science and Art; under the authority of the Minister of-Internal Affairs. The experimental investigations upon which, the paper is based were.carried out in the laboriitories of Canterbury College, luitler the direction of Dγ: W. P. Kvans, M.A., Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, who. has edited the .work', thus adding.to its value by the. results of his ju<!gment and experience. ■ ■ '

The subject is one of tlio utmost importance,in Now.Zealand, owing to , tho .immense deposits of brown-coal in tlio AVaik'atOj Canterbury, Otiig'b.-.and particularly' Southland, and' the limited extentof- the bituminous coals of the Dominion. .The development of hydroelectric, power will increase ratiier than reduce the'importance-.yf the subject. For motive power -and lighting purposes, hydroelectric energy .may replace coal fuel to a • degree, but for heating, purposes on the large scale the direct use of fuel or f.upl-pis mu.st bo ' more economical, and for tlio production of. tar, tiir. oils, fuel oils, pitch, coke] ar.rl nil) the innumerable by-pro-ducts of the distillation of tar, including explosives, dyes, flavouring essences, hydro-electric power will only stimulate the demand for the scientific utilisation of our fuel resources. Wo must look forward to the time, in the future when it will be regarded as waste to burn* coal in i> kitchen or boiler furnace owing to the waste of these valuable tar product.*, which simply go up tiie chimney and blacken the neighbourhood, -while much better/heating service, is-.obtainable by the'use .of the gas or coke, after tbo recovery of t'ho'tar products. .....

■ The investigations under notice.were directed /towards two main considerations, both, of fundamental importance: (1). The use of jf.Z. brown coals in gas production.; and (2) the.low tonvperature distillation of N.Z. brown coals, Thoy do not claim to bo final investigations ill any. sense, .hut rather as preliminary, intended to servo as a starting-point for, . fuller researches. Nevertheless, very thorough work was done, extending .over several years. ' .The general results are worthy., of careful study by those concerned in the industry. With regard to the xiso of browli coals in gas producers, although this is conimeorccially quite general, the authors point out' important improvements which are immediately deducible from their "experiments,,particularly in tho direction of more regular feeding of the fuel and the addition of water with the fuel.- .In the distillation of the coals they find "a- return of 4 to; .8. per cent, of tar as the result of low.temperatinc 'distillation,'which was redistilled intolinht.oil, middle .'oil,"heavy i oil and pitch, >ind' >:gbii> j.nto seven fractions in tlie course of further' purification-. Tho.separation r:f; varidns;'coinmercial products is.'for l*tirtlier investipation." The b.rpwu conl.tars differ from those "derived from bitupiiiious coals in being lighter than, water, instead of heavier. The resultant is distinct from that obtained 1 in gas manufacture,, as it is not subjected to so high a temperature, -and still- contains comparatively large quantities of hydrocarbons. .This characteristic should render it much' freer -burning, and thus moro-use-ful as a> fuel for domestic and other purposes;, though",-'.of- course, not So .useful for electro-chcnipical purposes, for which in-anv ease', the- high proportion .of.ash.wonld reduce its'Valiie.-. The investigations deal witli practically-the whole of the Now Zealand brown coals, .including Kaitangata, Nightcaps, TToniobush, Tnupiri, Be.nlmr, Mataurn, Christie'H, Freeman's, Jubilpo. Mt, Sotnprs, "\V:iikai<ii, Albury, and Conical Hill, and aro thus of quite general value. ■•'.-••'" ■ ■ - ' The matter is being, followed up bv Dr. Evans under a science research grant made, tlirongh the New Zealand Institute, and. Mr. Cilliiiij lms •been". Vetained for two years' further work. Other research fcholars may also.find opportunity, to , follow 'ui>. the' investigation, or what would bo'much more -Effective: still, the coal owners inay!'p'er-' liaps combine to apppint a chemist at a j'easonablo salary 'arid ..expenses to cont.'nnn the work-indefinitely. The cir-t----.would be-only-a few huivirod-pounds a year. . The returns will ''certainly run to' thmisands, and will probably in the :fnv future, ; run to hundreds of thousands of. pound? worth npryear, whpii cireunistances force on New Zealand economy in the use of fuel resource.l., " ." '. PUBLICATIONS. '