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1910-1919
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| 1910s |
Bottled liquefied manufactured gas appears. American coal-tar, organic chemical industry flourishes; Seeks new markets for its products. Briquetted fuel by-products developed for management of for management of oil-gas lampblack residuals and for recovery of by-products other than coke. Gas plant tars being refined to produce dust-abatement oils for roadways. Semi-reliable natural gas fields developed frequently. Short-distance (1000 km) transmission of natural gas perfected. |
| 1910 |
Emergence of gas-oil shortages due to refinery topping of light oils for vehicle fuels. U.S. has but 14 municipally-owned manufactured gas plants in cities of greater than 10,000 population and but five such plants in cities of greater than 25,000 persons. Brooklyn Union Gas Company completes consolidation of all 14 competitors in Brooklyn/Queens. World's most southern manufactured gas plant was in place at Invercargill, New Zealand. Central-station gas production grows, with medium-pressure district pipelines now operating at 30-50 psi and local regulators and governors. Three-lift gas holders now being constructed routinely at 150,000200,000 cf capacity, and above-grade for existing plants controlled by holding companies. Portland (OR) Gas Light & Coke Co., develops briquettes for disposal of its oil-gas lampblack residue as fuel; In response to 1906 Corps of Engineers suit over disposal to Willamette River. Single producer gas engine capacity reaches 3000 hp. Western States Gas & Elec. Co. is incorporated by H.M. Byllesby Co. as a holding company. |
| 1911 |
U.S. Bureau of Mines (established 1910) begins issuing formal reports of value to employment of gas producers and producer gas engines. U.S. Geological Survey reports 180,000,000,000 cf gas manufactured in U.S.; Average of 6 percent lost at the plant or in the distribution system. U.S. Supreme Court finds Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey guilty of violation of Sherman Antitrust Act; Has implications involving ownership and oil supply to some MGPs. |
| 1912 |
Vertical coal-gas retort technology imported to North America, from England, recognizing advantages of continuous operation and reduction in objectionable smoke. Birmingham, AL installs by-product, utility coke plant; A growing trend regional centers with access to affordable coal. |
| 1913 |
U.S. Bureau of Standards counts > 1300 separate gas companies in U.S. (Includes natural gas). Abraham's first edition treatise on Asphalts and Allied Substances; Their Occurrences , Modes of Product, Uses in the Arts and Methods of Tests. First natural gas supplies at Los Angeles, Midway-Sunset Field. |
| 1914 |
Germany extends coal-tar by-product technologies for production and by-product recovery. Organic chemists have discovered the fundamental hydrogen-saturated nature of coal-tar compounds vs. the fundamental hydrogen-unsaturated nature of petroleum hydrocarbons. Now nine Koppers by-product coke-oven plants in U.S.; has 33 % of national coke production. Calorimeter (costing then about $100) now considered essential to cost-efficiency and maintenance of quality of all manufactured gas in North America. 1914-1918: Surge in American coke by-product recovery in newly-constructed by-product coke plants; Now 46% of coke produced in by-product recovery plants; Toluene rises for $0.25/gas to $6.10 in 1918, for munitions; Rush to build merchant and utility coke works in U.S. German coal-tar patents released to American industry as wartime production measure. Saskatchewan Government publishes results of study to carbonize its lignite for fuel briquettes. |
| 1915 |
Surge of small-town manufactured gas plants, among which carburetted water-gas processes dominate. Home heating furnaces debut in U.S. French government declares all coal-tar production to go for military purposes. Japanese Yamagiwa and Ichikawa learn that coal tar is carcinogenic; Unable to differentiate constituent carcinogenic compounds. British Association at Manchester reports on smoke damage and "immeasurable evil effects of smoke and fog upon public health." |
| 1916 |
Disposal of Gas House Wastes , Paul Hansen, Urbana Railway, Gas & Electric Co., Urbana, IL. Gas-plant benzol in sharp demand, less toluene, for aviation motor spirit; toluene to munitions; illuminating gas stripped of some candle power to recover light oils for war effort. Peat coke was being made successfully in Europe. |
| 1917 |
Manufactured and producer gas plays huge part in war effort; Especially munitions production. |
| 1918 |
American Gas Association organized as consortium of previous national and regional groups. U.S. War Production Board sponsors variety of coal-tar by-product and distilling plants. Critical shortages of gas coal and coke; Suppliers delaying deliveries and making partial fulfillments; Gas manufacturing costs soar due to spot-market prices to keep production moving. Oil gas becomes preferred West Coast process; Promoted largely by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Horizontal Slot Ovens, of coke works design, in use for coal-gas production in U.S., with 2800 lb. charge and 100,000 cf of 610 Btu gas per bench of three/24-hour run; Coke as direct by- product; Inclined chamber variant also in use in U.S., in same general configuration. War-time phenols manufactured from coke-works benzol. As many as 128 coal-tar distilleries were producing coal-tar chemicals for U.S. war effort. Founding of American Gas Association, as amalgamation of existing groups. U.K. consumes 33,000,000 tons coal per year for manufactured gas and coke production (Bone, 1918). European and American coal and coke shortages; Wood and sawdust admixed for gas in Europe. Bituminous and sub-bituminous coal in widespread U.S. use in carburetted water gas generators, further exacerbating disposal problems of tar-water emulsions reaching as much as 90 % water. Cracking introduced at U.S. refineries, for production of polymerizable hydrocarbons from crude. Discovery of first major Texas gas field, Panhandle; Dry, sweet natural gas. |
| 1919 |
Pulverized coal represents highest technological use in U.S. Allied Chemical Corporation formed in U.S. as merger of five leading firms; Nation's largest. U.S. hit with labor strikes and post-war recession. |
