The Washington herald., 1921-06-29
The Herald -r
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WEDNESDAY. JUNE -, 1871.
COMPARES AMERICAN AND
GERMAN AMMONIA PLANTS.

making sguNueliS dhuiOuAA IN TINS
country and Germany was described
by r. 8. Tour. OF the American Unf-
versity experiment station Of the,
nitrate division OF the War Depart
ment. at the convention OF the
American Institute Of Chemical En-
gineers in Detroit
The manufacture Of this basic
chemical has become Of great in
terest during the past few years
due TO its Importance TO the aeri-
cultural interests on account Of the
ever-increasing need OF nitrogenous
fertilizers and its Importance 70 the
War Department for explosives
manufacture. he pointed out
Germany built two large plants.
the FIRST of 10000 tons ammonia
capacity per year at Oppau. and one
Of 100000 tons at Merseburg. Both
plants were designed and huilt after
several years OF experimentation by
the Bsdische Aniline und Soda
Fabrik with considerable support
from the German government" he
said. The United States built one
plant at Shefield. Ala. OF 10000
tons capacity in accordance with
the designs of and under supervi-
sion OF the General Chemical Com
psny, all at government expense,
however. This plant never passed
the development stage and CORES
ponds to an experimental. or pilot
plant, which the Germans con-
structed and operated before begin
ming work on the two large plants
at Oppau and Merseburg. THE At
mospheric Nitrogen Corporation. IN
which the General Chemical Com
pany is interested. is now buiid4ag
another small plant at Syracuse.
n. Y, and will probably commence
operation during the present year.
Several other corporations have
been formed in this country within
the last few years for the purpose
OF investigating or developing
nitrogen fxation, but as yet have
not progressed TO the construction
stage.
in principle. the German and
American plants are the same.
/ Hydrogen is obtained by the de-
composition OF water and combined
with free nitrogen from the st
mosphere to produce ammonia
Water-gas, manufactured in sand
ard machines. is caused to react m
the presence Of a cstalyst with an
admiKture OF steam converting the
carbon monoxide to carbon dioride
/ and giving additional free HYDRO
gen. The necessary nitrogen is in
troduced, in the German plants. by
an admixture Of straight producer
gas to the wster-gss before oNida-
tion and is brought into proper
proportion by a later additNCn. IL
necessary, Of nitrogen from liquid
air machines. The nitrogen in the
American plant is introduced Sy In
lection of air into the oxidation
stage of the process. The carbon
dioNide. the residual carbon mon
Z oxide, and other impurities are then
removed by means OF high pressure
wet scrubbing, leaving the hydro
gen and nitrogen. Water and am
monium cuprous formate are used
for this purpose in the German
plants, and water. caustic solution
and ammonium cuprous carbonate
solutions in the American plant
In the latter plant il was neces-
( sary for tho gas to pass through
desiccstors on account OF the sensi-
tiveness CT the catslyst used. In
the German plants the scrubbtnE
!
mospheres for the water and 200
stmospheres for the copper solu-
tion; in the American plant 100
atmospheres pressure was used
throughout. The purified nitrogen
and hydrogen gases are then COM
bined by aid of a catalyst in a con-
verter at high pressure and at
about s0O'F. In the German plants
the ammonia is removed from the
system by water absorption: in the
American plant it is removed by
refrigeration.
The German plants produced
large proportion Of the liked nitro
gen required by Germany in the
!. war and are still producing on
smaller scale for agricultural and
other peace-time requirements
while the American plant. never
having passed its development
stage. was closed when the war
ended.
Fixed charges per annual ton OF
production form a large proportion
Of ths production costs and make IL
difficult for the synthetic ammonia
process to compete with other
commercial sources OF nitrogen.
Successful development and COM
mercial operation here and in other
countries will require a reduction
in the. fixed charges which are
large. due TO the high cost and
large amounts of the equipment re-
: quired. Apprecisble reduction in
fixed charges presupposes funda-
mental changes in the process or
utilization Of the by-product. car
bon dioNide-
RESIGNS CHAIRMANSHIP OF
RESEARCH COUNCIL DIVISION.
Prof. Comfort A. Adams has de-
cided TO give up his work as CHAIR
man of the division Of engineering
of the National Research Council.
which is cooperating with the En-
, gineering Foundation in promoting
nationwide plans Of Industrial re-
search. and devote his entire time
TO his work as professor Of cleo
trical engineering in Harvard Uni
versity. according to an announce
ment OF the Engineering Founda-
tion.
} Important projects under way bv
thls division relate 20 economy in
highway construction. on which dur
: ing the next year the state and
: national governments expect 10
spend $1,000. 100000.
|. The prehistoric monument q,
great upright stone at Stonebcpp.
I England. is being eNcavated snd
4 evidence has been found of a s'ill
. earlier series OF monumental stones.
r which were removed by the prehis-