The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-31

Nitric acid is made from nitrate of soda (nitreJ
and sulphuric acid. These are placed i'm a cylin
der, Elk teet long by three feet in transverse
diane ter, as ''c6arge" Ave hundred pounds of
nitrate of soda (nitre) and four hundred pounds
OF sulphuriC acid. These cylinders are arranged
In sets OF three or more, and under them is
q furnace hoor with an intense fto therein.
The cylinders having received their proper
charge" the doors are closed and sealed.
leaving no egress for the fumes driven of
by the heat, save through tube into a con-
denser TO be hereafter described The fires
are kindled, and by the action of the heat the
nitre and the soda, which form the nitrate OF
soda, are separated, and the sulphuric acid,
having strong affinity Tor the soda, instantly
combines with that substance, forming sulphate
OF soda, otherwise known as soda ash' or
"GlaIber's salts;" the nitre being thus left free
is at once volatllzed, and in the form Of vapor
passes nom the cylinder through the escape
tube, into the c3ldensers These conden.
sers are set OF large glass jars, ar
ranged on a pyramidal stqn' or frame in
the form OF double inclined plane @''een or
twenty feet high. There is another style OF con.
denser known as "Wolle's apparatus" which
consists OF a series of stone Jars connected by
glass arms. The principle in both is the same,
the fumes or vapor being condensed by being
cooled, and then falling into the tToughs in the
form OF a LIQUID, whence II is sypboned off into
the carboys. A single cylinder charged, as here.
inbeiore described, with five hundred pounds of
nitre and four hundred of suphuric acid, yields
three hundred and fifty pounds of nitric acid,
the greater part of the rest of the weight remain
ing in the cylinder in the form of Glaubers salts
or soda ash.
MURIATIo ACID.
Muriatic acid, though of far less importance in
the arts and having a commercial status of
nothing like the importance of either of the
other acids spoken of, still deserves a word Of
mention from the tact that 1t is always manu-
iaCtured at the establishment which turns out
the others. This acid is principally, or at any
rate very largely used tor bleaching and Is in
great request by paper-makers, dyers, and
others who have occasion for a safe and speedy
bleaching agent. MuriatiC acid is made from
murlate OF soda Common salt) and sulphuric
acid. The principle is the same, and the process
nearly so, as those which obtain in the manu-
facture Of nitric acid. The muriate of soda, and
the sulphuric acid being heated together, the
soda and the muriatiC acid are separated-the
sulphurc acid gratifes its strong affinity for the
soda, entering into combination known as
sulphate OF soda, while the muratic acid, being
fresh, Is vaporlzed by the heat, and carried off
and condensed by the same apparatus, and IN
precisely the same manner, as is the nitric acid
already described. From a cylinder, charged
as before stated with the proper weight OF mu-
riate OF soda and sulphurc acid, about four
hundred pounds of muriatic acid are obtained.
In the general market the Wholesale prices Of
the acids by the carboy are about as tOllows:-
Sulphuric acid, per pound % cents.
Nitric acid do , . II to IA
Muriatic acid do "a
II will easily be seen that when a single con-
Germ turns out ten to fifteen tons per day, the
manufacture Of the working acids for the arts
and trades is business OF immense Importance
and of special interest to all who rejoice in the
true prosperity OF the land