PETROLEUM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 194, 14 February 1912, Page 8

PETROLEUM.

FRAGRANCE IN PARAFFIN OIL. DISCOVERY BY BRITISH SCIENTIST.

Science has produced, largely by accident, a remarkable substitute for pure otto of roses. This substance 'has always been among the most precious of perfumes, because in addition to its sweetness it is, in its unadulterated form, also extremely powerful. Readers of "Captain Marryat" will remember the veracious yarn about the broaching of a hogshead of the stuff, and the disastrous effect it had on. the crew of the vessel.

Bulgaria is its chief source of production, and annually exports some €OOO to 10,000 pounds' of the essence, worth from £IOO,OOO to £120,000. There has been a reduction in the quantity available of recent years, and the price has become unusually high. Only recently the Wholesale value of otto of roses was equivalent to about l%d per drop. There are, of course, synthetic essences, which. are used as substitutes for the real thing. They are not of - the rose, but they are very much cheaper than the natural product,' and laTgely employed for commercial purposes. In the past most of these substitutes have been the result of German ingenuity; so it is a satisfaction to know that we have a British chemist who has evolved an essence which as nearly as possible corresponds to otto of roses. Like many another valuable discovery it was made by accident. Mr. Peter M. Short, B.Ss., who has created this interesting product, which he calls "Rosatogen," has for several years been carrying out experiments with liquid air. One of these experiments was to produce a candle fro® paraffin by freezing it. No known natural temperature will freeze paraffin. But at a temperature approximately 70deg. below zero, which can easily be attained by means of liquid air, paraffin become* soil*. . • ii

iMr. Short found in his experiment that certain free agents remained floating at the top. These he proceeded to investigate, and after four years of constant experiments he produced this synthetic product, which imitates otto of roses. This is the only British substitute, and is from 25 per cent, to 50 per cent, lower in price than any of its competitors. He is now working at other synthetic products from the paraffin group, and kas already got a violet perfume.