James Muspratt 197 



and prussiate of potash. This did not satisfy his ambitions, 

 and when, in the year 1823, the prohibitive salt tax was 

 greatly reduced, he determined to work the Leblanc process, 

 and crossed over to Liverpool in search of a suitable locality 

 to erect his works. Not being provided with sufficient capital 

 he continued during a few years the manufacture of prussiate 

 of potash, until in 1828 he joined partnership with Christopher 

 Gamble and together they erected the St. Helens works. 

 Separating again two years later, Muspratt took a new site 

 at Newton-le-Willows. The same trouble arose which, as 

 has already been mentioned, discouraged Gamble. Newton 

 was in the heart of an agricultural district, and the farmers 

 very naturally resented having their crops spoiled by the 

 fumes of hydrochloric acid. Muspratt's business was so 

 seriously interfered with by continuous litigation that he 

 abandoned his works in 1850 ; and yet, ever since 1835, he 

 might have got over his difficulties had he given a trial to 

 the coke tower condenser of William Gossage (1799-1877), 

 which had been brought to his notice by the inventor. In 

 these condensing towers, the hydrochloric acid, instead of being 

 allowed to escape, is collected, and forms a by-product of 

 considerable commercial value. Gossage 's process enabled 

 the alkali industry to develop with great rapidity, so that in 

 the twenty years between 1852 and 1872, the annual pro- 

 duction of alkali rose from 26,000 to 94,000 tons. Moreover, 

 the invention allowed the Alkali Acts to be passed and 

 strictly enforced, to the great advantage of the country in 

 which the works were situated. 



In the Leblanc process, sulphate of soda (salt cake) is 

 formed by the direct action of sulphuric acid on salt; the 

 sulphate is converted into the carbonate by bringing it into 

 intimate contact with limestone and coal, and heating the 

 mixture. In another method, which has to a great extent 

 replaced that of Leblanc, the salt is acted on by ammonium 

 bicarbonate, with the result that sodium bicarbonate and 

 chloride of ammonium are formed. The ammonium bicar- 

 bonate, which forms the basis of the reaction, is generated 

 by saturating a salt solution with the ammonia obtained in 

 the recovery of the plant, and forcing carbonic acid gas into 

 the liquid. The process was first invented by G. Dyer and 



