December 20, 19 17] 



NATURE 



Z^7 



upon the Continent, the process had not at that time 

 been operated in this country. A systematic investiga- 

 tion ot the most recent developments of the process 

 was therefore undertaken. 



Many important problems have arisen in connection 

 with the two main researches indicated above. Refer- 

 ence may be made to such questions as the most 

 efficient and commercially practicable catalysts for the 

 synthesis of ammonia and for ammonia oxidation,- and 

 the commercial preparation in bulk and at a suflfi- 

 ciently low cost of hydrogen of the high degree of 

 purity required for the synthesis of ammonia. 



Interim Report of the Committee. 



In view of the magnitude and complexity of the 

 problem, the Committee was unable immediately to 

 present a complete report. Certain definite conclusions 

 had been arrived at, however, and these, together 

 with recommendations thereon, were embodied in a 

 unanimous interim report, which was submitted to the 

 Minister of Munitions in February, 1917. The sub- 

 stance of the recommendations is given below. 



(a) By-product Ammonia. — The importance of in- 

 creasing the output of by-product ammonia for muni- 

 tions and for agriculture was pointed out. Steps were 

 indicated whereby an increase could be obtained from 

 existing gasworks and coke-oven plants. It was also 

 recommended that action should be taken to avoid the 

 loss of ammonia known to be occurring in certain 

 districts. 



ib) Ammonia Oxidation Process. — The erection at 

 the earliest possible moment of plant capable of pro- 

 ducing in the aggregate at least 10,000 tons of nitric 

 acid per annum from gasworks or coke-oven ammonia 

 was recommended. 



(c) Cyanamide Process. — ^The erection of a factory 

 having an annual output of the order of 50,000 tons of 



" cyanamide was recommended, the cyanamide to be 

 utilised as such for agriculture or for the production 

 of ammonia. 



(d) Synthetic Ammonia Process. — ^The erection of a 

 full-sized trial unit plant for the synthetic ammonia 

 process was recommended. 



The Minister of Munitions invited members of the 

 Committee to meet him, and the recommendations of 

 the interim report were discussed in detail. At the 

 conclusion of this meeting the Minister appointed a 

 small Executive Committee to supervise the action in- 

 volved in giving effect to his decisions, and to report 

 to him fron time to time upon the progress made. 



The Minister's Decisions and the Action Taken 



Thereon. 

 The Minister's decisions were as follows : — 



(a) By-product Ammonia. — The Committee was re- 

 quested to deal with the problem of conserving 

 ammonia and of augmenting the output on the lines 

 of the recommendations. 



(b) Ammonia Oxidation Process. — The Ministry of 

 Munitions would undertake the installation of one 

 Government plant on the lines suggested, or, if the 

 Committee so advised, the Ministry would agree to the 

 erection of plants by suitable private firms. The in- 

 formation resulting from the research work was to be 

 placed freely at the disposal of bona-fide manufac- 

 turers, but was not to become the exclusive propertv 

 of any firm or group of firms. 



(c) Cyanamide Process.— The Committee was re- 

 . quested to investigate the relative merits of a Govern- 

 ment scheme and of other schemes that had been put 

 forward involving private enterprise, ^nd to submit a 



'report embodying definite proposals. 



(d) Synthetic Ammonia Proci'ss. — ^The erection of the 

 full-sized trial unit was authorised. 



NO. 2512, VOL. 100] 



In carrying out these decisions the Executive Com- 

 mittee dealt first with the problem of conserving and 

 increasing the output of by-product ammonia. . The 

 next step taken was to summon a conference of manu- 

 facturers likely to be interested in the ammonia oxida- 

 tion process, as a good deal of useful information had 

 been collected regarding it and the research work had. 

 already reached a semi-commercial stage. Encourag- 

 ing progress continued to be made with the research, 

 and arrangements and plans were made for the erec- 

 tion in London of a trial plant consisting of a single 

 commercial unit designed to give an output of one ton. 

 of strong nitric acid per day. At this stage the work 

 of establishing the process on a commercial scale for 

 the manufacture of nitric acid and ammonium nitrate 

 was handed over to the Explosives Department at its 

 request in August, 1917. The work of investigation 

 however, has been continued at the research laboratory 

 as several important aspects of the process still remain 

 to be explored. 



With regard to the manufacture of cyanamide, the 

 Executive Committee came to the conclusion that the 

 schemes involving private enterprise did not adequately 

 fulfil the ends in view, and recommended the erection 

 of a factory by the Government. The committee pro- 

 ceeded to collect further information on cyanamide 

 processes in actual operation, and representatives pro- 

 ceeded overseas for this purpose. Complete details 

 of a scheme involving a large-scale factory with elec- 

 tric power station are now in course of preparation 

 for submission to the Minister of Munitions. 



Meanwhile a considerable amount of work had been 

 carried out in connection w-ith the synthesis of am- 

 monia, including a detailed investigation of the whole 

 of the conditions governing the process, and of the 

 efficiency and life of numerous catalysts. These 

 studies led to the devising of a method of working^ 

 whereby the output of ammonia per unit of catalyst 

 space has been increased to a figure which, so far as 

 is known, exceeds anything hitherto attained. The 

 design and erection of a semi-technical unit apparatus 

 embodying a number of novel features, with' the neces- 

 sary pumps, circulators, gas-holders, etc., were then 

 undertaken. It is expected that the operation of this 

 unit, which is now at work, will enable the remaining^ 

 problems as to the chemical engineering details in- 

 volved in the design of the full-sized trial unit 

 authorised by the Minister to be definitely settled. 



Research upon the preparation of pure hydrogen in 

 bulk has been carried on conjointly with the above 

 investigations, and arrangements have already been 

 made for the trial on a semi-commercial scale of a 

 process that has .<Jiven very promisfng results in the 

 laboratory. 



Nitrogen in Sulphuric Acid Manufacture. 



An important practical outcome of the conferences 

 with manufacturers has been the introduction of 

 ammonia oxidation plant to take the place of the nitre- 

 pots used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid by the 

 leaden chamber process. In pre-war times the annual 

 consumption of Chile nitrate for this purpose amounted 

 to 18,000 tons. With the present increased output of 

 sulphuric acid the consumption is greater, so that the 

 possible saving of overseas freight is appreciable. 



One of the small converters designed in, and made 

 for, the Departmental Research Laboratory has been 

 installed at the sulphuric acid works of Messrs. 

 Brunner, Mond, and Co., and has been working satis- 

 factorily for some months. The firm is now arranging^ 

 to adapt similar converters to the whole of their leaden 

 chambers. The United Alkali Co.. the South Metro- 

 politan Gas Co., and others are making arrangements 

 to adopt the onxress, and are utilisinj? two types of 

 converter to the laboratory designs. Drawings have 



