AFTER briefly describing the hydrogenation process and its three characteristic reactions, purification, stabilization and homogenizing, that remain unaltered in direction although they all change in extent, the authors discuss the possibilities of applying the process to the production of motor-fuel and lubricating oil. The possibilities offered by the process of reforming the molecular structure of petroleum hydrocarbons along directed lines to obtain products of the so-called paraffinic or naphthenic type are stressed.
This presentation is supplemented by data on the actual properties and performance characteristics of hydrogenated gasolines and lubricating oils as tested by the fuel and lubrication laboratories of the Standard Oil Development Co. Two series of tests were run, one on a White motor-truck engine and the other on a Mack motor-truck engine, the latter being under abnormally severe conditions. Results of the tests are presented graphically and are also given in tabular form.
From these tests the authors conclude that hydrogenated lubricating-oils made from common crudes are superior to the best natural lubricants now available, high-grade naphthenic gasoline and blending stocks can be produced from relatively low-grade gas-oils and the hydrogenation process, when widely adopted by the petroleum industry, will apparently enable the automotive engineer to design engines that are capable of operation at greater compressions, higher speeds and higher temperatures with a resultant marked gain in efficiency.
Facts brought out in the discussion* are that hydrogenated lubricants do not differ from current paraffin-base lubricants as regards oiliness and most of the bearing failures noticed by the author resulted from a breakdown of the oils, not a lack of oiliness. One of the discussers pointed out the desirability of having everybody become familiar with the octane-number method of rating the antiknock properties of fuels, since it represents a decided forward step and also provides a means for talking about the antiknock qualities of fuels in the same language.