230 



MAXUrACTUKES OF RUSSIA. 



chemical industries. This acid is now produced in various parts of Eussia, and its 

 total production must now be counted as not under four million pouds; that is, of 

 concentrated acid containing from 90 to 95 per cent of hydrate H2 SO*. The material 

 employed for its manufacture is still mainly sulphur. The following figures give the 

 amount of Sicilian lump sulphur imported : 



The decrease of the import is mainly due to the fact that the Eussian works, 

 such as those of Oushkov, Hill and others, have followed the example of the Western 

 European factories, and began manufacturing sulphuric acid from pyrites, which they 

 either bring from abroad or extract in Eussia. 



The following figures give the amount of sulphur pyrites imported: 



The home exploitation of native sulphur is still very small, altogether about 

 ten thousand pouds were extracted in Daghestan, in the Caucasus, and in the Trans- 

 caspian provinces in 1889 and 1890. However, the home production of sulphur pyrites 

 which is already considerable (in the district of Bogoslovsk alone up to 3,000,000 

 pouds of pyrites were extracted and roasted, mainly for the extraction of its copper, 

 the manufacture of sulphuric acid being only lately added to this industry at the 

 works of Polovtsev), still increases, all the more so as, according to the customs tariff 

 of 1891. sulphur pyrites and sulphur are subject to an inconsiderable duty, and is 

 more and more employed in the manufacture of sulphuric acid, and indirectly of copper, 

 as in the Urals. In 1890 the following amounts of pyrites were supplied exclusively 

 for the manufacture of sulphuric acid: at the Urals, 358 thousand pouds; at the 

 Sub-Moscow coal mines, 391 thousand pouds, for the Sub-Moscow sulphuric acid 

 works; at Borovichi, from the river Msta, for the local sulphuric acid works, about 

 100 thousand pouds; while altogether, over a million pouds were^ registered by the 

 Mining Department. Now, in 1892 to 1893, the production of pyrites for the manufacture 

 of sulphuric acid must be counted as nearly twice that amount. 



The chief producers of sulphuric acid are those works which provide it to the 

 Artillery Department for the preparation of smokeless powder or pyroxyline, and those 

 which use it themselves for different purposes, and especially for the preparation of 

 sulphate of sodium, soda, and sulphate of alumina. Such are, for instance, the above- 

 named works of Oushkov and Co. on the Kama near Elabouga, and the Tentelevsk 

 works near St. Petersburg. In the district of Moscow there are up to 20 chambers 

 for the preparation of sulphuric acid, chiefly for supplying the demands of neigh- 

 bouring works. At Baku there are three works preparing concentrated acid for pur- 



