TRANSFORMATION OF COAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20075, 12 October 1928, Page 11

TRANSFORMATION OF COAL.

SCIENTIFIC TREATMENT. OIL AND FUEL RESIDUE. Tho salvation of the coal industry must ultimately depend upon tho discovery of new uses for the product and the development of them to the highest degree. 'The problem is one for science rather than industry, and science is helping splendidly, says a correspondent of the Financial News. Experiment has shown that oil and other by-products can be profitably extracted from coal. It has also been shown that pulverised coal is one of the most efficient heat-givers yet discovered. It is cheaper than oil; it is as easily bandied. But powdered raw coal with a high percentage' of volatile matter is oxplosive and dangerous to handle. Low temperature carbonisation has demonstrated that, after oil, p-s and other volatile elements havo been extracted, the powdered residue provides a smokeless fuel as good as, if not better than, the original crude elemont. In this direction—tho winning of oil from coal and the industrial consumption of the residue—the saving of tho coal industry from ultimate disaster would seem to lie. The only question is whether the process is commercially practicable. Thero are known to the world somo 250 low temperature carbonisation processes. In Britain alone a dozen or more are being subjected to experiment. Each claims to be the' best, although many have not yet passed from the laboratory. Some havo already claimed and obtained public financial support. Tho Royal Commission on the coal industry suggested a possible yield of 15 gallons of oil per ton of coal carbonised. The exponents of each process claim a greater output. It can, however, safely bo accepted as an average that one ton of ordinary bituminous coal will on distillation 12 gallons of lamp oil, 4 gallons of motor spirit, 6 gallons of lubricating oil, besides some 901b. of pitch, 401b. of phenol, 241b. of paraffin waoc and a certain amount of .sulphur, ammonia, etc. There will remain following this extraction 15cwt. of smokel-ss fuel. Beyond tho laying down of the initial plant, thero seems no avenue.for-excessive costs in these processes of low temperature carbonisation. A great similarity exists between these processes. The coal must be heated in a gigantic retort to a temperature not exceeding 500 centigrade, which would crack the crude oil. The volatile elements, in the form of oil vapour, gas. etc., pass from the retorts lo condensers, which retrieve them, results depending upon the., heating methods employed and .the efficiency of tho ■ condensation. NEW ZEALAND MEAT IN LONDON. LAMB AND MUTTON PRICES. The New Zealand Meat Producers' Board lias been advised l>y its London manager that the following retail prices were being quoted for New Zealand lamb and mutto.i, retailed in London on Octo ber s; Lamb.—Le«s, 16d per lb.; shoulders, 15d ; loins 14d ; necks, 9d : breasts, 6d. .Mutton (wether). —Legs, 12d; shoulders, lOd; loins, lOd; necks, 8d; breasts, 4d. DAIRY PRODUCE PRICES. LONDON MARKET VALUES., The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company Ltd,., has received the following cablegram from its London house, dated October 10: —New Zealand dairy produce: Butter, choicest salted, 170s lo 182s; market steady. Cheese, 109s to 112s; market quiet. Dalgety and Company, Ltd., report bav ing received the following cablegram from their London house, dated October 10: Cheese: Prices arc now 109s to 110s. SYDNEY WOOL SALES. GOOD DESCRIPTIONS FIRM. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. (Received October It, 10.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, Oct. 11. At the Sydney wool sales to-day tho market was firm for all good descriptions at late rates, but faulty, dusty and irregular wools wero difficult to quit Competition was strong, all sections operating freely. Comebacks and erossbreds were also in demand. Greasy Merino sold to 25id. The day's sales totalled 12.514 bales. NEW SOUTH WALES WHEAT. DROUGHT IN MANY AREAS. SYDNEY, Oct. 11. A record acreage is under wheat in New South Wales this year. Almost 4,500,000 acres have been sown. This is 421.000 acres more than ever before. Tho majority of the districts, howover, arc suffering from drought, and the prospects are gloomy. STEADY RAIN NOW FALLING. (Received October 11, 10.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, Oct. 11. Steady rain is now falling in tho northern half of tho State. This i<» bringing relief to many people who wero menaced by fires and is restoring IJIO prospects of tho good crops which tho drought had discounted. CHICAGO WHEAT MARKET. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. CHICAGO. Oct, 10. J Wheat. —Decombor, 1 dollar 16 1-8 cents per bushel; March, ,1 dollar 20 7-8 cents; May, 1 dollar 23 5-8 cents. LONDON WHEAT MARKET. Australian Press Association—United Service LONDON, Oct. 10. Wheat.—Cargoes are dull and mostly 3d easier. Parcels are in poor demand ut a j decline of 3d to 6d. Liverpool futures: October, 9s 4d per cental: December, 9s 4Ad ; March, 9s 4;] d; May, 9s s^l. AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. (Received Oclober 11, 11.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, Oct. 1L The following are to-day's quotations on the. Sydney produce market: — Wheat.—Growers' lots at country sta-' tions, 4s; ex truck at Sydney, 4s 7Jld. Flour.—£l2 10s. Bran and pollard, £7. Oats.—Algerian, 4s 9d; white, 4s 6d. Maize.—Yellow or white, 4s 6d. Potatoes.—Victorian, £6; Tasmanian, £6 10s. Adelaide prices are:— Wheat.—Growers' lots, 4s 7d. Flour. —Bakers' lots, £ll 15s. Bran.—£6 2s 6d. Pollard.—£7 2s 6d. Oats.—3s 3d. MATAMATA STOCK SALEDalgety and Company, Limited, held their regular stock sale at Matamata, 011 Wednesday, in very stormy weather. Prices were:— Beef cattle: Pat cows, i(J 5a to .119 15s; forward-conditioned caws, £5 5s to £7 15s: stores, X'.l 15s to iU 2s C»d; yearling Jersey heifers, to ,4'ti: Jersey-cross heifers, i'-l t'>s to £5 ss: Jersey bulls. £8 to £lO 15s: Ayrshire bulls, £lO 10: to £l7 10s; Shorthorn bulls, £fi (is to £0; IMstein bulls. 13. Dairy cattle: Jersey hewers, £8 to £10; cows, £7 to £l'2. Pigs: Best slips, Ms to 17s; small stores, 225.