Kerosene: Burning Oil Distillate Acid-Treated, Washed and Steam-Stilled to Fire Test (Sadtler, in Thorpe 1913)

Raw burning oil from the crude still is brownish-yellow and smells. Sulphuric acid takes out the olefines and other unsaturated hydrocarbons as a dark sludge, water and caustic soda wash the acid out, and steam strips the lightest vapours until the oil passes its fire test. What is left is kerosene, a light straw-coloured lamp oil. Source: Sadtler, American Petroleum, in Thorpe's Dictionary of Applied Chemistry, vol. 4 (1913). Not given: the strength of the acid, the fire-test figure, and the vessel used for steam-stilling. Sulphuric acid burns and sulphur dioxide is poisonous to breathe: goggles, gloves, open air. Picture drawn by Youblob.