PETROL FROM COAL

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 25, 30 January 1932, Page 10

PETROL FROM COAL

England has long visualised moducmg her^o-n.ji JJeJiroP Jt>y, hydrogenation^ bt co&\], biit Ogro^jesb has'so far Hbeen matlo! 'A" recent-1 an* nouncement by the Impenal Chemical Industries, Ltd.—one of tho Jargest Organisations o"f its kin^'in^thp world —states that they jiavo now3su.ceced.ed in producing petiol ot d quahty'cqual to tho highest grade spirit on tho maikct, at 7d a gallon. The stage has now been reacued- v that -justifies tho production of synthetic petrol in Britain on a^big scale,,and the company plans to.erect a huge plant, capable Of manufacturing over 200,000 tons fpf petrol per annum. * 'The schene'-will involve a.v outlay'of about £8,0D0,000, and when the plant is y in operation will give empl6yment to 2000 |men>-anfl m addition 3000 miners will bo'needed to ■*-raise tho coal. Xt j£ claimed that, s satisfactoiy profitveah be^mado on,'the undertaking even'at present ruling prices.', _, '" >f, c , Apiopos of petrol distilfatioh/^t is interesting to record tho , result of somo recent French experiments carried out in connection, with tho production of, fuel alcohol from .bananas. From onp class Of, fiuit 19} gallons of pure spirit was obtained per ton of bananas, while from --New Guinea bananas aearly 21$ gallons per,S \toii was obtained. Whether cultivation'of 1 bananas for production of alcohol | alono could be mado a payable pro-' position is a different matter. ,