COLLOIDAL FUEL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 12 January 1921, Page 6

COLLOIDAL FUEL

Colloidal fuel— the new liquid pror duct consisting of pulverised coal and wl, which can be handled and fired ■with the- usual oil-burner apparatus—was discussed in a paper by Mr Lindow W. Bates, of Now York, read at a meeting of the Institution of Petroleum Technologists,' in London. Mr Bates pointed out that from the economic point of view colloidal fuel possessed many advantages over fuel oil or coal alone. The fire hazard of the fuel was less than that of oil or coal, and there was far less risk in the handling and utilisation of colloidal 'fuel than with fuel oil. The Fire Council of the United States gave colloidal fuel a preferred rating over fuel oil. For the past month fuel had beenthe supreme thought of Europe, for what happened in Britain reached to all the neighbouring nations.. Anxiety for adequate supplies of aeroplane and motor-car fuel pervaded the woild. Various combinations had all been tested, but he urged that the greatest of all sources of relief was in the conservation, of refinable petroleum, vast quantities of which were lost by j evaporation in storage, appropriated to navies, and prodigally consumed j near the zones of production. Of a j reserve provision of 1,000,000 tons of i oil of naval quality for the fleet from 60,000 to 120,000 tons would vanish i into the atmosphere in a year, lx • colloidal fuel were made with this oil | nearly all evaporation loss would be j eliminated. With colloidal fuel na-j vies could have more steaming radius,. |mnra safety in action against, conflagration, more efficiency m j steam-making, more immunity from ( the torpedo and from shells entering below the armour belt. There would bo less dependence on menaced trans* port over sea, and loss export of money. There would bo more home capital for new enterprise, a better stabilised exchange, and yearly national and private gams that spell prosperity.,