Abstract
MANY and very various products can be obtained by the carbonisation of bituminous minerals, the character and quality of the materials produced depending mainly upon the temperature at which the process is conducted. It does not, however, follow that all identical products will be obtained from different bituminous materials when they are subjected to the same temperature conditions, because the chemical composition varies, and consequently when subjected to heat the method of decomposition also varies. The organic body or bodies in shale are called kerogen, and this, on being subjected to moderate heat, yields oil of the olefine and paraffin series, ammonia also being produced. The organic matter in coals and cannels is generally described as volatile matter, and probably differs considerably-in chemical character from the kerogen; consequently, on being subjected to moderate heat, different products are obtained, although they also are mainly of the olefine and paraffin series. When coals are subjected to high temperatures a different class of hydrocarbon is produced, mainly the hydrocarbons of the benzene series. It is probable that this would also be the case to a greater or less extent if shale were also subjected to high temperature in retorts similar to those employed for heating coal.
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The Production of Oil from Mineral Sources. Nature 102, 416–417 (1919). https://doi.org/10.1038/102416a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/102416a0