The Washington herald., 1921-09-26
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Scientific
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Hl4lhE8
MONDAY. sEPTEMBER q, I,,,.

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BLAST DESTROYS FIFTH or
GERMAN NITRATE PnoDUcrIor
one-hfth Of Germany's nitrst.
production was wiped out I'm IN.
explosion that wrecked the opps,
works OF the BAdIsche Anilin ma
Soda Fabrik on the Rhine in Ger
many Wednesday morning.
This plant, which was the Ger
man mainstay for nitrate prodpo-
ton during the war. wa, cap,b,.
OF producing 100000 tons OF nitro
gen a year. according to infornA-
tion obtained from governmental
sources here.
The yearly nitrogen output Of ali
the by-product coke oven plants OF
this country would just abou,
equal the production Of the de-
stroyed plant, while the Oppsu
output was two and a half time,
as great as that planned for our
war-built Muscle Shoals nitrst.
plant which Ford is negotiating
for. The wrecked German pIsnt
could have supplied one-third OF
all the nitrogen that we are using
yearly for fertilizer, chemical and
all other purposes.
Germany has another nitror.,
plant, using the same Haber-BoSb.
process, which was half way buIlt
at the time Of the srmistice. ana
which has since been finished. This
is located at Merseburg on IN.
Stassfurt deposits. and il can pro-
duce twice az much nitrogen as the
Oppau plant, or about 200 900 tom,
year. From plants that employ
the cyanamid and the atmospheric
nitrogen tXation processes Ger
many has a production of an add
tional 100000 tons OF nitrogen.
The OppaU plant. which is now in
ruins, has been visited by a num-
ber OF allied military missions since
the war. From official sources. the
following details have been OBJ
tained:
Although oppau was erected dur
ing the war absolutely no expense
was spared. rhe buildings were Of
concrete and brickwork. the power
houses were lined with white tiles,
the office and Laboratories were
most extensive. thoughtfuIly de-
signed and ornate in their decors-
, tions. The plant is said 70 have
cost nearly $4,000. 900.
over 100 buildings. made Up the
factory and docks on the banks of
the Rhine. and the whole plant was
laid out systematically with ample
railroad facilities. The Laboratories
were located in a fine building. With
analytical, physical. technical ana
catalytic rooms and lecture room.
and this building alone cost $500 .0oo.
Features OF the plant were com
pressors 1 enormous strength that
compress a mixture of hydrogen ani
nitrogen at 200 atmospheres ur
5000 pounds per square inch. There
were also large tanks fer holding
Ignite and water gas. and large
store bins for the chemicals.
The direct process for nitrogen
production. or the Hsber process
used in the Oppau plant. begins with
the generation OF hydrogen from
water gas. This hydrogen ls puri-
fed and placed under great pressure
along with nitrogen obtained from
the air by liquefaction. This mix
ture of gases is brought into con
tact with what IS known as
''catalyst." usually a rare metal like
platinum. which helps one atom %
the nitrogen to combine with three
atoms OF -he hydrogen nd form IN"
ammonia .sas whose sr~c'l all OF US
know.
From ammonia can be obtained
the nitric acid and ammonium
nitrate for explosives or the
ammonium nitrate, ammonium
chloride and mixed salts that are
used to keep farms fertile and as
sure food supply.
Germany began building the
Oppau works in 1912, two years
before the war. after preliminary
experiments at LudwiEshsfen near
by. At the beginning OF the war.
the plant was able to produce only
one-tenth OF its postwar output.
Due TO the wartime expansion
OF her nitrate plants, Germany be-
came independent OF Chile salt
peter. her former source OF nitro
gen and Americas principal source
during the war and today. Even
with the loss OF Oppau. Germany
will be able TO supply all her own
needs for nitrate and will have a
surplus to export
During the past month a plant at
Syracuse. New York. which uses
modification OF the Haber process
used at Oppau has been placed in
operation by the Atmosphere Nitro
gen Corporation, an American con-
cern. The capacity OF this plant.
however. is just about one-thirtieth
OF that at Oppau.
No definite explanation Of the eN-
plosion can be offered by govern
ment explosives and nitrogen e1-
perts, on the basis OF the current
cable reports, but they are inter-
ested in obtaining details OF the dis
aster. Or. Charles f. Munroe OF the
National Research Council. and chiet
explosive engineer OF the Bureau OF
Mines. is also obtaining details o.
the nitrate plant explosion At Rodio.
near Berne. Switzerland, which on
July 81 killed twenty persons and
injured a hundred. W. ID.