PEODUCTION OF SULPHUEIC ACID. 9 



In the new modification of the chamber method described in this 

 publication a complete mixture of the gases and the control of their 

 temperature is brought about without the use of expensive or com- 

 plicated apparatus and with practically no danger of clogging the 

 system. While this method has been tried out only in the laboratory, 

 and some of the analytical data are not altogether satisfactory, the 

 results obtained prove that the principle is good and that the proc- 

 ess, if worked on a factory scale, would probably be commercially 

 successful. 



In a review of the patent literature on the subject an apparatus 

 was found which is somewhat similar to the one herein described. 

 This United States patent (No. 446060) was taken out by E. and J. 

 Delplace in 1891 and consists of a lead chamber having the shape of a 

 ring with a sector cut out. The chamber is provided with two gas 

 inlets at unequal distances from the center and contains at intervals 

 distributing pipes leading from the upper part to the lower part of 

 the chamber, so that the hot gases can be more thoroughly mixed 

 with the cooler. The inventors state that in such • a chamber the 

 constant change in the direction of the gases and their impinging on 

 the sides of the chamber cause a thorough mixture and a condensa- 

 tion of the acid formed. In this patent the right is reserved to vary 

 the shape of the chamber provided the gases are led through a circu- 

 lar route. 



The mam objections to the above apparatus, in the opinion of the 

 writer, are, first, that the chamber as described is of such a size that 

 there must be spaces therein where the gases are relatively inactive; 

 second, the pipes for conveying the hotter gases from the upper to 

 the lower part of the chamber would hardly accomplish this unless 

 they were the only route provided for the passage of the gases, and 

 this according to the specifications is not the case; third, the use 

 of pipes within the lead chamber unless they are cooled is always 

 objectionable because of their excessive corrosion and the serious 

 consequences resulting therefrom; fourth, a chamber of the shape 

 described occupies an enormous amount of ground space. Where 

 land values are high, this entails a large outlay for a factory site, as 

 well as an expensive building to house the chamber. 



NEW MODIFICATION OF THE CHAMBER PROCESS. 1 



This method is based on the fact that if a mixture of warm gases 

 is drawn downward through a special flue their resistance to the 

 downward pull, together with the constant change of their course, 

 will tend to mix them very intimately, and unless the internal diam- 

 eter of the flue is too great there will be practically no zones of inac- 



1 Worf carried on under the direction of Dr. F. K. Cameron, to whom the author is indebted for much 

 valuable assistance. 



527°— Bull. 283—15 2 



