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Analysts
14
FUEL
IN SCIENCE
if t h e y are d i l i g e n t l y s ~ u g h t for, a n d ib s e e m s s t r a n g e t h a t n o r e c o r d of t h e i r d i s o o v e r y a p p e a r s to h a v e b e e n m a d e ,hitherto. T h o s e w h o h a v e t h e b e s t o p p o r t u n i t y for o b s e r v i n g s u c h o c c u r r e n c e s probably do not consider them important enough t~ n o t e , b u t t h e y a r e of c o n s i d e r a b l e i m p o r t a n c e for t h e s t u d y of t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n of coal ( u p o n t h e
AND
PRACTICE.
JAxuArty 1922.
r e s u l t s of w h i c h o u r k n o w l e d g e of t h e b e s t m e t h o d o~ utilising coal d e p e n d s ) , a n d we s h o u l d t h e r e f o r e b e e x c e e d i n g l y g r a t e f u l for i n f m T n a t i o n w h i c h w o u l d e n a b l e u s to s e c u r e a f u r t h e r s u p p l y of r e s i n i n c l u s i o n s in B r i t i s h b i t u m i n o u s coals. D e p a r t m e n t of F u e l T e c h n o l o g y , Sheffield U n i v e r s i t y .
REVIEW OF CURRENT LITERATURE. AnalySis.
(a} COKE Oven A~n B~.t-P~o~utrrs WORKS C~mms~Rx. T. Biddulph-Smith. Pp. 180; figs. 54. Charles Griffin and Co., Ltd., London; 1920. (b) Tim I~AC'rXCALC~mmsz~Y or Co~L A~v i t s PaonucTs. A. E. Findley and R. Wigginton: Pp. 144; figs. 23. Bean Bros., Ltd., London; 1921. (c) T a r AuaLxszs or COAL ANn zTs B~PRoDud~rS. S.R. Illingworth. Pp. 380; figs. 6~. The Colliery Guardian Co., Ltd., London; 1921. The publication, within a short interval of one another, of these three books, each dealing with the analysis of coal and the products derived from coal, and each treating the subject in nearly the same manner, is a healthy symptom of awakened interest in the scientific ~tudy of fuel problems. Fuel chemists have long felt the need for " standard" methods of anaaysis--for methods that would enable cue chemist to obtaiw the same results as another for, for example, the "" volatile m a t t e r " in a given sample of coal. No doubt the publisation of such books as these will conduce to the f~rmulation of such standard methods; far, to take again in illustratmn the determination of volatile matter, in many instances each atttbor gives different details when describing the same operations. As already stated~ each book treats the subject in nearly the same manner ; not exactly in the same manner ,though, and the differences in treatment enable an indieatlon to be given of the relative values of the books for different readers. Book (a) is, as its titlestates,intended primarily for by-product works chemists, and it should satisfactorily meet their present needs. Book (b) appears to be essentially a laboratory manual for students undergoing instruction such as should fit them to tackle the analytical s!de of fuel probhms in general, but with a leaning towards present-day by-produst coke oven practice. Book (e) can he described as the "investigators" hook, for it often leaves the choice of method to the judgment of the individual, and it suggests lines of enquiry which are not usual in an analyst's practice. Fuel chemist~, as a rule, will probably desire to have all three books in their libraries. (R.V.W.) Coal. A Cot:~z~v~zo~ To Ta~ 8~tm~z or F ~ s ~ . F. 8. Sinnatt. Trans. Inst. Min. Eng., 1921, 62, 156-168. This paper deals mainly with fasain from Lancashire ceals. In these coals it occurs in two main forms~ namely : (I) As local aggregations which attain as great a weight as 4 lb.; (2) in thin layers disseminated throughout the whole mass of the coal. The two types do not exhibit any marked differences in structure when examined under the microscope. The thin laye~ are of greater importance than the larger ma~ee, since they form by far the greater total amount of fusain in a seam. The amount of fusain in Lancashire coals is estimated, roughly, at between 2 and 3 per cent. by weight. A number of analyses of samples from different seams are given, from which it appears that the percentages of
