Technikatörténeti szemle 25. (2001-02)

Papers of the Third International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Budapest, 2–4 July, 1999) – First Part - Lichocka, Halina: Ignacy Mościcki (1867–1946) in the history of science and technology

which however for financial reasons could not be achieved. But this particular idea was to be applied and improved by the American industry. Other works concerning oil industry Directly before the first world war and in the postwar years prevailed the idea of improvement natural gas by chlorination. Methane being the main component of natural gas (up to 85%) forms with air a very dangerous explosive mixture, a real danger for the gas users. The idea of removing this drawback by transforming methane into chloromethan seemed very promising because chloromethan while retaining the same burning properties as methane does not produce explosions, in addition it does not corrode the metal walls of pipes and of equipment. Apart from it has a sweet scent easy to discover. But the realization of the idea met with technical difficulties over the solution of which an intensive work had to be done. What was the problem? Well, the reaction of chlorine with methane is very violent with the emission of a great amount of heat, so the attempts at gas chlorination usually ended with and explosion. The problem was solved by Ignacy Moscicki with his patent submitted in Lvov in 1917 and entitled "A method of chlorination of methane or of hydrocarbons containing methane". The chlorination of natural gas in Moscicki's method was done in a column lined with refractory material and partly filled with crushed quartz, porcelain and other aggregates. Chlorine and natural gas were let into the columns through separate valves placed in such a way as to make the mixing of the two substrates in the space with the filler. This prevented a violent reaction. The increase the safety of the reaction Moscicki proposed the use of natural gas mixed up with nitrogen or air. Another problem Moscicki witnessed in Lvov were the dumps of earth at the there numerous ozocerite mines, in an area being one of the richest in this material in Europe. Ozocerite appears in nature in the shape of a brown mass smelling of oil. It is a mixture of hydrocarbons in a solid state with an addition of ethers, organic acids and alcohols. Earlier after purification and decolorization it had been used in the production of candles, paste for the conservation of leather and wood impregnation, as well as a substitute for bees-wax. At present it is used in the production of electro-isolation pastes and lubricants. Earth round the mines was highly polluted because it contained a great amount of ozocerite. Moscicki decided to get out that ozocerite purifying thereby the dumps. So he worked out and patented a method of gradual extraction of that material by means of petrol. The extraction was done in a column divided transeversely by several chambers, of which some were provided with mixers, others had a metal construction in the shape of vertical ducts enabling the deposition of solid parts. The method ensured a continuous efficient work.