LIQUID FUEL FROM COAL

Otago Witness, Issue 3494, 22 February 1921, Page 55

LIQUID FUEL FROM COAL

SIR DOUGLAS MAWSON’S VIEW. In view of the growing scarcity of the world s supplies ot liquid fuel tor motors and internal comuustioii engines geiierallv Australia, like other countries, is laced witil the necessity oi treating her coal resources on proper, econoimo lilies. The common, century-old system ot burning away ce-ai under boilers represents a tremendous waste of wealth. Locked up in the coal, and easily ox traded by modem scientific meluuJs, are resources of huge iduc to the country, but so tar very little has been done to develop the coal bypuuduet luduTry here. it has been estimated that unuer puesent conditions some 2,OUU,Oi>J gallons oi benzol, which could be used as motor fuel, are annually thrown away by the ras industries oi the Common-we.,lt.l--ii.e smile o; Die commodity mus sacrificed being at least £-250, (DO. While ssi'.n a growing v o| ii -'usU-y a.s well, it is staled th.i at . : gallons oi benzol could be pioduced here at the present moment, in audition to various heavy oils, naphtha, and other valuable by-products. The development oi the brown coal resources of Victoria, and elsewhere, of course, means opening up still another reservoir of liquid fuels and oils. Sir Douglas Mawson, the well-known Antarctic explorer and geologist, who is now visiting Australia in connection with the Scientific Congress, is an enthusaist regarding tire proper by-product treatment of coal. For three years during the .war ho was attached to the staff of the British Ministry of Munitions, and came into close contact there with the great developments in the treatment of coal resources that arose out of the need for munitions. Speaking on the subject, lie said that there was no doubt at ail that in most cases it paid to distil coal before it was burned. Ihe cii fuels of the world were growing more scarce, and yet there were all these by-products of coal being burned away day after day. It was quite possible, in fac-t, that some day the price of ordinary liquid fuels would bo so high that none would think of burning up coal without first distilling it for its by-products. During the war, he pointed out, big advances were made in Britain in the treatment of c-oal, benzol being produced at 2s 9d per gallon. Most of it was used in the production of picric acid for munitions, but. a good deal was also used for motor spirit. Ho added that there wire several brown coal deposits in South Australia, and in view of the many fuel difficulties in that State big efforts were being made to develop them. Tests were now being carried out there regarding the distillation and mining possibilities, though the results of investigation were not yet completed. “We have seen the remarkable results and the valuable products obtained in England.” ho added, “and wo do not want to see Australia lag i behind. I believe that Australia will probably find it more profitable to look to these sources of fuel oils than to go in i even for boring for oil.” Sir Douglas Mawson added that the Broken Hill Proprietary r Company was erecting a big by-product plant in connection with its coking plant at Newcastle, and that it was expected that a large range of by-products would be t produced there.