The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-07-19

FiIl nnd your answer thereiH i AZ.
Z. d In eonseqnsnce Of this ttVisit'i man Is
anxiety rs TO his future welfare has
been 'somewhat relieved, for iRvestiga-
ton has, shown that in the immediate
path of the lightning's streak oxides
Of nitrogen are. produced in, the air by
the combination of atmospheric oxygen
and nitrogen at the high temperature
Of the. electrical disc harge,. and that
these oxidss are washed out of the air
by rains end transformed into nitrates
IN the soil. -
Following this lead, it has been dis
covered tbat in the manrmsdP imita,
tion of lightning, the electric arc, a
certain percentage of oxide Of nitrogen
is formed when, the electric discharge
takes place in a mixture of oxygen and
nitrogen Tor plain air. ina specially
constructed Sparking.ehambeT. This OK,
ide is caught ip absorbing towers in
water, in the formation Ct Dit'i" acid,
or in lime or soda iuothe, fnf matio1 of
nrtifieial nitTR es of lime and, soda.
From data base upon thc acturl Eun-
ming of such a pant, nitric acid has
been produced from the atmosphere
land water) at a cost Of about two
and q half cents a pound.
Norway Lsadr Way y
In tara Norway, an anhvdrous
tanning l3 percent Of nitrogen is being
manufactured along these lines, the par.
tirular plant turning out from 5000 to
5000 tons of nitrates per annum. And
It is estimated that nitric acid can be
| manufactured from air in Norway at
cost 30 percent below that Of nitric
acid made elsewhere from Chill salt
petre
Nttte Prom Air
, There are various methods used in
making this atmospheric nitrate, which,
while similar in principle, vary in, ap.
Pllcatlon, and more particularly in, the
character of the electrical discharges
Some use arcs of great intensity and
small volume and others use ares Of
great. volume and small intensity, bat
q better yield per. unit Of plant is
claimed to be had from the flaming
arc. which IS enlarged in its scope Of
action, by means of a powerful magnet,
causing 4 maximum Of oxidation. An
alteTDatipg caGrent Of, from 5000 I'd
1000, volts Is Used and the diameter
Of the flame produced is about, six feet.
BY meaps OF blowers about 5000 cubic
feet OF air are forced through eaGh
furnace every minute. After leaving
the furnace this air contains one per,
cent Of nitric oxide : The heat Of the
AR leaving the furnace Is utilized to
raise steam ia boilers before it enters
the absorption towers which are about
fifty feet high, built of granite Slabs
erd filled with Jumps of Quartz, over
wHeh the weter trickles. From toWer
number J. fifty percent of Ritrlc acid
Is drawn off; from member 2, twenty
FIVE percent! from number 3, fifteen
percent and from number 4, five per
ment Power number contains milk
of lime. and tower number beds Of
ime, The pitric acid is added to limo
stone and the solution is concentrated
pntil it can Just be poured into cop
tSipers, and IL is almost anbvdrOps
pirate Of lime containing, as before
stated, about thirteen percent Of nj
trogen.
IN Ttalv still either methods are fol.
loved, and improved results are elai ~
Ell by oxidiziHg air under heavy pres.
sure
Ex"eFineutE At Home
Coming back to our. beloved United
States we find the Atmospheric Prod,
urts Company at Niagara Pals, work.
i"0 on the same problem Here onera.
tons are carried on in sparkling
chamber which consists Of large cvln,
drical metal box lined with vertical
rows Of contact points each one Of
which is in connection with the posi-