36: An Oily Character

Here we talk a bit about the history of petroleum from ancient days to modernity. Among the moderns we hear of are Abraham Gesner, promoter of kerosene; Samuel Kier, huckster, canal-boat owner, and refiner; and Edwin Drake's well that ushered in the modern oil industry. We discuss fractional distillation of petroleum to isolate the various components, octane rating for fuels, and various international terms for "gasoline". Finally, we learn of hydrocarbons as lubricants, and I bring in Elliott Greenfield, Senior Engineer at Greenfield Manufacturing, to discuss physical properties of hydrocarbons.

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