The sun., 1916-01-09
DRAWING THE SINEWS OF NATIONAL DEFENCE FROM lFE All
Not Only Security of the People but
Even Their Daily Bread Depends
on Progress of New Industry

By chance, Prof. Adolph Frank and
DR.. n. Caro- found that calcium car
bide would answer admirably. In
deed this cheaper carbide. at II proper
temperature. absorbed nitrogen quit"
AZ easily as barium carbide. but tho
product of the union turned out To lie
new material ii was not a cyanide
but was calcium cyananid.
II was not long after this discovery
that one Of the associates established
, by experiment that cyanamid was
very valuable fertilizer because of its
nitrOgent content and this at once
| opened up an immense field of useful
ness. More than that the chemists
proved that the cyanamid could %
made To yield ammonia and that the
| ammonia in turn could he converted
| into nitric acid. Here was the very
| antithesis of the arc processes which
| aimed Immediately t. produce nitric
| acid. Curiously the longer method OF
| arriving at the same end was found
to be more economical because while
using heat produced by electricity this
was not needed to the same measure
In the making OF the fundamental raw
material, calcium carbide.
This more economical method of Ak
ing nitrogen appealed TO Germany and
she has actually found 1t practicable
to utilize steam power for the gener-
alton of the current needful in the
making OF calcium carbide In the cleo
trio furnace. This has been made pos
slble by the establishment OF power
plants In the very midst OF her brown
coal fields and the fuel Is dug up rigM
alongside of these establishments. Tho
coal or coke and lime are placed IN
: an electric furnace and 10y reason OF
) that high heat are fused and con
verted into calcium carbide. This
when sufficiently cooled is ground up
q 50 as to offer a maximum or exposed
= surface to the nitrogen.
0 But the nitrogen in this process -
Z not in the normal atmospheric condi-
= ton when brought in touch with the
q ground carbide for iixation. by means
q OF powerful compressors the air is
n liauefied and then by succession
n of operations in connection with this
. application OF pressure the nitrogen
10 separated by fractional distillation
n from the oxygen.
Y The pulverized carbide is then placed
"A In a secondary set OF electric furnaces
= into which IL fed the nitrogen gas nj
n high degree of purity. ana th'
is broken carbide drinks in the nitrogen
greedily. When removed from these
!, furnaces and reduced to the form n
powder the carbide Is subjected 10
couple OF simple treatments. aftel
which II is ready for direct application
:, to the soil az "A plant food.
n The makers of munitions and othe
T. manufacturers may want ammonia o
I'd nitric acid or ammonium nitrate. AM
a. in that case the cyanamid must un
or dergo additional handling.
r The biggest plant engaged IN IN
manufacture OF cyanamid in Amerlc
n. is located over on the Canadian sid
IN OF Niagara Falls and is using to-da
-. something like 80, 700 horse power !
G. turning out an annual produc
w amounting to about $1,000 tons. mos
as OF which heretofore has gone into N
ct making Of fertilizers. This concer
al. is really "A United States company. n,
no was located in Canada because II WI
in there only that the needful quanfif
nd OF power could be obtained ana at
m. suitable price.