volatile matter amt of oxygen are always considerably lower than in the coal with which the fusain is a~soeiated. Any process in the purification of coal which tends te ~ remove the fusain front it will therefore increase t h e percentage of volatile matter; washed and screened coals are found to be richer in volatile matter than are lump coals. The conceatration of fusain in mine road dusts, in the dust collectors o~ screening plants, and m washery slurry is proved by analyses, and it is shown that these concentrates differ considerably in their properties from powdered coal" in particular, the detmmental effect t~at fusain has on the coking properties cf coal is emphasis~d, and the practice of mixing washerv slurry with coking slack is therefore strongly condemned. This is a valuable contribution to our knowledge of coal, and the paper should be read carefully by all concerned with the cleaning of coal; for it is clear that fusain must be regarded as a highly uncles:ratio ingredient. The work ,has beent carried out chiefly under the auspices of the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Reeearci~ Association. Such work probably can only be carried out, with the thoroughness Capt. Sinnatt has displayed, wimn backed by some such association of colliery proprietors. (R.V.W.) 0eke. TR~ :EXA~t~A~XON OF COKZ ~Y RXrLZCTED LIo~a" (Koksuntersuchang im auffaltenden Licht). H Winter. (~l/lckauf, 1921, 50, 1221.1o24; 1 pl. When a sample of coke has had a flat surface ground on it, which is finished by polishing on fine eme&v paper, and removing witii a soft brush the dust produced during grinding, the surface can be examiued nnder the microscope as in metallography. A magnification of three diameters is znfllcient to show tim general character of the coke, e..q., its porosity, and tn disclose the presence of impurities. e.g., pyrites, but the latter are more readily detected with a magnification of nine diameters. For the measurement of the size of the pores, and the estimation of the relative areas of coke and pores, magnification 65 times is required. micro-photographs are given of longitudinal and transverse sections of gas coke, of gas carbon, wood charcoal, and sugar charcoal. This method of examining coke is interesting, but it does not impress one as likely to yield information of practical value. {W.P.) Constitution of Coal. THE AC'rION 0F l'ffITRre ACID ON BROWN COAL AND ~IqI~
UL~rNS (Ober die Einwirknng yon Salpetersafire ant Braunkohle und Itnminsaiiren). A. Schellenberg. Brcnnat. Ohemie, 1921, 2, 38~-386. A detailed and comprehensive criticism of a paper by~larcusaon (Z. f. angew. CA., 1921, 34, 521-522) on the nitration of brown coal. Marcusson claimed to have obtained by the action on raw brown coal of nitric acid of various concentrations at low temperature, yields up to
FUEL
IN SCIENCE
if t h e y are d i l i g e n t l y s ~ u g h t for, a n d ib s e e m s s t r a n g e t h a t n o r e c o r d of t h e i r d i s o o v e r y a p p e a r s to h a v e b e e n m a d e ,hitherto. T h o s e w h o h a v e t h e b e s t o p p o r t u n i t y for o b s e r v i n g s u c h o c c u r r e n c e s probably do not consider them important enough t~ n o t e , b u t t h e y a r e of c o n s i d e r a b l e i m p o r t a n c e for t h e s t u d y of t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n of coal ( u p o n t h e
AND
PRACTICE.
JAxuArty 1922.
r e s u l t s of w h i c h o u r k n o w l e d g e of t h e b e s t m e t h o d o~ utilising coal d e p e n d s ) , a n d we s h o u l d t h e r e f o r e b e e x c e e d i n g l y g r a t e f u l for i n f m T n a t i o n w h i c h w o u l d e n a b l e u s to s e c u r e a f u r t h e r s u p p l y of r e s i n i n c l u s i o n s in B r i t i s h b i t u m i n o u s coals. D e p a r t m e n t of F u e l T e c h n o l o g y , Sheffield U n i v e r s i t y .
REVIEW OF CURRENT LITERATURE. AnalySis.
