KERO-PEDIA

a spark ignitedby 

....flaming into the world of kerosene

• THIS IS NOT A TELL-ALL TALE

ABOUT KEROSENE.

• THIS TELLS YOU THE "WOW"

FACTS ASSOCIATED WITH

KEROSENE .

• THIS PRODUCT IS ECLECTIC IN

DESIGN AND SHOULD NOT

MAKE YOU YAWN.

Kerosene is derived from the Greek word for wax keros.

KERO'S GREEK CONNECTION

THE PERSIAN CONNECTION

The process of distilling crude oil into

kerosene, as well as other hydrocarbon

compounds, was first written in the 9th

century by the Persian scholar Rāzi (or

Rhazes) in his Kitab Al‐Asrar (book of

secrets).

MANY FATHERS ,MANY NAMES

Naft Abyad(white naphtha) by Razi in 9th century.

Wax‐Oil (keroselaion) by Abraham Gesner  in 1846

Paraffine oil by James Young  in 1848

Carbon oil by  Samuel Martin Kier in 1951

KERO SAVED THE WHALE ? In mid 19th century , a world wide

shortage of lamp oil made from

sperm whale's blubber caused it to

be more expensive as the whale

grew scarce due to over‐ hunting

Luckily for the whales, in 1846, a Canadian

surgeon Abraham Gesner research in minerals

at Nova Scotia resulted in the development of a

process to refine keroselaion from naturally

occurring asphaltum (albertite) which was

cleaner than whale oil in lamps.

KEROSENE MAN - 1

KEROSENE MAN - 2• In 1848, Scottish chemist James Youngexperimented with oil discovered seepingin a coal mine as a source of lubricating oiland illuminating fuel.

•When the seep became exhausted, heexperimented with the dry distillation ofcoal, especially the resinous "bogheadcoal" (torbanite).

• He extracted a number of useful liquidsfrom torbanite, one of which at lowtemperatures congealed into a substanceresembling paraffin wax.

THE PATENT WAR - YOUNG vs OTHERS

• In 1850, James Young took out a patent on paraffin wax making

process and the resulting products and built the first truly commercial

oil‐works in the world at Bathgate in 1851, using oil extracted from

locally mined torbanite, shale, and bituminous coal.

• Despite clear priority of discovery, Abraham Gesner did not obtain his

first kerosene patent until 1854, two years after James Young's US

patent.

• These patents were subsequently upheld in both countries in a series

of lawsuits, and other producers were obliged to pay royalties to

Young.

KEROSENE MAN - 3• Since the 1840s, Samuel Martin Kier's saltwells were becoming fouled withpetroleum.

• At first, Kier simply dumped the useless oilinto the nearby Pennsylvania Main LineCanal, but later he began experimentingwith several distillates of the crude oil,along with a chemist from easternPennsylvania.

• In 1851, Kier began selling kerosene tolocal miners, under the name "CarbonOil". He distilled this by a process of hisown invention from crude oil. He alsoinvented a new lamp to burn his product.

THE FIRST REFINERY

• Samuel Martin Kier‐dubbed as the

Grandfather of the American Oil

Industry was the first person in the

United States to refine crude oil into

lamp oil when he established

America's first oil refinery in

Pittsburgh in 1853.

• Kerosene was the first material to be

chemically extracted on a large

commercial scale.

THE STORY OF KEROSENE LAMP•Ignacy Lukasiewicz, a Polish pharmacistresiding in Lwow, had been trying to improveon Gesner's process, using local seep oil.

•On the night of July 31, 1853, doctors at thelocal hospital needed to perform anemergency operation, virtually impossible bycandlelight.

•They therefore sent a messenger forLukasiewicz and his new lamps. The lampburned so brightly and cleanly that the hospitalofficials ordered several lamps plus a largesupply of fuel.

• Lukasiewicz realized the potential of his workand quit the pharmacy to find a businesspartner, and then travelled to Vienna toregister his technique with the government.

KEROSENE FACT SHEET

• During fractional distillation of crude oil, the fraction that is collected

between 150°C and 250°C is kerosene.

• The auto‐ignition temperature is 220°C

•Maximum distillation temperature is 204.4°C

• Final Boiling Point is 300°C

•Minimum flash point is 37.78 °C

• The specifications for kerosene are set by the American Society for

Testing and Materials (ASTM) & American Petroleum Institute (API).

PRIMUS - THE FIRST KERO STOVE• In 1892, Frans Wilhelm Lindqvist ,aswedish mechanic partnered with hisfriend Johan Viktor Svenson to establishJ.V. Svenson’s Kerosene Stove Factory tomanufacture the new stoves (registeredas Sootless Kerosene Stove) , which weresold under the name Primus.

In late 1892, Berndt August Hjorth ,founder of Bahco Group acquiredsole rights to the Primus stove .

KERO - STOVES TO ROCKET

• BS2869 Class C1 (lighter) ‐ Used in lantern, camping stove, wick heater

and mixed with gasoline in vintage combustion engines.

• BS2869 Class C2 (heavier) ‐ Used as domestic heating oil.

• RP‐1 (alternately, Rocket Propellant‐1 or Refined Petroleum‐1) is a

highly refined form of kerosene outwardly similar to jet fuel, used as

rocket fuel.

TRYST BETWEEN RP-1 & SATURN V• Saturn V rocket’s first stage carries

7,70,000 liters of kerosene fuel (RP‐1) and

12 lakh liters of liquid oxygen needed for

combustion.

• During initial phase of lift‐off of Saturn V

the reaction between RP‐1 & Liquid

Oxygen generates 1.62 × 1011 watts of

power

KERO-STATISTICS•World kerosene consumption = 12 lakh barrels per day

• Largest consumers = Japan @ 350220 barrels per day.

• Largest exporter = China @ 128130 barrels per day

• Largest importer = Nigeria @ 32020 barrels per day

• India produces @ 163110 BPD• India consumes @ 191669 BPD• India imports @ 29250 BPD• India exports  @ 700 BPD

ALTERNATIVE USES OF KERO

• The dry cleaning industry was born when a kerosene lamp was

accidentally tipped over onto a soiled tablecloth in France, thereby

discovering the oil's cleaning properties .

ALTERNATIVE USES OF KERO• Since 2004,the New York City Transit has been using Ultra‐low 

sulfur kerosene to power its bus fleet.

ALTERNATIVE USES OF KERO• In X‐ray crystallography, kerosene can be used to store

(preserve) crystals.

ALTERNATIVE USES OF KERO• Paraffin oil is used as a laxative.

ALTERNATIVE USES OF KERO• Kerosene is often used in the entertainment industry for fire

performances, such as fire breathing, fire juggling or poi, and fire

dancing.

THIS IS NOT THE END !• Save Kerosene !

REFERENCES• www.rolfgross.dreamhosters.com

• www.hugovandermolen.nl

• www.blog.mailasail.com

• www.thejojobaoil.com• www.nsis.chebucto.org• www.greatkat.com• www.ecopolproject.blogspot.com• www.appropedia.org• www.madehow.com

• www.ffden‐2.phys.uaf.edu 

• www.waymarker.com

• www.bgl.nu

• www.blogs.rsc.org

• www.projectcrystal.org

• www.the‐lib.com

• www.sebastienvalade.com

• www.en.wikipedia.org

• http://www.nycgo.com/venues/mta‐new‐york‐city‐transit

• http://www.mtv.com/artists/kerosene‐3/biography/

• www.Perpetualpreparedness.blogspot.com

KERO-PEDIA

a spark ignitedby 

..................flaming into the world of kerosene

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