Edited bv MIRIAM
C. NAGEL
A w n High School ROGER
R. FESTA
Brien McMahon High School
ture of the sulfur above its melting point. But he persisted and, after carefully evaluating all foreseeable variables, Fraseh had his crew drill a test well and set a 10-in. casing, 623 f t long into it. Thena6-in. and a 3-in. pipe were lowered concentrically inside the casing. Hot water was pumped down into the well between the smaller pipes. The melted sulfur was pumped up the center pipe. Although the scheme worked, frequent breakdowns occurred. The dense (1.8
Herman Frasch, Sulfur King Miriam C. Nagel Avon High Schooi Avnn CT ORnOl
and more slowly went the engine, more steam was turned on-until the man a t the throttle sang out, excitedly, 'She's pumping.' In five minutes the outlet valve was opened. A beautiful stream of golden fluid shot into the barrels we had ready. In about fifteen minutes the forty barrels we had were full. We threw up embankments quickly and lined them with boards to catch the sulphur that was gushmg out.
imdeindtivc raprrmwnl i t # , r t r u ~ t l ! ~ .r1rlnrnl.d . u l i l l r 1111111 nel.p un&r:nmnd drpl.lt-. Hr n t ~ w ~"\\.I.e11 d, e v ~ r \ . ~ h m1 lg. d 1 , ~ 1 ~iniihrd,rht S I ~ I ~ I RI I ~I piled ULI i n 5 IIC hww. ilnd the IIIPII I..d ( I < parted, I enjoyed all by myself this demoktration of success. I mounted the sulphur pile and seated myself on the very top."' In 1867 oil prospectors had accidentally discovered rich deposits of sulfur-impregnated limestone under 500 or more feet of soil, quicksand, and cap rock on an island in a Louisiana bayou. Frasch's experiment was not the first attempt to recover the sulfur. Successive groups, both American and European, using conventional mining methods, had tried for 25 years and failed. In his Perkin address Frasch described the test core he had drilled to study the mablem. "It showed to my amazement that the sulphur deposiiwas about 200 feet thick-an enormous quantity. I t was not solid but shattered, with pieces of limestone scattered through it."' The problem required an unconventional approach. Possibly Herman Fraseh got his inspiration from old methods of mining salt as brine. His plan was to melt the sulfur underground with water heated to 335'F, under a pressure of 100 pounds per square inch. Then he would pump out the molten s u l f ~ r(The . ~ water had to he superheated under pressure because the melting point of sulfur is 234'F.) Frasch received no encouragement for his plan. He said in his Perkin address, "Everyone who'erpressed an opinion seemed ta he convinced that this thing could not be done, one prominent man offering to eat every ounce of sulphur I ever pumped."' At times even Frasch was doubtful, fearing the hot water would flow out of cracks in the limestone into the Gulf of Mexico, or that cold water seeping in would make it impossible to maintain the tempera-
,.
Miriam C. Nagei did her undergraduate work at MiT and Boston University, receiuing a BS in Chemical Education from the latter in 1962. She received her MS from Simmons. and a CAGS from University of Hartford. MS.Nagei began teaching in Massachu?e .ns where she was also a member of the NE Section ACS Chemical Safety Committee. Since 1972 in addition to teachino chemistry, Miriam has been involved in developing innovative curricula in Connecticut and has presented numerous papers at state, national and international meetings. Also, she is a member of the ACS-NSTA Examinations Subcommittee.
