The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-04-21
MAGIC OF A LIQUID.
Sulphuric Acid Plays a Big Part
In Our Daily Life.
ITS LOSS WOULD BE TRAGIC.

Help of This Wonderful Agent of
Science That Makes Possible Many
of Our Arts and Industries.
When you get up in the morning and
turn on the water for your bath you
use nickel plated faucet which re.
quired sulphuric acid in its manufac-
ture. Your tub, if it be enameled,
has met Sulphuric acid before it be-
came what it Is, and if it is an old
fashioned one of tin, plated OH sheet
copper, it needed even more sulphuric
acid before it took its place in civiliZa.
tion as bathtub.
The water in which you bathe has
probably been treated with sulphate of
copper to clear it of algae. The towel
with which you dry yourself has met
sulphuric acid before you bought it,
and the soapmaker possibly found it
necessary to use some i'm the prepara-
tion of your soap.
The briStleS of your hairbrush have
been treated with it. The back Of
your hairbruSh as well as your comb.
If both be of cClluloid, could not be
produced without it, Your razor be-
fore it reached its present high estate
has very likely been picked In sui
phuric acid after it was annealed.
AS you put on your underwear. says
writer in Commerce and Finance.
you may recall that the bleacher and
the dyer used sulphuric acid on the
thread before 1t was knit or woven
or upon the fabric afterward.
AS you button up your outer gar
ments you may be reminded also that
sulphuric acid was needed in securing
the wool. In making the dye and in
the process of dyeing the cloth.
The button maker needed some be-
fore your buttons were complete The
tanner needed some in making the
leather for your shoes. and 1t is also
used to produce shoe polish. The cush-
lon upon which you may rest your
plous knees In your devotions has met
sulphuric acid in one way or another
more than once before it reached its
present dignity
AT breakfast your cup and saucer
may have come into being without the
aid Of sulpl uric acid, but only provid-
ed they are plain white without deco
rative gilt. To produce the constitu.
ents OF aqua regia. which dissolved
the gold. sulphuric acid is used. The
silver of which your spoon, knife and
fork are made may come from q sui
phuric acid works which has first burn
ed the ore, while If they are silver
plated they were plated in a sulphuric
acid bath.
The farmer who raised the wheat of
which your rolls are made probably
used acid phosphate on his land to
encourage the wheat to grow. Acid
phosphate is phosphate rock and sui
phuric acid.
The paper maker needed some SUI.
phonated aniline blue to tint your
morning paper even If he used no
sulphite pulp, and it would be a rare
ink that is innocent Of the touch of
sulphuric acid at some point in it's
history
III you eat buckwheat cakes with
sirup the sirup needed it, and as for
your artificial light. if you get up early
enough to need it. you would be driven
pack to candles if it were not for this
product. 1t is needed in the refining
OF kerosene and gasoline, and as for
your electric light. brought to you by
currents of electricity through copper
wires. where would the electric indus
try be without copper? And where
would the copper industry be without
the electrolytic process Of refining.
which requires enormous quantities of
sulphuric acid? 1t would be para.
lyZed.
We have heard OF the embarrass
ment Of industry by the lack Of Ger.
man dyes. but this is a mere bagatene
compared with the general breakup
that would follow a dearth Of sulphur
ic acid. We can neither go to war
and have smokeless powder, nor can
we live in peace without it. Wher-
ever you go in civilization you cannot
get out OF its path.
You may never see 1t, you may not
know its qualities and its very remark
able chemical personality, and you had
better not touch it. but almost invaria.
bly, 1t has been around before you
All Of this will explain but frac.
fion OF the all pervasive usefulness OF
sulphuric acid in the arts Of what we
call civilization. And its use is con-
stantly growing along with the devel-
opment Of chemical industry and the
science of agriculture.