(a} COKE Oven A~n B~.t-P~o~utrrs WORKS C~mms~Rx. T. Biddulph-Smith. Pp. 180; figs. 54. Charles Griffin and Co., Ltd., London; 1920. (b) Tim I~AC'rXCALC~mmsz~Y or Co~L A~v i t s PaonucTs. A. E. Findley and R. Wigginton: Pp. 144; figs. 23. Bean Bros., Ltd., London; 1921. (c) T a r AuaLxszs or COAL ANn zTs B~PRoDud~rS. S.R. Illingworth. Pp. 380; figs. 6~. The Colliery Guardian Co., Ltd., London; 1921. The publication, within a short interval of one another, of these three books, each dealing with the analysis of coal and the products derived from coal, and each treating the subject in nearly the same manner, is a healthy symptom of awakened interest in the scientific ~tudy of fuel problems. Fuel chemists have long felt the need for " standard" methods of anaaysis--for methods that would enable cue chemist to obtaiw the same results as another for, for example, the "" volatile m a t t e r " in a given sample of coal. No doubt the publisation of such books as these will conduce to the f~rmulation of such standard methods; far, to take again in illustratmn the determination of volatile matter, in many instances each atttbor gives different details when describing the same operations. As already stated~ each book treats the subject in nearly the same manner ; not exactly in the same manner ,though, and the differences in treatment enable an indieatlon to be given of the relative values of the books for different readers. Book (a) is, as its titlestates,intended primarily for by-product works chemists, and it should satisfactorily meet their present needs. Book (b) appears to be essentially a laboratory manual for students undergoing instruction such as should fit them to tackle the analytical s!de of fuel probhms in general, but with a leaning towards present-day by-produst coke oven practice. Book (e) can he described as the "investigators" hook, for it often leaves the choice of method to the judgment of the individual, and it suggests lines of enquiry which are not usual in an analyst's practice. Fuel chemist~, as a rule, will probably desire to have all three books in their libraries. (R.V.W.) Coal. A Cot:~z~v~zo~ To Ta~ 8~tm~z or F ~ s ~ . F. 8. Sinnatt. Trans. Inst. Min. Eng., 1921, 62, 156-168. This paper deals mainly with fasain from Lancashire ceals. In these coals it occurs in two main forms~ namely : (I) As local aggregations which attain as great a weight as 4 lb.; (2) in thin layers disseminated throughout the whole mass of the coal. The two types do not exhibit any marked differences in structure when examined under the microscope. The thin laye~ are of greater importance than the larger ma~ee, since they form by far the greater total amount of fusain in a seam. The amount of fusain in Lancashire coals is estimated, roughly, at between 2 and 3 per cent. by weight. A number of analyses of samples from different seams are given, from which it appears that the percentages of
volatile matter amt of oxygen are always considerably lower than in the coal with which the fusain is a~soeiated. Any process in the purification of coal which tends te ~ remove the fusain front it will therefore increase t h e percentage of volatile matter; washed and screened coals are found to be richer in volatile matter than are lump coals. The conceatration of fusain in mine road dusts, in the dust collectors o~ screening plants, and m washery slurry is proved by analyses, and it is shown that these concentrates differ considerably in their properties from powdered coal" in particular, the detmmental effect t~at fusain has on the coking properties cf coal is emphasis~d, and the practice of mixing washerv slurry with coking slack is therefore strongly condemned. This is a valuable contribution to our knowledge of coal, and the paper should be read carefully by all concerned with the cleaning of coal; for it is clear that fusain must be regarded as a highly uncles:ratio ingredient. The work ,has beent carried out chiefly under the auspices of the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Reeearci~ Association. Such work probably can only be carried out, with the thoroughness Capt. Sinnatt has displayed, wimn backed by some such association of colliery proprietors. (R.V.W.) 0eke. TR~ :EXA~t~A~XON OF COKZ ~Y RXrLZCTED LIo~a" (Koksuntersuchang im auffaltenden Licht). H Winter. (~l/lckauf, 1921, 50, 1221.1o24; 1 pl. When a sample of coke has had a flat surface ground on it, which is finished by polishing on fine eme&v paper, and removing witii a soft brush the dust produced during grinding, the surface can be examiued nnder the microscope as in metallography. A magnification of three diameters is znfllcient to show tim general character of the coke, e..q., its porosity, and tn disclose the presence of impurities. e.g., pyrites, but the latter are more readily detected with a magnification of nine diameters. For the measurement of the size of the pores, and the estimation of the relative areas of coke and pores, magnification 65 times is required. micro-photographs are given of longitudinal and transverse sections of gas coke, of gas carbon, wood charcoal, and sugar charcoal. This method of examining coke is interesting, but it does not impress one as likely to yield information of practical value. {W.P.) Constitution of Coal. THE AC'rION 0F l'ffITRre ACID ON BROWN COAL AND ~IqI~
UL~rNS (Ober die Einwirknng yon Salpetersafire ant Braunkohle und Itnminsaiiren). A. Schellenberg. Brcnnat. Ohemie, 1921, 2, 38~-386. A detailed and comprehensive criticism of a paper by~larcusaon (Z. f. angew. CA., 1921, 34, 521-522) on the nitration of brown coal. Marcusson claimed to have obtained by the action on raw brown coal of nitric acid of various concentrations at low temperature, yields up to