The sun., 1900-12-30

tic from common authenticated IN FRANCE
by Leblanc u742-isO6(--has been deve!-
oped By Tennant in Scotland and Nus
peath and Go, sage. and by IlargreafeI,
Weldon and Maetca in England this procc>,
htt, at present "a serious rival in the am
monia soda process, developed by Solway
in Belgium and by Brunncr and Mond in
England The manufacture ot sulphuric
acid, so long associated with the a!kali
process. has made enormous strides during
the present century, but Is still, In the
main. the original process Of causing sui
phur doxido in presence OF water TO absorb
the oxygen Of the air through nitric. oXIv
But the saving of the oxides Of nitrogen
through the invention Of sulphuric acid
tower by Gay-l.lsSao. known by his name
and the rcutlization Of these oxides In
tho Glover" tower. invented by John
Glover Of Newcastle have greatly lossened
the cost of the acid. Concentration Of the
acid in iron vessels Il now common, tho
cost OF platinum or Of fragile glass vessels
being thereby saved. The desulphuriza-
ton Of iron and the removal OF silicon,
carbon and phosphorus by Bessemer's
process. modified Icy Thomas and Gil
christ through tho introduction of n basic
magne~ia lining" for the convertcrs, has
made it possible to obtain pure iron and
steel from ores previously regarded rs Of
little value.
The use OF artificial manures. prepared
by mixing refuse animal matters with
tetra-hydrogen. calcium phosphate and
nitrate Of soda or sulphate of ammonia.
49, lntr l,,n 1r iahi, Tr1atal n
revolution In agricultural methods and
in the weight Of crops obtainable from
given area OF soil. The influence OF rnanures
on crops has been fully studied by Lawes
and Gilbert for more than fifty years in
their experimental farms at Rothampstcnd
The most remarkable advances which have
been made. however, are due 70 cheap
electric current. The electrolysis Of alum
ina. dissolved In fused cryolite to obtain
aluminium, an operation carried out at
Scharhausen on tho Rhine and at the Falls
Of Foyers in Scotland. the electro deposition
Of pure copper for electric wires and cables,
electro silvering. gliding and nickeling.
all these are instances where decomposition
OF q compound by the electric current
has led to important Industrial results.
At present soua and chlorine are being
manufactured by the elecuolysis OF sal
solution contained In rocking trays, one of
the electrodes being mercury. by the Cast
ner-Kellne. process. This manufacture Il
being carried on Mt Niagara, rs well rs IN
England, But electricity rs heating
agent finds ever-extend!ng application.
Henri Moissan professor at Paris led the
way by utilizing the enormous heat Of the
arc In his electric furnace. thereby, among
other interesting reactions, manufacturing
diamonds, small, it Is true, though none
the less real The use of electricity a. q
heating agent has received new applications.
Phosphorus Is now made by dlstlllng q
mixture OF phosphates Of lime and nlumina
with coke: a new polishing agent has been
found In -carborundurn." compound OF
carbon and silicon produced by heating
IA an electrical furnace a mixture OF sand
and coke, and cyanide Of potassium. al
most Indispensable for the extraction OF
gold from ores poor in gold, Is now manu-
facturei by heating a mixture OF carbon
and carbonate Of barium In an electric
furnace In a current Of carbon monoxide
These are but some OF the instances in
which electricity has been adopted as an
agent In eirecting chemical changes; and It
may be confidently predicted that tie earlier
years Of the twentieth century will vItn"Ns
q great development in this direction. At may
| be pointed out that the later developments
Of Industrial chemistry owe their success
entirely to the growth Of chemical theory;
and It Il obvious that that nation which
possesses the most competent chemists.
| theoretical and practical. il destined TO
succeed IN the competition with other
| nations for commercial supremacy and all
its concomitant advantages.
WILLIAM RAMSAY.