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WILL UNCLE SAM'S GAS TANK RUN DRY?
Petroleum experts of all kinds, including geologists, chemists and statisticians, are in wide disagreement over the question of whether or not there will be a gasoline shortage in the United States within the next 5 or 6 years. Each is vehemently voicing his own opinion in the matter.
So far, it has been impossible to produce it at a market price of much less than twice what an ordinary gallon of natural petroleum gasoline now costs. In other words, synthetic gasoline costs about 32 or 33 cents a gallon, although large-scale production would undoubtedly lower this figure.
What chemistry, spurred on by necessity, can accomplish can be seen by a glance at what is now happening in Germany, struggling to be free of foreign imports. Automobiles are being driven increasingly by illuminating gas, alcohol, benzol, diesel oil, and a variety of nonliquid gases, including propane, butane, methane, coke, and wood gas.
Propane and butane are available in large amounts in the United States, as well as natural illuminating gas, which is mostly methane. Both of the former are now used in liquid form as solvents to remove impurities from motor oil in U.S. refineries. Their great versatility makes it possible to use them first as a solvent and then as motor fuel, without great additional cost. These could undoubtedly be used in an emergency, although they require additional equipment to that used in gasoline-burning automobiles. Liquefied propane tanks are shown on the front cover of this week's Science News Letter.
(Science News, 12 October 1935)
Petroleum experts of all kinds, including geologists, chemists and statisticians, are in wide disagreement over the question of whether or not there will be a gasoline shortage in the United States within the next 5 or 6 years. Each is vehemently voicing his own opinion in the matter.
So far, it has been impossible to produce it at a market price of much less than twice what an ordinary gallon of natural petroleum gasoline now costs. In other words, synthetic gasoline costs about 32 or 33 cents a gallon, although large-scale production would undoubtedly lower this figure.
What chemistry, spurred on by necessity, can accomplish can be seen by a glance at what is now happening in Germany, struggling to be free of foreign imports. Automobiles are being driven increasingly by illuminating gas, alcohol, benzol, diesel oil, and a variety of nonliquid gases, including propane, butane, methane, coke, and wood gas.
Propane and butane are available in large amounts in the United States, as well as natural illuminating gas, which is mostly methane. Both of the former are now used in liquid form as solvents to remove impurities from motor oil in U.S. refineries. Their great versatility makes it possible to use them first as a solvent and then as motor fuel, without great additional cost. These could undoubtedly be used in an emergency, although they require additional equipment to that used in gasoline-burning automobiles. Liquefied propane tanks are shown on the front cover of this week's Science News Letter.
(Science News, 12 October 1935)
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