1
air was forced down into the pool ofr<en silfur. The sul'fur was forced upward by the air pressure as a light froth. By 1901 the ingenious process was working well, hut i t was not profitable. Hot water mining required 4,000 gallons of heated water to raise every tonon sulfur. The cheapest available fuel was soft coal from Alabama. Although Frasch sulfur was 99.5% pure, i t could not compete with the conventionally mined, cheap Sicilian sulfur that had long been the major source of the element for industry.Vhe fortunate discoveryof oil in 1901just 30 milesaway in the Spindletop (Texas) oil field assured an abundance of cheap fueL By 1904financial success for the Frasch process was assured as production from wells in Texas and Louisiana exceeded the needs of American industry. Herman Frasch was horn in Germany on Deeemher 25,1851. After being educated as a pharmacist, he came to the United States in his teens. He first worked in the laboratory of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy hut soon was attracted to chemistry which he saw as a useful and profitable way to join the new and booming petroleum industrv. Youne Frasch set to work methodicallv. . Bv, 1876 he had prrfwt,vI and p.>rmtvd nn m,pr.wd prurcr. 1 . 1 olrtuin purr. lailtlr-r lnnrrtffm unr i n m I ' r n l d i , n ~ > i,rudr a c :I. \\ ithin .i fcsr r c m i hc air, ~ l e v c l ~ pn,ccaaca ~ ~ ~ r d r . ~ r ~ m ~ ~ v c ~ ~ h j r r t i ~ ~ ~ ~inm . ~ h lflllr.lri~~and c~ullur Ohio petroleum
Ind. Eng. Chem., 4,131 (1912). K. G.. "The Romance of Chemistry," The Viking Press, New York, 1959; p. 131. 3 Haynes, Williams, "Brimstone: The Stone That Burns," D. Van Nostrand, Ine., Princeton, New Jersey, 1959, p. 6. 4 Wagner, T. B., "Dictionary of American Biography," VI, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1931, p. 603. Chem & Eng. News, 58(11), 12 (Mar. 17,1980). 2 Irwin.
Roger R. Festa received hisBA from St. Michael's College in 1972. his MAT from the University of Vermont in 1979, and is presently working on his CAS at Fairfieid University. Mr. FeSk has taught both high school Chemistry and biology. He is currently on the faculty of Brien McMahon High School m Norwaik, Connecticut. He is an active member of the ACS. New York Academy of Sciences. American institute of Chemists, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is chairman of the High School Chemistry Committee of the Western Connecticut Section. vice-chairman of itsEducation Committee, and a member of its Executive Board. He has pubiishedessays on science, history. and education in Chemunrty, m e ~ a n f i e l d behemest, and The ~orwalk~our, and he has reviewed curricular materials for Science Books and Films.
Profiles in Chemrstv is a biographical feature, highlighting the conhibutions of distinguishedchemists in the context of their lives. The column is designed for CUrriCUlum enrichment. allowing the secondary school teacher to enhance the vitality of chemistry with the sense of scholarship and adventure shared by chemists throughout history.
60 / Journal of Chemical Education
The Frasch scheme for desulfurizing crude oil was efficient and economical. It involves a reaction between a metal oxide and crude oil to form metal sulfide. The metal oxide is recovered for reuse. The Standard Oil Company in Cleveland was interested in buying the patents. Frasch and John D. Rockefeller entered into a long-term business agreement to their mutual profit. Frasch became the first director of research and development for Standard Oil. In addition to a substantial salary, he received royalties on future petroleum related inventions, plus a two-month perlod each year during which t o follow his personal interests. Between 1887 and 1894 Frasch took out 21 patents relating to oil refining. He was extraordinarily diligent and versatile. Other patents included methods for making white lead, sodium carbonate, electrical generator elements, carbons for electric lights, and paraffin wax paper. Of the64 patents which Frasch utilmately held, he is best remembered for those pertaining to sulfur mining-the first of which was granted to him in 1891. He remained involved with sulfur production for the rest of his life. The flow of sulfur unaccountably slowed and then stopped in a
number of Frasch wells in 1911. After six months of vain efforts by well crews to restart the flow, a call went out for help to Mr. Frasch who was ill in Paris. He returned to Louisiana and determined that the pmblem was one he had feared might cause his experimental well to fail-excess cold water seeping in. To sdve the problem, Frasch installed bleed pumps to draw off the cold water. The pumps were so successful they became standard equipment in Frasch wells. Mr. Frasch returned to Paris where he died on May 1. 1914. His obituary the next day in the New York Times aptly began, "Herman Frsseh, Americam sulphur king.. . ." Hisisstill the outstanding name in sulfur production. Frasch wells are expected to yield about 6.75 million long tons of sulfur in 1980,nearly 60%of the anticipated total U.S. production for the year.5 Thecontributions Mr. Frasch made to the industrial development of two major natural resources-petroleum and sulfur-still justify the words with which he was introduced a t his Perkin award ceremony in 1912, "one of our greatest industrial chemists and chemical engineers."
Volume 58,Number I, January 1981 1 61
