THE NITROGEN PROBLEM. 105 



table, wliicli was prepared by the English Commission, known 

 as the N"itrogen Products Committee : — ■ 



PRODUCTION IX METRIC TONS. 



Norwegian Arc. Processes 



l'.tl8. 1914. l'.)\r>. 19U;. 1917. 



Ca and Ammonium Nitrates 80.031 87,135 ().5,068 105.610 99,490 



Haber Process (in terms of 



Ammonium Sulphate) ... (30,00o) (G0,00u) (150,000) (300,00o) (500,000) 



Cjanamide (156,944) (194,726) (771,155) (981,500) — .'— 



The figures given in brackets indicate the estimated 

 productive capacity. The Haber process has not yet been 

 installed outside Germany. In addition to this, Germany 

 possesses large by-product ammonia and cyanamide plants. 

 The intensive utilisation of these factories enabled that country 

 to provide both the fertiliser for the wheat crops as well as 

 the nitric acid for the unorecedented amounts of explosives 

 which were used in the four and a half years of uninterrupted 

 warfare. 



The rapid development of these synthetic processes when 

 compared with existing nitrogen industries is shown in the 

 following table given by the Committee in terms of fixed 

 nitrogen : — 



89-6 71- 



The costs of production (Table A) have also been worked 

 out under English conditions, and are interesting as showing 

 that the Haber process compares favourably in this respect 

 with all other existing processes ; at the same time, owing to 

 the purity of the ammonia produced, it is particularly adapted 

 to the preparation of nitric acid or amnnmium nitrate. 



The research and experimental work done by the British 

 Government during the war was undertaken with a view to 

 the commercial establishment of a synthetic process in 

 England, but this had not been accomplished when the 

 Armistice was signed in 1918. The work, however, is not to 

 be lost to the country, as a company, called " Synthetic 

 Ammonia and Nitrates, Limited," has just been formed to 

 take over from the Government the plant for the manufacture 

 of nitrogen products from air and to develop this manufacture 

 on the commercial scale. The method to be employed is a 

 modification of the Haber process, as improved by the results 



