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ral, the peculiarity of all and each of which he is obliged to make himself acquainted with to adapt them by an infinite number of combinations and mixtures to suit the various tastes, whims, or actual experience of his custo

mers.

PARAFFINE WAX AND ITS MANUFACTURE.

While paraffine in a fossil state under the names of earth-wax, or ozocerite, has been known in Europe from the earliest times, the modern discovery that it is a product of the distillation of several organic bodies under high temperatures, belongs fairly to the chemist Karl Reichenbach, who gave to the strange compound its present name, from parum and affinis, because it appeared to him to be wholly destitute of chemical affinities. His discovery, and its peculiar behavior in this respect was published in the year 1830. The following year, its presence in the petroleum of Rangoon, was noticed by Christison, of Edinburgh. He called it petroline, but hearing subsequently of Reichenbach's discovery, he was satisfied of the identity of the two substances, and withdrew the name given by himself. In 1833, 1834, and 1835, we have records of the separate discoveries by the three chemists, Laurent, Gregory, and Viobel, the former showing that the oils distilled from shale contained paraffine.

From this time on organic chemistry was making rapid advances, and we have frequent allusions to its presence in a number of compounds as a result of destructive distillation. To no one person does the credit more properly belong of

founding the commercial industry based upon the manufacture of paraffine and its allied products than to Seligue, of France. Largely to his genius and indefatigable industry belong the many improvements made in the manufacture of oil from bituminous shale. Did our space permit, we would be glad to reproduce here Professor F. H. Storer's remarks on the discoveries of Seligue in connection with the paraffine industry. We have room only for the following brief extract, which succinctly details the various products secured by him :

"On the 27th of March, 1839, Seligue specifies certain additions and improvements to a former patent. In alluding to the use of his oils in the treatment of cutaneous diseases, he speaks of the three large establishments for the distillation of bituminous shale, which he has erected in the department of Saône et Loire, and mentions the fact that the oil (crude) is furnished at the rate of ten centimes per pound. The clearest of all of Seligue's specifications, however, is that of the patent granted to him March 9, 1845, for the bituminous shales and sandstones. After describing the various forms of apparatus used in distilling, into one of which superheated steam was introduced, he enumerates the products of distillation as follows: I. A white, almost odorless, very limpid mineral oil, somewhat soluble in alcohol, which may be used as a solvent or for the purpose of illumination in suitable lamps. II. A sparingly-volatile mineral oil of specific gravity 0.84 to 0.87, of a light lemon-color, perfectly limpid, almost odorless, never becoming rancid, and susceptible of being

burned in ordinary lamps having an elevated reservoir, with double current of air, a slight modification of the form of the chimney and burner being alone necessary. This oil also can be mixed with the animal or vegetable oils. Oils thus prepared do not readily become rancid, nor do they congeal easily when subjected to cold. III. A fat mineral oil, liquid at the same temperature as olive oil. This oil contains a little paraffine, it is peculiarly adapted for lubricating machinery, and has an advantage over olive and other vegetable oils, or neat's-foot oil, in that it preserves its unctuousness when in contact with metals, and does not dry up. It saponifies easily, and forms several compounds with ammonia. IV. From the oils I., II., and III., I extract a red coloring matter which can be used in various arts. V. White crystalline paraffine, which needs but little treatment in order to be fit for making candles. This substance does not occur in very large proportion in the crude oil, and the proportion varies according to the different mineral substances upon which I operate. There is but little of it in petroleum and in the oil obtained from bituminous limestone. I often leave a great part of the paraffine in the fat oil, and in the grease, in order that these may be of superior quality. VI. Grease. This grease is superior to that of animals for lubricating machinery and for many other purposes, since it does not become rancid and remains unctuous when in contact with metals. VII. Perfectly black pitch, very "drying," suitable for preserving metals, wood, etc. VIII. An alkaline soap obtained

by treating the oils with alkalies. IX. Sulphate of ammonia. X. Manure, prepared by mixing the ammoniacal liquor or the blood of animals with the crushed fixed residue (coke) of the shale. XI. Sulphate of alumina from the residue of the shales." This specification contains also a description of his apparatus and the details of the treatment which contained the acid and alkali washings. We find in the above patent the key to many if not most of the methods employed not only in the subsequent manufacture of shale oil, but also to those more recently adopted in the treatment of petroleum oils. Of course, many of his processes have been modified, but when we consider the intractable material he had to deal with and the entire absence of any previous light upon his pathway, we must fairly accord to Seligue a high position if not that of the father of this industry. We have alluded in another connection to the part taken by Mr. James Young in the introduction and manufacture of Boghead coal oil in Scotland and England, which in the year 1878 reached large proportions, consuming 800,000 tons of coal shale, and producing 30,000,000 gallons of crude coal oil, subsequently converted into illuminating oil, machinery oil, paraffine, etc.

In this country paraffine is wholly a by-product in the manufacture of lubricating oils, or in the treatment of the heavy oils proceeding from the distillation of petroleum towards the last of the process. The purification of crude fossil paraffine, as practised in Europe, does not fairly claim our notice here, except we can discover in any of the

methods employed there, anything which will aid us in our present work.

In treating this subject from the stand-point of the American refiner, the preparation of lubricating oils and the manufacture of paraffine wax run so closely together, that in some points at least they touch, and must be treated as though they belonged to one subject. The manufacture of either or both begins when the residuum is placed in the still. The first products of this distillation down to about 32° Baumé (which when they are received into one tank, constitute an oil of 38°), are returned as crude oil.

THE PRODUCTION OF ILLUMINATING OILS.

After the separation of this first part, the products of the still are either again subdivided into at least two runnings, or run into one tank, according to the peculiar views of the refiner and the wants of his customers. If received into one tank, the oil is pumped into the "paraffine agitator." This apparatus is constructed upon the same general principles as the agitator used for illuminating oil, excepting that it is provided with special arrangements for heating its contents and retaining the dense easily congealed oil in a liquid condition. This is readily accomplished by surrounding the agitator with a steam-jacket, which not only supplies the facilities for applying the heat when required, but also affords a protection to the sides of the tank from the chilling effects of the cold during the winter. In the absence of this, in very cold weather, it will be almost impossible to treat

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