BY-PRODUCTS OF COAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20239, 26 April 1929, Page 17

BY-PRODUCTS OF COAL.

METHODS OF DISTILLATION.

INTEREST IN TOE WAIKATO.

REPORTS ON LURGI PROCESS. The Waikato Coalmine Owners' Development Board, which has been considering for some time the adoption of distillation or carbonisation processes in the mines under its control, expects to be in a position (o come to a definite decision in the matter shortly. The five collieries forming part of tho board tiro the Glenafton, tho Taupiri, tho Pukemiro, the Renown and tho Waipa Collieries.

Mr. W. Donovan, of the Government laboratories, Wellington, who has been investigating (he Lurgi distillation process on behalf of the Waikato Development Board, returned from abroad by the Aorangi on Sunday, and went to Wellington last evening. Mr. Donovan saw two plants, one in Canada and one in tho United States, using the Lurgi process, and he has submitted a report upon it to the board. This report, with others it has received from experts in London, the board is now considering. Three years ago, at tho instigation of the Government, Mr. Donovan visited England and the Continent to investigate processes of carbonisation of lignite coals. The Lurgi low temperature distillation process is of German origin, and is probably at the present time tho most- widely known and used of such systems. It is owned by the Metal Bank Company, of Germany, a concern with a capital of £45,000.000. Major H. L. Armstrong, managing director of Fuel Industries, London, who represent the Metal Bank Company, visited Auckland some time ago and deposited with Mr. W. D. Holgato, the chairman of the Waikato Board, a considerable amount of information concerning the processes of low temperature distillation generally, but this is not to be made public until final arrangements have been made with tho Waikato companies.

Experiment has shown that oil and other by-products can bo profitably" extracted from coal. It has also been shown that pulverised coal is one of the most efficient heat-givers discovered. It is cheaper than oil and is as easily handled. Low-temperature carbonisation has demonstrated that alter oil. gas and other volatile elements have been extracted tho powdered residue provides a smokeless fuel as good as, if not better than, the original crude element.

There are known to the world 250 low-temperature carbonisation processes. In Britain alone a dozen or more are being subjected to experiment. It can safely bo accepted as an average that one ton of ordinary bituminous coal will produce 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 wax and a certain amount of sulphur, ammonia, etc. There will remain following this extraction 15cwt. of smokeless fuel. Beyond the laying down of the initial plant there seems no avenue for excessive costs in these processes of lowtemperature carbonisation.